Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-04
CAS- FATAL TO
H. F. STAFFORD
PHYSICIANS UNABLE TO SAVE
ENGINEERS LIFE
~All Medical Means Exhausted In Be-
half Of Patient Who, Still
Unconscious, Dies in
Wife's Arms

City Engineer Harry f. Stafford died
last night from the effects of inhalation
Of gas in the bath room of his home
in Highland Park Thursday night,
shortly before o'clock. In the arms
of his devoted wife death claimed him,
consciousness never having returned.
After a prolonged battle, in which
four physicians exhausted every means
in medicine, their patient passed away.
That he should live an hour after his
experience in an alright room with a
leaking instantaneous gas heater is
deemed remarkable, but 1t is stated that
Staffords non-indulgence in liquor and
stitution. pulled him through as long
as 1t did.
Three more tanks of oxygen, making
five in all, were utilized late yesterday
to initiate the dying mans lungs in
last effort to restore life. Saline injec-
action of the gas had materially
changed the character of the mans
blood and finally brought death.
Mrs. Stafford Returns
Mrs. Stafford returned from Catalina
Island before noon yesterday on the
first boat to leave there, the Hermosa,
word having been sent to her by an
adventurous voyager who kindly made
the journey to the island after midnight
in a small boat. She brought her two
daughters Dorothy and Helen, back
q L.. 4
scious with loving friends over him in
the home of their neghbor, William
j. RudeSill.
There the popular city official passed
away surrounded by relatives and by
representatives of Masons, Woodmen
and Native Sons, with which orders the
dead engineer was connected. Two of
Mr.. Stafford's three brothers were
reached by messengers and hurried to
the house.
Bresee Brothers have taken charge of
the body, though no funeral arrange
ments have as yet been made.
Due to Explosion
Mrs Stafford, as soon as she could,
satisfied herself with the aid of rela-
tives that her husband was q victim. OF
an explosion in their bath room. Two
weeks ago, she declared, she, too, had
a narrow escape, the heater having
become damaged in a flare-up of gas.
The plumber who repaired the vent
yesterday told bystanders that there
had been a minor explosion of some
sort.
Mrs. Elizabeth Henry, neighbor of
the Staffords, recalled yesterday that
Thursday afternoon about O'Clock as
she passed the house she noticed an
unmistakable odor of escaping gas, but
she thought nothing of it until after
dark, when she saw neighborS working
over the nearly asphyxiated man on a
mattress on the Stafford lawn. 1t is
argued that Stafford probably entered
the room late in the afternoon to take
bath, lighted the pilot valve and pre-
pared to take a bath without noticing
that the flame had gone out.
From this tiny pipe the fatal ele-
ments permeated the room and grad
ually rendered him unconscious. The
larger valve was not turned on, but the
water was dripping slightly into the
bath tub.
Subject to Vertigo
That Mr.. Stafford was subject-to ver-
tigo became evident yesterday, as mem
toned in The Herald, for it was dis
covered that two months ago while at
tending a performance at the Mason
opera house he became dizzy and
physician had to be called to attend
him.
For some time he has been extraor-
dnarily busy because of the outfall
sewer problem and accumulated street
work and these questions preyed on his
mind.
Drs j. T. Stewart and j. r. t. Jen-
kins, who were in charge of the case,
had strenuous time. Drs. r. M. Wat
son-ReeVeS and M. A. Chamberlain as
sisted at the outset, but the two former
worked continuously all of Thursday
night and all of Friday. Both men had
passed two sleepless nights in sue
cession.
Mayor McAleer and members of the
board of public works We're callers at
the house at noon yesterday, as were
many other public officials and friends
Every few minutes bulletins on the
condition of City Engineer Stafford
were received at the city hall. Mr.
Stafford was a general favorite among
all city officials and there were many
long faces as bulletin after bulletin
came in and none gave very cheering
news.