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

Cured in Central Park late last night.
and by which three men, two OF them
Park policemen, lost their lives. was
discovered at $50 'cloc this morning.
At that hour Park Policeman Cain,
who had beats Nos. 8 and I In the Park.
heard a whistling noise coming from
the direction Of Park Policeman George
Rogan's post. beats Nos. / and 2.
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 1t
locked. He entered by forcing open a
window, and Immediately his nostrils
were assailed by an almost overpower-
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 un-
conscious.
Policeman Cain kicked open the door Of
the building, 30 that the gas which had
almost filled the room could escape. and
then entered the toilet-room from which
the groans he had heard proceeded.
In separate closets he found Park
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 from the station for ambu-
lances, and policemen were sent back
with Cain to the baseball house.
When the party arrived there Fury
n Lyons were dead.
Hayes seemed at the point of death,
and Rogan was breathing very family.
Surgeons from the Presbyterian Hos
pital were the first to respond to the
ambulance all. They gave Hayes and
Rogan stimulants, and then lifted both
into an ambulance and hurried OH to
the hospital with them.
1dyCo ulC !" tHS @S
o'clock this morning without having
regained consciousness. At hat hour
1t was said tina Rogan had a chance
of recovery.
The body OF Lyons was taken to the
arsenal, and that of Fury was sent to
the Morgue.
How 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 find the leak and were overcome
while engaged in the search.
The nearest illuminating gas main Is
seventy-hve 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
at 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 that the gas from this pipe filled the
house.
Furey formerly had charge OF the
swan and bicycle boats on the ParF
lakes, and 1t Is said that he slept IN th'
baseball house on several occasions.
Policeman Rogan has been a member
|of the Park police for five years. Haye'
had served about the same length OF
: time. Lyons had been on the force foi
twelve years.
Cant. Collins says that the records o!
all three are excellent.
AT the Presbyterian Hospital at noon
1t was said that Rogan had only partly
recovered consciousness. Acting under
instructions from the Park Police. the
! House Surgeon refused to allow RoGar
to be questioned as to what the mel
: were doing when overcome.
I Policeman Hayes lived at 1852 seconc
; avenue, He was married and the father
/ " four children.
Q Policeman Rogau is n widower, ar
: his home at COS East Third street.
= Policeman Lyons leaves a widow ant
one child, who live at 1904 Park Avenue.
: II Is not known whether or not Furey
: was married.
@ Capt Collins says he thinks that th'
vhistling heard by Cain came from th'
street cars In Fifty-ninth street. Cain
n In his search for Rogan finally came L
: the ~ball-house, where he FOUND inc i3uI
men. The Captain says that undoubt
e edly In the blasting operations I'm IN
transverse roaus a gas-pipe was broken
and the escaping gas found iUs near. .
unobstructed passage through the sewc
I leading to the toilet room In the bail
q house.
a He says there were no symptoms in
e dicating that the men had been drink
ing. Rogan was said by the hospi
I tai authorities at | o'clock to he out U
danger. and rapidly recovering, capt
e Collins awaits his report OF the circum
stances that led up TO the death VI IL