Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-01-11
SEVERAL PEOPLE OVERCOME BY GAS.


Members OF Four FAmtlieh on Tenth street |
Near Poplar Nearly Asphyxiated.
The families of Patrick Powers,
William II. Fountain, Byron Wander
sloot and Stephen l.. Stewart living
at Nos. 31S, 800, 1929 and 324 East
Tenth street. were noarly asphyxiatod
by illuminating gas during the night,
and as result the following people were
sick: Mr.. and Mrs. Byron Vandorsloot,
their five children and David Mahoney,
a boarder, of No. 1922; MIR. and Mrs.
Stephen L. Stewart, Charles Stewart,
Miss Annie Stewart and Charles Nc
Ginness, boarder, of No. 32a; Mrs.
Patrick Powers and her son, Henry
Powers, of No. 318; Mr.. and Mrs.
William II. Fountain, Miss Isabella
Fountain, Miss Elizabeth Fountain,
Mrs. Isabella Fountain, George Foun-l
tain and Miss Sarah Lewis of No. 320.
The serious condition of affairs mani
tested itself about 4. 30 O'Clock Thursday
morning, although people living in ali
of the houses had been sick at the
stomach and experienced headaches
before that time. Some had been un-
| able to sleep. A strong odor of gas
had been detected all night and at 4. 30
| o'clock Mrs. Stewart, who had been
/ awake several times, became alarmed
and arose from her bed She went
about the house calling other members
of tho family, some of whom were
found to be in a stupor flom inhaling
| the gas. No time was lost in preparing
| to leave the house as soon as all had
| fully recovered consciousness. As 5000
| as the serious state of affairs was dis
covered DIR. Kittiuger was summoned
and soon after his arrival all of the
members of the family were able to
leave the house and went. to the resi-
dence of Mr.. Leverage.
The excitement in the Stewart house
! aroused the andersloot and Fountain
households and similar conditions were
found to cXist in all of the houses.
Mr. Vnndersioot also made haste to get
his family to Ills brothers house MS
soon as all were in condition to leave
their own residence. Windows we're
thrown olen in all of the houses and
by this means OF ventilation it was
made possible for the Fountain family
TO remain, although several were in
great distress. The conditions we're not
SO bad at the Powers residence, although
the atmosphere there was almost un-
bearahle.
The trouble is evidently due to gas
escaping from a main in the street in
l
broken by the hard freeze OF the past
few days. Gas is used in only one Of
| the houses, No. 1874, and it is the
. geneial opinion among the people in
| the houses that the gas found its way
from the break in the street along the
water pipes into the cellars of the
houses. 1t did not get into the watel
} pipes but found a l,assageway along
Che pipes on the outside. 1t could moi
, work its way up to the surface of thu
, street, as it is closely paved with fire
brick and being frozen could not L,
4 penetrated by gas.
r Yesterday week Mrs. Vandersloot
Q living at No. 800, detected the odor o
gas in the cellar of her house, bu
s thought it probably came from the ad
D joining house, No. 1924, where it wa
: known there were gas spipes, and i
was suspected there might be leak
Q Gas was also noticed IN the other thre
o houses, but nobody was able to trac
the source. In one of the cellars ca
a was over come early in the evening AM
. Immediately thereafter critica
a examination was begun, but withou
II i result. Later man living in one o
n the houses went out doors and wa
over come, but soon aroused and re
o turned to the house. Although the ga
IS was noticeable in all parts OF the house
d early in the evening nobody anticipate
o anything serious and the people Twin
o in the houses retired at the usual time
J. Some were up several times during tn
d night and sought relief by openin
d windows. About the only result wa
1t admitting frosty air, and as soon a
IS the windows were closed gas i'm
/, mediately refilled some of the rooms
~ Some of the people tried 10 sleep b
X keeping their doors tightly closed, wit
% the hope of combining tho gas to othc
!. portions of the house, but how We
If they succeeded can be judged from tn
5 facts related above. The occupants {
3. the houses were fortunate in bein
IS aroused when they were,. or the col
st sequences might have been MOI
70 serious.