New-York tribune., 1907-08-28
FIGHT FOR LADS LIFE.
DOCTORS WORK ALL NIGHT
Tzoelve-Hour Battle Sdrfs Messen-
ger Boz Orercome by Smoke.

The surgeons of st. Gregorys Hospital
worked for fully twelve hours Monday night
and yesterday morning messenger boy
who was overcome by smoke fumes at a hre
In storage warehouse at No. 80 Washington
street on Monday night at which five firemen
were so badly poisoned that they had to be
taken to the Hudson Street Hospital. The boy,
Patrick Phalen of No. 21 Morris street, was
among the spectators. He was close 10 the
building when he suddenly collapsed Inc
a1nbulances of the Hudson Street Hospital were
busy with the poisoned 1remen and a cah
was sent to ST. Gregory's- DR. Heacock WHO
responded, was unable to revive the boy on
the spot and hurried him to the hospital
There he found that the lad was barely alive
The patient was sinking rapidly when the
oxygen tank called into use DR. Duke
used the stomach pump continuously. while
DR.. Heacock used artificial respiration This
was kept I'D for several hours still with little
success. It not until O'Clock yesterday
morning. after the physicians had battled all
night that the boy began to move his toes
With this much encouragement the doctors
renewed their efforts and half hour later
the boy was brought back to consciousness
Both doctors at the point of collapse
The phylsicians found the deadly gases had sat
urated the lungs.
The boy is slowly recovering and will
live.
Meanwhile the surgeons of the Hudson Street
Hospital had hard struggle saving the life
of Fireman John Fellows. of Engine Company
s. in Liberty street, who one Of the five
smoke eaters who We're stricken by blood pol
soning Fellows was the most seriously af-
fected by the poison, which came from the
aniline salts dissolved by the water thrown on
he fire he compelled 70
take from his body nearly two quarts of poi
soned blood and Immediately inject the same
quantity of saline solution to stimulate the
heart action. The operation, according to the
physicians. the first OF its kind where such
a large quantity of blood had TO be removed
Fellows and four OF his comrades were in
the cellar of the burning building up to their
knees In water. In the warehouse were stored
large quantities of aniline dyes, potash. Iye
and other stuff used in dyeng- These chem
icas which were In paseboard boxes. were
soon dissolved. and the water in the cellar be-
came thoroughly saturated with the poisons-
So powerful was the acid-lake that
At ate through the stitchings of the boots into
the legs and feet of the men. Fellows had sew
eral holes in his boots. and he got extra
dose. He the first one to collapse after
the fire and taken to the hospital once.
The others. whose feet did not come in direct
contact with the poisoned water were taken 10
The hospital afterward- They were badly
poisoned. however. and all but Fireman Con-
molly. of Truck 15. were discharged from the
hospital yesterday. He is expected to be dis
charged to- day
When Fellows arrived the hospital DR.. Bur
rows. the chief house surgeon. found that his
body had swollen nearly twice It's natural
size. He Immediately called his assistant, DR..
Norton, end upon examining the patient the
physicians the poisoned water had
been thoroughly absorbed into the body. In
addition TO this the fireman had inhaled the
smoke fumes and his eyes and throat were
badly irr1tated
DR. Burrows made incision into the fire
mans left elbow. penetrated artery and drew
from his body more than twenty ounces of blood.
The same quantity OF the saline solution was
then injected and considerable Of the swelling
went down. Shortly after the operation Eel
lows recovered consciousness.
Yesterday morning. however, there was still a
great deal of swelling. The physicians then de-
cided to draw off more Of the blood Before
doing So however DR.. Burrows called upon sew
eraI members of the visiting staff to hold con-
sultation. It decided that the patients con-
dition warranted a second operation. and when
1t was performed the entire staff. including the
visiting surgeons. present.
Another incision was then made in the pa
TENTS right elbow and twenty ounces more
blood was drawn out and replaced by the saline
solution Within hour after the second oper-
alton the swelling began to disappear, much to
the surprise even Of the physicians -Four
hours later the patient almost back to his
normal condition.
The blood found to be n deep brown color
which showed that Fellows's feet had absorbed a
large quantity of the poisonous fluid. DR. Bur
rows said that FelloWs's case was one of the
most remarkable he had ever heard Of The
other physicians agreed. Only the fireman's
strong constitution saved him He will prob
ably be discharged from the hospital about
Friday.
Dr. Burrows said the case was puzzIng one
The brown blood extracted is to be put under
a chemical analysis to determine the real poison
The freu1en who discharged yesterday
we're John Mackenzie, of Engine Company y. and
George Peterson and John Nichols, both OF
Truck Company 10.