Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-03
DEATH IN THE SEWER
DISTRICT employees OVERCOME
BY POISONOUS GAS.
They Drown in Water Which Had Ac-
cumulated There-The Bodies
Recovered.

Smith, a rodman lost their lives in the big
sewer at New Jersey avenue and G street
southeast yesterday afternoon. Within
about one hour after the men entered the
sewer their bodies were taken from the
water and removed to the. morgue. The
water in the new sewer where the men
went to make some measurements was
about eight feet in depth. The sewer had
been completed. but the connection with the
other section of the sewer had not been
made. The water in the sewer was pumped
out last week. but the employees found yes
terday that large amount of water had
again accumulated. The measurements the
men were to have made was for the pur-
tractor.
Smith, the rodman. was the first to de-
scend through the opening, after the re-
moval of the cover from the manhole. He
descended the dark opening by means of
the irons fastened in the walls and in some
unaccountabe way managed to get into
the water. His companion was standing at
the top of the manhole and realizing what
had happened he removed his hat and coat
and started down the irons to the rescue of
Smith. who had made feeble cutlery. Be
fore removing his coat and hat he called
There's man drowning" Geo. w. Speak
man, railroad employe, and John Brad
shaw. a bartender at Linl1in's saloon. were
the first to respond to the alarm. When
they reached the manhole they saw no signs
of the men. and somebody in the crowd that
assembled expressed the belief that there
was some mistake. and that the men were
not In the water On the street, however,
was the hat and coat without claimant
and some of the instruments the men had
were also there.
The work of relief was slow until the
arrival of the police patrol wagon with
Precinct Detective Lehman and Policeman
Hayccck to assist Hooks were fastened to
% mol yxy.C
pushed forward until both bodies had been
recovered.
The Bodies Recovered.
When the police reached the place there
was only the smooth surface of the water
to be seen below. After using the hooks
few minutes the searchers were rewarded
by the finding of the body of Smith. The
hooks caught under the belt about his
waist and his body was raised. A few min
utes later the body of Grant was recovered
IN the same way. The police were certain
that physicians could do nothing for the
victims but in order to have the question
settled they hurried to Providence Hospital
with TIE bodies. Subsequently they were
removed to the morgue.
Engineer Commissioner Biddle and his
assistant. Capt. Harding, visited the scene
of the fatal accident and conferred with
Coroner hewitt. At that time it was not
believed that the men had encountered
presence in the sewer of carbonic acid gas
was ascertained by employees of the engi-
neer department. and another test made
this morning showed similar conditions.
Shortly after the accident occurred an eff
fort was made to lower lantern through
the manhole, but the light went out each
time. This satisfied those about the sewer
of the presence of deadly poison in the
sewer. The bodies were kept at the morgue
but a few minutes before they were taken
away by local undertakers. Undertaken
SpeaTe took charge of the body of Grant,
while the body OF Smith was removed to
the undertaking establishment of r. +.
Harvey'S Sons.
Inquest to Be Held.
Capt. Boardman took part in the investi-
cation and detailed Detective Hartigan to
assist the coroner The detective visited
the sewer and obtained the names of a
number of witnesses. This morning an au-
topsy was performed on the body of Smith
at Harvey's undertaking establishment to
ascertain the exact cause of DEATH The
examination failed to show that the gas
played any part in the mans death. The
lungs and stomach were filled with water
and a certificate of death from drowning
was given. 1t is said that the autopsy
would not necessarily have shown the
presence of gas effects even if the gas did
really cause death. An inquest will be held
at the sixth precinct station tomorrow
morning at IL o'clock.
The Dead
Harold c. Grant was twenty-four years
old. He was married and had one child
His wife was Miss Adelaide Ellis. Their
home was at 2S23 18th street The deceased
was son of Capt. Robert Grant of 621
North Carolina avenue. He was a gradu-
ate of the Eastern High School and Cornell
University. Three years ago he Was APP
mi, fa1 o,;s, L.
partment. A little more than a month ago
he received a promotion Today his body
was removed from the undertaking estab-
lishment to his late home, from which the
funeral will take place tomorrow afternoon.
The interment will be at Rock Creek ceme-
terry. The funeral will be private.
Melvin B. Smith was a native of Glouces-
ter, Mass. where his father. William A. B.
Smith lives at No. Warner street He
was twenty-three years old and a graduate
of the Massachusetts Institute of Tech
nology at Boston. He had been in the en-
ploy of the engineer department but short
time The police authorities at Gloucester.
were communicated with by telephone last
night and it was in this way that the
father of the young man was informed of
the latter's sudden death. He directed
that the body of his son he looked after by
Louis G. Randall, friend in this city and
that it be forwarded to the Massachusetts
city for interment. Undertaken Harvey will
send the body away this evening
News Received With Regret.
The officials of the engineer department
at the District building are quite depressed
over the death of the two young engineers
Harry c. Grant and Melvin B. Smith-in
the manhole of the new low area sewer at
G street and New Jersey avenue southeast
yesterday afternoon. The department is at
{. loss to account for the accident. 1t is
stated that there could hardly have been
deadly collection of gas in the sewer, as 1t
had been thoroughly gone over few days
before. one of the inspectors of the de-
partment walking through 1t.
1t was also stated that the young men
had not been detailed to measure the man
hole Yesterday afternoon. They entered
the hole after office hours. They were ener-
getc and enthusiastic, and knowing that
there were measurements to be made at
this point at some time in the near future
they probably took advantage of their pres
ence in the vicinity and thought to execute
the work at that time
Deaths in the District.