The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-01-04
GAS MAIN BURST LAST NIGHT.
The Escaping Gas Follow
ed the Water Pipes to
Cellars of Houses.
SERIOUS CONDITION OF SOME
OF the Illuminating Gas
Victims Who Were Res.
Cued in a COnatose y
State.

Ientn street, this city, mad close
call IRON being asptyxiated by il
Illuminating gas last night. Several
OF the persons who were affected
are in a serious condition. but all
are expected to recover. The fam
lilies so affected are.those of Stephen
II. Stewart, No. 324 East Tenth
street, Bryan Vandersloot, No. 322
East Tenth street, William H. Foun-
tain, No. 320 East Tenth street and
Patrick Powers OF No. 3lS East
Tenth street. The bursting of
gas main on Tenth street was the
cause of the appearance of gas at
the holses of the parties mentioned.
East Tenth street is paved with
brick and owing to that condition
Of affairs and to the fact that the
ground is frozen, the gas followed
the water pipes tothe cellars Of the
four houses.
Mrs. Vandersloot was surprised
upon going to the cellar yesterday
to find a strong odor of gas. But
as gas is burned in the adjoining
house, she paid no particular at
tention 10 The matter Persons in
some of the other houses discovered
a similar state OF things as that at
the Vandersloot residence.
During the evening, several of
them complained of feeling unwell,
but all retired about the usual time.
Some OF them slept but little, if any
and for that reason their condition
to-day is much better than the ones
who slept
About 4.50 o'clock this morning,
Mrs. Stewart awoke and feeling
very sick. alarmed the members OF
her family. Shcfound some of them
in a stupor and messenger was
Immediately Disqualification DR.. Kit
finger, and upon his arrival the
family was removed TO the home OF
a friend, H. M. Leveridgc, No. 1l5
East Fourth street When re-
porter called there this morning.
he found Mr.. Stewart had recovered
sufficiently togoto work, that Chas.
Stewart, his son, and Charles Nc
Girnls. a boarder, were able to be
out of doors, but unable to go to
work. Mrs. Stewart and her
daughter Anna are in serious
condition and while nofatal results
are anticipated, it will be s9an :,
days before they are able to 1edve
their rooms.
Owing to some OF the members of
the Vandersloot family beingunable
to sleep and the noise at the Stew.
art house, Mr.. Vandersloot was
awakened. He was thoroughly
alarmed when he found that several
of his children were in stupor.
He learned of the trouble at the
adjoining houses and took his wife
and five children to the home of his
brother, Harry Vandersloot at No.
1908 Poplar street He was unable
to go to work today and the menu
bers of his family are in bed under
the care of the family doctor. In
the course of few days they are
to recover
Mrs. w. III. Fountain, Mrs. Isa-
bella Fountain and Misses T. iZa-
beth and Isabella Fountain are
deathly sick today from the effects
of the gas last night. W. H. Foun-
tain and son George and Mrs.
Sarah Lewis were sufficiently re-
covered to be able to 90 to work to-
day.
At tie Powers home it was
learned that Mrs. Powers and son
Harry are very sick. Considerable
excitement was caused in the
when it was learned
that the four families had such a
close call from asphyxiation. To
add to the excitement the cause Of
The gas bling in the houses o the
families mentioned. started others
to make an investigation. As soon
AS the Board of Health office was
opened a message was re :eivcd to
he effect that the members of the
antilles had been overcome by coal
gas. The opinion prevailed in the
leishborhood that the gas had come
rom the stoves in the houses. Sec
'etary Wigglesworth responded
Immediately to the call. Upon
-caching the houses he found that
Illuminating gas and not gas cre-
ltcd by the coal stoves had affected
he people. Upon his return to the
Board Of Health Office, Secretary
informed the Gas
that there was break in
he gas main on East Tenth street
A force OF men were Immediately
despatched to the scene and the
work of digging up the street was
commenced and the break in tho
main will be repaired this after
noon.