The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-08-17
VICTIMS OF Gas
Two Men Killed in Sewer
at Everett and Malone's
Wool Factory.
THIRD MAN RESCUED
Heroic Efforts of Frederick
Hamburg and John Halsey
to Rescue the Party.

Two men met death yesterday afternoon
by being overcome by sewer gas. third
is in a somewhat precarious condition IN
ST FEancis's Hospital. All three were en-
ployed in Everett & Malone's wool fac
tory, in Fourteenth street, between Hen
Gerson and Provost streets.
The two dead men are: Frank McGoid-
rick, thirty -eight years old, of No. ooI
Henderson street; James Giles ,thirty-hve
years old, No. 557 Henderson street A
telephone message from st. Francis's
Hospital at noon today was to the effect
John Riley, of No. 259 Provost street,who
was taken there in a precarious condition
was steadily improving and would re-
cover
Today the heroic work of Frederick
Hamburg, of No. COZ Henderson street,
who keeps a livery stable near the scene
of the accident and of John Haley,
young teamster who risked their lives to
save the unfortunate men, is discussed
throughout the Horseshoe"
McGoldrick Giles and Riley had de-
scended through manhole of private
sewer that carries the refuse of the wool
factory OF the North River. The sewer
had become clogged and the three above
named men had volunteered to enter the
sewer and remove the obstruction. They
descended through a manhole near the
factory. Other workmen looked on. Nc
Goldrick descended first. Giles followed
and Riley ofllowed Giles.
Riley har scarcely disappeared below
the surface when stif1ed screams of the
men below were heard by those gathered
about the manhole. The sewer gas that
escaped from the manhole stified the men
who bent over to look down and drove
others away. The screams below ceased
and those at the surface realized that
the trio of men beneath were being over
come by the deadly gas.
Frederick Hamburg, the livery man, had
been attracted to the scene. He took in
the situation at glance. He asked some
one for a rope. This was secured. Tying
one end of it around his armpits he got
several of the frightened men to lower
him into the black hole, instructing them
to haul him up at the first cry. In few
moments signal was received, and Ham
burg was hoisted to the surface. In his
arms he bore the unconscious1 form OF
Riley. An ambulance had already been
summoned, and as Riley displayed signs
of life, he was hurried off to st. Francis
Hospital.
Hamburg was preparing to make sec
ond descent into the hole, amid the
cheers of the crowd, when his wife APP
peared upon the scene. A crowd had by
| this time gathered. Mrs. Hamburg forced
her way through the crowd and throwing
her arms about his neck insisted that he
should not risk his life a second time.
.sYou have saved one man. she said;
slet some one else save the others.
At this moment John Haley, better
known as Jack" Haley, volunteered to
take Hamburg's place Hamburg reluct-
antly yielded to the entreaties of his wife,
and unfastened the rope from about his
body and handed it to Haley. Some of
the crowd cheered. Some prayed as Ha-
lev was lowered into the hole.
At a signal he was hoisted up and
brought with him the unconscious form
of Giles in whose body life was not en-
tirely extinct Giles died on his way to
st. Francis Hospital Haley descended
again. The line he brought up the dead
body of McGoldrieh.
County Physician Converse has ordered
inquests held over both bodies.