The evening world., 1893-10-19
TRAGEDY IN The PARK
Three Policemen and a Civilian
Found Overcome by Gas
Two Die on the Croquet Ground
Before Help Arrives.
A Third Expires in Hospital, but
the Fourth Will 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 o'clock this morning.
At that hour Park Policeman Cain,
who a beats Nos. 3 and 1 In the Park,
heard a whistling noise comii & from
the direction OF Park Policeman George
Rogan's post. beats Nos. l and 2.
Cain thought the noise was a signal
for assistance, and ran in the direction
from which It 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 gentIemen'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 tha 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 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 Thomas
Furey. They. too. were unconscious. q.
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 10 the baseball house.
When the party arrived there Fury
and Lyons were dead.
Hayes seemed at the point of death.
and Hogan 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 of to
the hospital with them.
Hayes died In the hospital at 10. 80
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.
How the men all came to be In the
house together, as well az 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 n 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.
hi nearest illuminating gas main Is
s~eventy-fve 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-fifth street, and Capt. Collins
thinks that n 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 Park
lakes, and 1t is said that he slept In the
baseball house on several occasions.
Policeman RogaR has been a member
Of the 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 records OF
all three are excellent.
At the Presbyterian Hospital al noon
II was said that Rogan had only rarity
recovered consciousness. Acting under
instructions from the Park Police. the
House Surgeon refused u allow Rotan
to be questioned as TO what the men
were doing when overcome.
Policeman Hayes lived at 1852 Second
avenue. He was married and the father
of four children.
Policeman Rogan Is a widower. and
his home at 30S East Third street.
Policeman Lyons leaves q widow and
one child. who live at l0si Park avenue.
1t is not known whether or not Furey
4 was married.
Q Capt. Collins says he thinks that the
whistling heard by Cain came from the
6 street cars in Fifty-ninth street. Cain
In his search for Rogan finally came tC
the ~ball-housc. where he found the -four
men. The Captain says that undoubt'
eddy In the blasting operations in the
transverse roads a gas-pipe was broken
and the escaping gas found its neares
unobstructei passage through the sewer
house.
{ He says there were no symptoms in
dicating that the 'n.n mad been drink
{ tai authorities at I o'clock to be out Of
= danger, and rapidly recovering. Capt
Collins awaits his report Of the circum