The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-01-26
IN NIXON HOUSE, BROAD STREET.
Fortunate Discovery and Timely Res.
cue OF Those Prost,aied.
CAUSED BY ILLUMINATING GAS.
Prompt and Efficient Medical AsssSt-
ancc Saved Several Lives.

Eleven persons were more or less affected
by gas in the Nixon Block, at tle corner
of Broad and Gala streets, carly this
morning.
Mrs. +. A. Rogers complained Of an ex-
cessive headache early last evening and
her family were somewhat anxious about
her condition, SO they did not retire a.
early last evening as usual. About O'Clock
she called upon one of her daughters,
Mrs. j. b. Small, and as that lady went
to her sleeping room she tainted and fell
upon. the floor. Mrs. r. II. Rogers and her
daughter started to assist Mrs. Small,
and she had not gone only few
steps when she tainted and fell, and this
state of affairs was kept up until the en-
tire family of nine, with the exception of
two little children, laid upon the floor in
different parts of the house. Mrs. Rogers,
the mother, was the first to ascer-
tain the cause, and although In .
critical condition called upon the
members OF the family to open the doors
and windows of the house, which they
did by crawling upon their hands and
knees. The snow and rain was driven
upon them through the open windows
while clad in their night clothes.
Mr.. j. p. Small soon recovered sufficiently
from the effects OF the gas to leave the
room, and he went to the residence OF q.
X. Haswell, who, with Mr.. Small,
returned to the house. DR..
Kimball was notified and soon placed
all in that part OF the building out Of
danger. II then dawned upon Mr.. Has
well that Mr.. and Mrs. III. A. Groves were
sleeping in a room on the ground
floor, and he raped on the
window of Mr.. Groves sleeping
room. Mr.. Groves answered, bat was un-
able to get out of bed. and hs called upon
Mrs. Grover to get up and open the
window. While on tho way to the
window Mrs. Groves tainted. BY
this time an entrance had been
effected by the rescuing party, and
they found. Mr.. and Mrs. Groves in an
extremely critical condition. They were
both taken to the residence OF Mr.. Has
we'll, and DR.. Kimball succeeded in get
ting them out of danger.
The Rogers family had taken possession
of the house Thursdfy, and on that day
they detected the smell Of SIS, but
thought that 1t came from the gas stove
that was used by j. Doyle in the fish
market on tho first floor, and
for this reason did not pay any
more attention to it. Since that time,
all of the family have been troubled more
or less with headaches. Mrs. Small and
her two children were to return to Boston
today, and she had made temporary
home with Mr.. and Mrs. Small, and the
family were obliged to rake upg number
of beds upon the floor.
Mr.. Groves conducts barber shop on
the ground floor and uses the room in the
rear Of the shop as a sleeping room.
At noon today Mrs Groves was sittipg
up and Mr.. Groves was a. his r!nce OF
business. The oil hers affected by the gas
are: Waterman Rogers, j. A. Sryall and
Lottie Rogers. How the children, aged
six and eight, were not affected Is some-
what of a mystery. 4f
Early this morning large force OF men
from the Gas Company were on hand, aud
shut off the gas from the house, and went
to work on the break The foreman OF
the gang said that he could in no way cx-
plain the cause OF the broak.
A favorite cat of Mr.. Doyle was found
in the cellar apparently lifeless, Ut was
taken in hand by a Mr.. Austin who sepa-
rated the cat from the gas and saved its
life.