Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-01-08
DOOR SAID TO HAVE MADE
WOMEN AND CHILDREN I'LL
Numerous Complaints Causes Mayor
70 start Inyestisation--company
Cannot Remedy Evil for Six or
Eight weeks--Pres.dent Payne
says Fumes Are Not Poisonous.

fumes emitted while the gas Is being
consumed is injurious 10 the health
OF persons inhaling them, DIR. Thomas
]. Pretlow. the city health oflcer, IN
an Official statement issued yesterday
recommends to the psople of this city
thai they discontinue the use of gas
furnished by the Newport News Gas
Company until such time as proper
purifiers can be installed at the plant,
which. according TO officials of Inc
company,ycannot be done for six or
eight weeks.
Numerous complaints about the
fumes arising from the burning gas
have been made during the past week
or more and the city health officer
says that the fumes have made sew
eral women and children III. SOME of
them now being confined TO their
beds. Some OF the complaints came
to the ear of Mayor Jones and yes
terlay morning the mayor indicted a
letter to DR.. Pretlow directing him
to take the matter up with the COM
any and require It 10 remove the
cause.
Gas Company 10 Poweriess.
Acting upon this letter. Or. Pret-
low called on General Manager w. w.
S. Butler. Mr.. Butler frankly admit
ted that he had heard OF the COM
plants about the gas. but that the
company was powerless to remedy the
evil until the new purifiers. which
were ordered several weeks, could be
received, and installed. whsch. he
said, probably would not be for sixty
days.
DR. Pretlow reported the result or
his conference to Mayor Jones and
after going over the situation care
fully. the city officials decided that
the only immediate action that could
be taken would be to issue warning
TO the people against using the gas.
Emlts Suiphurctted Hydrogen.
DR.. Pretlow says that the Burning
gas enlts sul2huretted hydrogen.
which Is one OF the most obnoxious
gases known to chemistry. The In
haletion OF this gas. the physician
says, viii cause nausea, while il II Is
1resthcd In sufficient quantities 1t VIII
cause serious Illness.
President W. J. Payne, OF The gas.
Hight and street railway companies.
who arrived in this city from Rich
mond yesterday evening. was inform
ed last night of the Recommendation
issued by the city health officer and
he made lengthy statE ment on the
matter. He sad that the present
purifying boxes are. not large enough
to purity the gas produced and ,nat
the coinpsn! has ordered new pari-
sfiers with the reques; that the factory
ship them at the earliest possible
moment
Discussing the fumes emitted by the
burning gas Mr.. Payne said that to
satisfy themselves that these fumes
were harmless. the officials of the
company had sample OF the gas sent
TO Richmond three weeks ago to 81
tested. The testing firm reported that
no poisonous substances were founa
in the sample furnished. The writ
ten rcfoxt. Mr.. Payne says. win be
H1rnsshed the city officers II lthey
desire 10 examine IL.
Mr.. Payne stated further that be did
not believe the -umes from the bum
ing gas would make person ~. lie
said tina; Il frequently happens that
when gas burner. Is lighted one or
two Of The jets are not lighted ard
that the gas escaping from those jets
seuld make a person sick 10 enough
OF d vas inhaled.
When the new equipment that as
keen ordered arrives II will be IN
sssli<d IS speedily as possible. The
Improvements that are 20 b. made
TO the plant VIII cost in the neighbor-
hood Of $4,000.