Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-07

Carbon monoxide. a deadly fume given
Off by the improper combustion Of illu-
minating gas, is supposed to have caused
the deaths yesterday of Mrs. Hebe Cults
Bremerman, thirty-four years of age.
wife of Clarence L. Bremerman, stenogra.
pher at the Library of Congress; Mrs.
Helen Katherine Bremerman. aged nifty
seven years, his mother, and his eighteen
month-old baby boy, Cults Bremerman.
DR.. ]. Ramsey hewitt. coroner of the
District, assisted by Prof. w. w. Skinner
of the bureau Of chemistry of the De-
partment of Agriculture, arrived at this
conclusion today after an investigation OF
the mysterious tragedy at the Bremerman
home. 1909 1st street northwest.
The use of an old burner on the gag
devices or improper management, 1t Is the
opinion of DIR. Skinner, explains the tm-
proper combustion of illuminating gas
supplied to the apartment, and conses
quently caused the formation of the pole
sOnous carbon, monOXide.
Tragedy Discovered by Bremerman.
When Mr.. Bremerman returned to his
home, 1909 1st street northwest, late yes
terday afternoon from his Office in the lie
brary, he found the dead bodies of hin
wife, his mother and his baby boy. Hor-
ror stricken, he rushed from the house to
summon medical aid. The physicians,
arriving, declared all were beyond help.
When DR.. j. Ramsey hewitt, the Dis.
trict coroner, reached the Bremertou
home, he declared that the deaths Of
the three persons were a mystery, and at
once entered upon an investigation.
The little fiat occupied by the family
is in the second story of 1909 1st street
northwest. The rooms are small. 1t de-
veloped in the investigation today that all
the windows and transoms were closed
yesterday, giving imperfect ventilation.
In the rear of narrow hallway is the
dining room, which communicates with
the closet-like kitchen. In the kitchen il
a gas range. but it had not been lighted
yesterday, it appears.
Close to the range is an upright tubular
gas water heater. 1t was from this.
DR.. hewitt and Prof. Skinner believe the
deadly gas escaped into the rooms, caus-
ing the death of the occupants.
In the course of the investigation today
a loud explosion was made, which caused
the windows Of the building to rattle.
DR.. hewitt, when he reached the Bremen
man apartments last evening. found the
wife lying face downward just inside the
small kitchen. Her mOther-in-law lay
upon her body with one Of her arms pro-
truding and extending through the door
into the dining room .
The baby was found lying in a crib-like
pen in one corner Of the dining room.
The pen is patented contrivance to pre-
vent infants from crawling promiscu-
ously about the apartment.
There were reports that one OF the
neighbors heard the women groanins
soon after o'clock yesterday morning.
but from the position of the bodies II was
the opinion of Detective H. H. Forteney
of the second precinct. who was assigned
to investigate the matter by Capt. SulIi-
van. that death must have occurred sud-
denly after the women had proceeded
from the dining room into the kitchen.
as they had apparently fallen to the floor
Immediately following their entry.
Coroner hewitt said his impression last
night was that the deaths had resulted
from the inhalation of some gas compost.
ton unknown to him. which had been
given off by the gas water heater. He
therefore called up the Department OF
Agriculture and requested DR.. Haywood
to assign a chemist to the case to assist
him in the investigation.
THE gas water heaters are used all
over the United States.' Dr. hewitt add
ed. Il therefore regard the matter an
of more than local Importance"
Prof. Skinner gave 1t as his opinion
that for some reason imperfect combus-
ton. due to an old burner or improper
management, had caused the formation
of monoxide, virulent poison The for.
nation of monoXIde, he added is brought
about when gas Is but partly burned.
DR.. Haywood's Explanation.
Il Immediately thought of carbon mon.
oxide when 1 read the story of the Brem-
erman deaths in the morning papers,"
said DR.. John Haywood of the bureau Of
chemistry, and an expert on gases of a8
sorts, when a Star reporter called on him
today.
without knowing any more than the
newspaper description of the whole sad
matter the fact that deaths have been
caused time and again by this agency was
uppermOSt in my mind
Carbon monoxide is caused by incom-
plete combustion around a gas burner. II
has no odor. Other substances, caused
at the same time from the same burner,
do have an odor. For that reason some
persons think the fatal gas Is the gas
which smells.
Sometimes a gas burner on a stove or
there is not sufficient air forced through
to cause all theIgas to burn. What peo-
pie call coal gas is carbon monoxide. The
odor that goes with coal gas is caused
by other gases springing into being at the
same time.
"If SCOT is found on a dish which has
been on q lighted gas stove this is some
times an evidence of carbonizing ana
means sometimes that the carbon monox.
ide has been present.
Carbon monoxide kills quickly The
victims have no time to escape 1t IL II
is present in large quantities They would
not have a suffocating sensation.
II understand that favorite method
Of suicide in some countries is to burn
coal or coke in a room. Carbon monoxide
is the thing that kills.
DR.. Haywood demonstrated just what
he ha a il in