The evening world., 1893-10-19
Three Policemen and a Civilian
Found Overcome by Gas.
Two Die on the Croquet Ground
Ee'ore Help Arrives.
A Third Expires in Hospital, but
the Fourth VIII Recover.

Cured In Central Park late last night,
and by which three men, two OF them
Park policemen. lost their lives. waH
discovered at $50 o'clock this morning.
At that hour Park Policeman Cain,
who had beats Nos. 3 and In the Park.
heard a whistling noise comii Z from
the direction of Park Policeman George
Rogan's post. beats Nos. / and ..
Cain thought the noise was a signal
for assistance, and ran in the direction
from which 1t came. He located the
VIII sitting on the croquet grounds. and.
while nearing the frame structure there
known as the baseball house, heard
Groans. They came from inside the
building.
Cain tried the door, but found It
locked. He entered by forcing open n
window, n Immediately his nostrils
were assailed by an almost erpow
ing smell of gas.
The groans came from the gentlemen's
toilet room. and Cain CROPPED his way
In that direction.
He stumbled over a mans body and
fell. Striking a match and holding 1t
over the body Cain recognized 1t as that
of a brother policeman, James Hayes.
A few feet away Cain saw the pros
trate form of another man in a park
policeman's uniform. 1t was that of
Policeman David Lyons. Both were I'M
conscious.
Policeman Cain kicked open the door of
the building. so that the gas which had
almost filed the room could escape. and
then entered the toiiet-room from which
the groans he had heard proceeded.
IL, an.t ,lA..ta lA fA,,,l Ip,-x
Policeman George Rogan and a citizen
OF the name of Thomas Furey. They. too,
were unconscious.
Cain dragged all four men out Into
the open air. and then ran to the sta
ton in the Arsenal for assistance. Calls
were sent fro the station for ambu-
lances. and !cemen we're sent back
with Cain to the baseball house.
When the party arrived there Fury
and Lyons were dead.
Hayes seemed at the point OF death,
n Rogan was breathing very family.
Surgeons from the Presbyterian Hos
pital were the first to respond to the
ambulance call. They gave Hayes and
Rogan stimulants, and then lifted both
into an ambulance and hurried OFF to
the hospital with them.
Hayes died in the hospital at 1870
o'clock this morning without having
regained consciousness At that hour
1t was said that Rogan had a chance
of recovery.
The body of Lyons was taken to the
arsenal, and that of Fury was sent to
the Morgue.
Hoy the men all came to be In the
house together. as well as what they
were doing there. is a mystery.
Whether the gas which caused their
death escaped from sewer pipes or from
the illuminating gas mains Is as yet
unknown.
Capt. Collins, of the Central Park
squad. has a theory that the policemen
went into the house TO eject Furey. and
discovered that gas was escaping into
the house: that they then undertook
to fnd the leak and were overcome
While engaged in the search.
The nearest Illuminating gas main Is
scventy-ive feet distant from the base
ball building, but there are several
sewer pipes much nearer.
Workmen have been blasting along
the Transverse road crossing the Park
Mt Sixty-ffth street. and Capt. Collins
thinks that a sewer pipe under the base
ball house may have been broken by
an extra heavy discharge Of dynamite
and thai the gas from this pipe filled the
house.
Furey formerly had charge Of the
swan and bicycle boats on the Park
lakes. and 1t is said that he slept In the
baseball house on several occasions.
Policeman Rogan has been a member
of 'hc Park police for five years. Hayes
had served about the same length of
time. Lyons had been on the force for
twelve years.
Capt. Collins says that the -rcords of
all three are excellent.
At the Presbyterian Hospital at noon
1t was said that I;ogan had only Iartly
re covered consciousness. Acting under
instructions from the Park Police. the
House Surgeon refused to allow ItoGan
to be questioned rs to what the men
were doing when overcome,
Policeman Hayes lived at 1852 Second
avenue. lie was married and the father
Of four children.
Policeman Rogan is n widower. and
his home at 30S East Third street.
Policeman Lyons leave "A widow and
one child. who live at 1904 Park avenue.
1t is not known whether or not Furey
was married.
capt. Collins SAYS he thinks that the
whistlinG heard by Cain came from the
street cars In ~Fifty-ninth street. CAIN
IN his search FOR Hogan finally came 10
the ball-hOusc. where he found the four
men. The Captain says that undoubt-
eddy in the Blasting operations In the
uansyer.e roads a gas-pipe was broken,
aud the escaping gas found It's nearest
unobstructei passage through the sewer
house.
He says there were no symptoms in
dirating that the IN III had been drink
Ing. Rogan was said by the hospi-
tai authorities at l O'Clock to be out of
danger, II rapidly recovering. Capt,
Collins awaits his report Of the circum-
stances that led up 10 the death OF the
three meh.