New-York tribune., 1906-12-31
GAS PUPILS OVERCOME.
SEVEN DROP AZ PIPE.
Exhibition at Consolidated School
Almost Ends in Tragedy.

Efforts Of the Consolidated Gas Company TO
instruct young employees in the various branches
OF Its repair departments met with severe Jolt
on saturday night when six young men were
overcome by gas, a seventh slightly burned
and his clothes destroyed. and the school Of in
struction. at No. 5O4 East Dist street was dam
aged by fire to the extent OF over S10O.
The worst part of the injury to the young men
was that they were overcome after the other
through orders from the instructors. 1t is said
TO finish the work that the man ahead, who
had been overcome, had attempted. One OF
them was near death that the efforts of two
physicians to revive him failed. and an ambu-
lance surgeon from the Bellevue Hospital had
to be called in.
The company began it's school of instruction
only three weeks ago. 1t remodelled factory
building for the school. An auditorium.
what similar to hospitals operating room.
was constructed, with platform in the centre.
The seating capacity is thousand.
Recently the company has obtained nearly
one thousand young men, mostly from the West.
a large part of them from the American Meter
Company, OF Chicago. who are working as ap-
prentices in the various branches and will ulti-
nately replace employees of years standing.
III the school every gas contrivance. from
stove TO engine, is used, and demonstrations
all day long given, illustrating every con-
ceivabIe repair and piece OF work that the COM
pany needs
About 10 o'clock Saturday night the students
rning to become filters were called to the
platform AT the time several directors OF
various gas companies spectators. it is said.
and General Managers Brady and Turner and
General Superintendent Harrington were also
present.
The work of the filters to cut a 3-fnch
service pipe, in which there was gas under hlsh
pressure and to repair the cut. The frsr STU
dent called Frank Robertson, or Cnlcaso'
working in Shop No. 8. With steel saw ne
began to cut the pipe AS he made an
incision the high pressure gas began TO escape
freely. Although instructors were standing on
either side of him, Robertson quickly over
come He was carried to adjoining room,
where two physicians revived him in half an
hour.
The second on the roll was then called; in the
mean time the gas escaped at great rate
Philip Tracey was the second. He continued to
cut the pipe and had it nearly sawed through
when he also collapsed. He was revived in
about twenty minutes
BY this time the students began to get ner-
vous. but the instructors. 1t is said, persisted.
and called William Corbett. He had nearly
completed the work when he. too, collapsed IL
took forty-fve minutes to revive him.
A general uprising followed the collapse of the
third student. but the instructors were firm.
ANY one who leaves this and does not
answer the rolcaH will be dismissed from
the conapany's employ it is said instructor
shouted.
George Patterson of shop No. 3, the
fourth young man put the Job At first he
refused but he was threatened with dismissal,
and finally went 70 work new pipe was
placed the platform. again charged with high
pressure gas. He had worked only short
time when he became unconscious. John Mer-
ritt. of shop No. 1, the fifth victim He
collapsed in about three minutes The sixth
was William Mofert. Mofert is a large. we'll
built young man. and the instructors thought he
would finish the work. He did so, but just
he completed his work he fell face downward
on the pipe, with his face over the place where
the gas escaping. After an hours hard
work by the physicians he was still uncon-
scioug and ambulance surgeon had TO work
hard to save him. He was taken home in
carriage.
BY this time the students were in plain mutiny
and number got up and left. Superintendents
and instructors shouted that they were fired,
but they left the building just the same. The
instructors gave up the demonstrations for fit
ters at this point and called for the apprentices,
who learning the so-called frozen service
A pipe frozen artihcially was placed on the plat
form, and instruction was given how to thaw it
To do so. alcohol is used. poured on the pipe and
then ignited.
William HoIley ffteen-year-old boy, Wss
called as the first pupil Holley exceedingly
nervous after seeing six Of his comrades become
unconscious. He lighted a match. but instead
Of lighting the alcohol for the pipe threw the
lighted match into OF alcohol lmmedi-
ately there was n explosion. The students and
officials were in Il panic. They rushed for the
doors. Young Holley's clothes caught fire inl,
dozen places. but Arthur Berwood, who sit
ting in front seat. inspector OF high bills,
jumped the platform and, wrapping his over
coat about Hoey, put out the flames Holley's
clothes We're destroyed and he received painful
burns
The boys stampeded after this. Ten men, who
were III emergency room for Just such
siols ran in. and with pals of water and sand
extingushed the flames. after over 500 damage
had been done.