The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-12
DRUNK on GASOLINE.
Philadelphia Boys Derive Pleasure
From InhhIing the Fumes.

FROM the Baltimore sun.
Philadelphia, Nov. ga band of boys,
who live in the southern section of the
city in that territory that embraced the
first ward and presided over by the TWEEN
ty-fifth police district. have conceived a
peculiar method of extracting pleasure
out of life, and unless the evil is checked
there may be serious results from their
indulgence.
Last Friday a week policeman saw
staggering along the street. as if intoxi-
Gated, two boys, not more than twelve
years of age. He at first thought they
were initiating the unsteady gait and fall
tering footsteps of a drunken man, but
after watching them curlously awhile he
decided that their imitation was too nat
ural 20 be simulated, and catching them
he took them to a station house.
There they had been but a few minutes
when both collapsed and fell upon the
floor unconscious. doctor was called
in, and after using several drugs succeeded
in restoring them to consciousness, al
though they were in badly dazed condi-
ton and unable to express themselves
clearly. The physician was puzzled as TO
the cause of their condition, being una
BILE 20 find any odor CT other evidence that
pointed to liquor as the cause of their
sickness.
They, as well as the lieutenant and the
several others present, were amazed when
the boys recovered sufficiently to talk, and
said that they had been inhaling gasoline
fumes Asked where and how, they told
a peculiar story, They said that some
one of them accidentally inhaled the fumes
of gasoline from a fire which they had
on lot. They were at the time burning
a gasoline barrel, and the boy who was
standing directly in the direction in which
the smoke came suddenly fell to the
ground. He was dragged away. and in a
few minutes recovered. He told them how
nice it felt while unconscious and ad-
vised them to try the experience. Case
line barrels were Immediately at a pre-
MUM, and many of the boys were aver
come, all of them afterward expressing
their qualification at the delightful SEN
sation experienced.
The supply of gasoline barrels was soon
exhausted, and not being able to give up
the new pleasure, the boys hit upon a
method of securing a regular supply Of
the fluid, and an ingenious plan for con-
Verting IL into gas to suit their purposes
Along Jackson street and Snyder avenue
trict, the city has established gasoline
lamps, the tanks of which can be easily
reached and are filled daily These tanks
were tapped by the boys as often as they
desired. They got from their homes pieces
Of rag which they would push into the
reservoir and hold there until saturated
They would then quickly descend, set fire
to the rag, and as many as were there
would lean over the flaming fabric and
inhale the fumes.
Sometimes one but generally more
than one saturation and inhalation were
necessary to produce the pleasing sensa-
ton. They were not always rendered un-
conscious, but generally felt light in the
head and staggered If they did not sit
down. The feeling did not last very long
After hearing this story the doctor and
police left the boys in their cells and
sent for their parents. they were told
boys were INDUCING and promised to co
all they could to restrain them Next
morning they appeared before Magistrate