Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-04-18
workman OVERCOME
By Gas

within all ace OF meeting death by
asphyxiation while digging trencl
on Front street Saturday ; he was al
ready treading the borderland between
life and death and had it not been
that fate sent a lone pedestrian that
way after his feeble cries for help had
become inaudible there would have
been no earthly power to save him.
Dugan along with couple of other
employees of Joseph LechGer, was en-
ployed in making a sewer connection
at the residence of Mrs. Martha Gear
hart, No 10 East Front street. \
trench of the usual depth was dug
reaching from the front of the resid-
ence to the sewer in the street. Dugan
was working in the trench while the
other two men were doing some plumb
ing III the bath room. which is situat-
ed in the upper story at the rear of
the house.
1t was about II a. m. Dugan was
entirely cut off from his fellow work
men, while the street by coincidence
was singularly deserted by pedestrians.
In the process of digging, the gas
main, which crossed the trench being
dug, sustained some sort of a mishap
and began to leak.
Dugan in all probability was un-
aware of his peril, even if he knew
that the gas was leaking, until he was
too far gone under it's influence to
make any effectual attempt to escape.
At the very last moment it providenti-
ally happened that Edward Co1man
passed the spot. His attention was at
tracted by the singular movements of
Dugan, who was down ON his hands
and knees in the trench and in con-
vulsive manner was clutching at the
earth in the bottom.
Mr.. German called to the man but
in response he heard only the feeble
cries of Help, help" in a toue too
low to be heard more than Few feet
from the trench. At the same moment
Mr.. German detected the strong odor
of gas and could hear the Kissing sound
as it escaped from the pipe through an
aperture large enough to insert a
couple of fingers. In a moment he
realized that the man was being suf-
located by the inhalation of gas and
that nothing but the promptest kind
of action would save his life. Laying
hold of Dugan he attempted to drag
him from the trench. The man, how
ever, was helpless; his body was limp
and hung dead weight in the rescu-
er's arms. By herculean effort he
to drag the man from the
trench and seat him ON the doorstep of
a residence out of the way of the dead
ly gas.
Mr.. German thought that the fresh |
breeze would revive the man, but the |
latter was too far gone and he instant
ly fell into a state resembling deep |
sleep. Thoroughly alarmed the rescu- !
sr ran into the Gearhart residence and
LCIiOW 4hC |
question of suitable antidote was dis
cussed and acting on the recommends
tion of William Paugh it was decided |
to give the unconscious man milk. 1t
heroic measures to arouse him /
to get him to swallow the
antidote and then he i'm
fell asleep again.
In further effort to revive him the
two fellow employees assisted him to
his feet and compelled him to walk.
He was taken down to the store of his
employer, Joseph Lechner, Oh Mill
street, where DR.. Patten was called.
When the physician arrived Dugan
vas blue in the face; his heart action
vas very weak and he was breathing
With difficulty. 1t would have requir-
ID but single moment more in the
jIench to have brought about fatal ef-
ects. Saturday evening it was report
ID that Dugan had come around all
light and that he was seen Oh the
street.