Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1890-01-08
KILLED BY FUMES OF ACID
TWO OF THE WALTON AND WHANN
COMPANY'S LABORERS DIE.

Breathing Too Much suIphurous Acid |
Gas While Cleaning Out an Acid Cham
Der at the Company's works-Another
Man Seriously Sick.
| Joshua Williams Of No. 104 Jefferson
street, and William Ross, who lived on
East Liberty street, both colored, died
last night from the effects of breathing
| sulphurous acid gas while cleaning out
an acid chamber at the fertilizer works Of
the Walton aud Whann Company.
Abram Brown, colored. VINO ives on
/ Girard street. is lying in a precarious
condition from tho same cause.
These men, with a number OF others,
we're set to work yesterday morning to
clean out large acid chamber at the
| works of the Walton h Whann Company.
1t Is work that is done not
oftener than once year and
is considered very dangerous
by the men. as they have to take the risk
Of breathing air surcharged with sui
phurous acid gas. Some Of the men
with strong lungs can stand 1t longer
than others. When at work in q cham
Der, they usually stay as long as they can
and then come out, other men taking
| luCtA DihItcs
The acid chambers are immense metal
tanks in which the acid is evaporated and
carried out with smoke to become part Of
the fertilizers. Considerable sediment
had accumulated IN the chamber in which
the men We're working yesterday, and
yesterday morning gang OF SIX men
we're set to work to clean 1t out. Three
entered the chambers at time, having
rags tied over their nostris and mouths
Some had a small bag over their nose for
greater protection
They could stay in the chamber about
FIVE minutes and then go out to breathe
fresh air while the other three men in the
gang took their places This gang
worked until noon, the men alternating
withieach other as stated The gang was
composed Of William Ward, Abram
Brown, William Ross and Steve Henry
all colored, and two Italians named
Julian Whiskey and Phillip Brown. Some
. Of the men went home at noon and did
, not return.
Another gang was put to work in the
: afternoon. 1t included Joshua Williams,
I Steve Henry and Julian Whiskey, who
! had worked in the morning, and three
! others whose names could not be OBJ.
! | tanned
4 Ross, who belonged to the morning
I gang, quit work before noon, feeling SO
badly that he could hardly stand. Heman.
a aged to walk home later and after suffer
/. ing intensely yesterday afternoon and
!, last night, died about 1870 o'clock this
morning. Doctors Pyle and Smith
Cooper attended him. Abraham Brown
quit at noon and went tC
q his home on GirRrd street
s All last night he suffered from
!: a severe cough and raised considerable
/. blood. DIR. Pyle attended him. Brown
4 was seen this morning. He complained
: of pain from the cough, and his wife said
o be was no better He seemed to be q
!, pretty sick man Steve henry, who was
: one Of the morning gang, went back in
O the afternoon and worked until 2.30
!. o'clock. he has felt some discomfort
Il since, but is apparently in no danger, as
r he was walking about this morning.
y; Nothing about the condition Of tn,
e other members of the morning gang
8. could be ascertained.
= Joshua Williams worked on the after
l. noon gang for about three hours. Il
1. persisted in talking while in the aci'
e. chamber and consequently gave the fume
every opportunity to act o.
"a the lungs. lie was taken hom
9. in wagon about o'clock, and was at
~ tended by DR.. Bloeksom. Medical skill
SO was of no avail, and he died about mid
~ night last night. Williams was 66 year
= of age He left wife. Ross was
70 younger man and was unmarried N
j. arrangements have yet been made for th
m funeral
0. The effects Of the fumes of the gas o.
n the mems lungs was to cause feeling 0
rs suffocation. 1t also irritated the lungs
is caused hemorrhage and finally suffoca
ia ton.
Francis N Buck, secretary of the Wa
ton and Whann company was seen thi
morning. He said he knew very lit
er tie about the matter and said that Cap
u tain LeMaistre the superintendent of til
Of works would be home to morrow, whe
I'd all the particulars could be obtained Nj
he Buck said that the work YVES the sam
ma as that done in all other phosphate fact
as cries and had often been done at tn
y. Walton and Nhann works before. Il
II did not attribute the death of the tw
ae men to the effects of working in the aci
nd chamber but thought it was due TO som
OF other reason. No accident of Xix
OF character had ever happened at the worh
Se before.
lg Coroner Gamble has not been noti6e
he OF the death Of Williams and Ross, an
es the cases ere evidently of charactt
no that comes within his jurisdiction.