New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-20
FIVE OVERCOME IN A TRENCH
TWO OF THEM FIREMEN ATTEMPTING
A DARING RESCUE.

THREE CITY EMPLOYEES FALL UNCONSCIOUS
WHILE EXAMINING wATER-GATEs-Two
TAKEN OUT DEAD BY THE MEN
WHO RIsKED THEIR LIVES
TO SAVE THEM
Two men killed and three others. inciud-
ing two nremen overcome by sewer gas
from Waterman at Seventy ninth-st. and First
yesterday afternoon
The men asphyxiated were:
COLEMAN william hundred s,,D snS
Amsterdam ave. an employe OF the water supply
Department.
DUFFY Nicholas Of No go Ninth-st also employed by
tho Water Supply Department
OVERCOME.
BARRY. Edward fireman OF Hook and Ladder Company
POWERS Michael engineer OF Engine Company No a.
SULLIVAN Joseph OF No 22s Sixty arst-st. OF
the Water Supply Department
An ambulance surgeon attended the men ana diu
all he could life.
The three employees OF the Water Supply Depart
inent went at 8 o'clock in the morning to examine
the gates OF the Central Park reservoir from
Folrteenth-st. and First-ave. They carefully ex-
amined the water-gates from that point. going
down into number OF manholes, and at last got
10 Seventy ninth-st. The cover OF the manhole
there was lifted disclosing trench. ten feet wide
and long and the same in depth. Coleman let down
the ladder the men had with them and descended
frat At the last step he to totter and
fall As he fell he cried out: MY heavens I'm
dying"
The men at the top could smell the gas below but
Duffy. who had been overcome n number or times
and was afraid. at once got on the ladder and
descended after tying a rope around his waist so
that Sullivan could draw him and Coleman up to-
gether He had Just begun TO tie the rope about the
PROSTATE body OF Coleman. when he TOPPED over
Tho rope he had tied about himself was short ana
as Sullivan could not hold IT, ne ran for more rope,
shouting tina, there were men in the trench
Bicycle Policeman Johnson rode at top speed 70
the Eas, Eighty-eighth-st station for help. while
Policeman Jacobs sent In IA fire alarm. Some one
shouted for volunteers. but though crowd had
gathered no one wanted to down into the hole
from which an overpowerng stencil was coming
Engine No. ~ dashed up In a few minutes now
go down.
Powers tied rope about his waist. and other
nremen seized tho end. Then he went At the
bottom step ~ the ladder he fell limp. The men
M the other end Of the rope saw that ne had been
overcome Though Powers had partly tainted; now
ever. he was able to tie the rope about Duffy =
body. which was uppermost. The fireman was
he was unconscious. Duny was pronounced dead
once by the ambuancc SURGEONS from the I Pres
byterian Hospital. Harlem Hospital and the Flow
or Hospital. VINO had been sent for.
Another man was needed 10 go down ana tie
rore about tn" body % Coleman. and as HOOK ana
Ladder 30 II dashed up IN resp9nse 70 fhe e h IRE
after Coleman. He tied rope about his body
descended into the pit tied the rope about Cole
mans body. and was then himself overcome. Both
men We're drawn mp. bat while Barry was uncon-
sclous. Coleman was dead. 49,.
The surgeons paid tn" greatest attention they
could 20 'he hremen and 10 Sullivan, who had
all had ben revived The bodies o, Duny and Cole
ion Dury leaves a widow ard two children. and
Coleman widow and five children sullivan
Barry and Powers did not 70 10 hospital. but re-
turned to duty.