The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-01-31
MORE GAS EXPERTS
lcontiRaed - 80 -

-'LA SIMS N ittil mas iIidl tt. tf VI ttit
lhe use or one sort OF Gas on another
sort OF gaS2
Mr. MOORE think ii has this much
10 DO with it. that we do not put
railroad out OF business because IL hap
pens 10 kill somebody in the course OF
ITS operations We do not dismautle
the plant Of the road, and / am quite
sure we CO not stop q railroad from
running trains because a man happens
10 get I'm front of a train and Is killed.
Mr.. SLMS-But il one sort of a car
was more dangerous than another sort
OF car YOU would favor taking the less
dangerous car would you nOt2
Mr. MOORE Undoubtedly. { am en-
Jrely i'm favor Of any regulation that is
reasonable.
Mr. sNis-That is the only question
here.
Saw Coroner's Records.
Mir, FORSTALIs-At the coroner's Of
nee I went through the records. The
only record that he mas IS a book show
ing the persons for whose remains he
las issued certificates of burial. and the
information given Is the date Of death
Ar. MOORE-ParGJu me a moment:
] DO not want 10 break iu on YOU again
IL 4 can avoid IL, bus / want 10 know
whether YOU have any knowledge OF
any instance where a gas company has
been mulcted in damages by reason of
the death of any one through the in
haiatlOn OF carbon ThUnoNide2
M, FORSTALL-Why, no; I do not
know OF any at all. There might be
such cases without my knowing OF
them. No company I have ever been
connected with has had any such eN-
perience. 1 think that the law IS that
wren the CO EIPany delivers the gas at
the outlet of the meter its response
bIiity is ended.
Mr.. MOORE-I was wondering Wheth-
en- Ieaa-had any information due TO that
inquiry YOU made at the coroners o.
nee which showed that the death had
been traced back TO the gas company,
or whether the inquiry was closed with
the inquest.
Closed With Inquest
Mr. FORSTALL-Yes it is closed
with the inquest. There is no inquest
at all in most cases. The cases Of &C
cident in which an inquest was held
are marked in the coTOneTs book, and
there was no Inquest on any of these
gas cases except where they were cases
OF suicide. Chen they were simply
passed upon Is suicides. But the cases
that were deemed accidental after IN
NestigatiOn by the coroner himself were
simply marked Accidental and al
lowed 10 go at that.
Mr. TAYIlOR-Th& company could
not be made liable FOR accidents due
10 the negligence of the user OF the gas.
Not Liable for Others Negligence.
Mr.. FORSTALL-NO, the company
would not be liable where there was
contributory Negligence.
Mr. SIAIS-Unless the servant Of the
company were concerned i'm it,
Mr.. FORSTALL.-NO. I made no ana
lysis of the records of the coroner s.
Office for the period from July /. 1899,
10 July l. 1897. ] had no object in Sc
lecting that period, buT that was a per
iOd embraced by the two books that
were most cOnveniehE to get at and ]
thought 1t covered n sufficient period
Of years to give a pretty good average
aud especially as there were not any
great variations Trofa year 10 year. Iu
that time the cOTOncr's records show
Eeventy-eight accidental deaths from
the inhalation OF gas. That is over
EIr TAYLoR-Thal IS here in the
District OF Columbia
In District Of Columbia.
Mr. FORsTALL-Here in the District
Of Columbia. One Of those deaths put
in because IL was marked gas poison
but do rot understand from the rec
ords just what it was. ] think it pos
sibly ought TO be thrown out.
The record was that OF the death OF
Mary West, seven days Old" and the
entry opposite il Is: gas poison. Lamp
turned low at night. Doctors certin-
cate"
There did not seem TO be anything 10
show that there was any escape of gas.
1T may have been a case of smoke being
given on the product OF Imperfect com
oustiou, from u e way the lamp was
LETT; but included that IN the seventy
eight accidental deaths.
I analysed this as 10 the number OF
residents of the District included in that
number; that IS, ] counted anybody Who
was reported as having been IN the Dis
TTict less than year as not being res
ideut. 7 also took into account the ages.
OF the total OF seVenty-elght, 40 per
cent, or thirty-One persons, had been in
the District less than a year. Twenty
seven per cent OF the total Of seventy
eight had been ia the District less than
a month. over 70 per cent had been IN
the District less than a week. and very
nearly IS per cent less than "a day.
Lenient Toward Suicide
Ii is pretty well known by people VAC
have investigated this subject OF acct
dental death that all health depart
meuts are very Ienieut toward suicide.
A health department viii not give yer
dict Of suicide unless they cannot pos
sibiy get out Of H. unless the facts are
so apparent that there IS no other pos
sible conclusion. IL may be that a large
part OF THESE transient deaths were pos
siuIy suicides, those OF the people who
came here 10 kin themselves, because /
/ noticed as went through the book
that iu a large proportion of cases re-
ported as suicides the persons had been
here short time.
AIr. AT5ORE-Iu other words, as far as
YOUR inquiries have gone the Tespsous-
Utility for the deaths has not been
traced back 10 the company
Mr.. FORSTALL-No.
Mr. SIMS-Do YOU think this is a spe-
ciaI resort Tor people wishing 70 commit
suicide
Home Of Blasted Hopes.
Mr.. FORSTALL-I think Washington
is the location of more blasted hopes
than any other city in the United
states.
Mr.. SJMS-You said people came here
10 commit suicide.
air FORSTALL-Wheu man has /
been here only a day. ] think he either /
committed suicide or else NE blew out /
the light, and did not know what hap
-. - IL NJ. L.-a hon .----L- L. |