Evening journal., 1913-08-09
LAY MANHOLE
TRAGEDY TO
POISON GAS
'COrOner'S Jury, However, Un-
able To Determine Origin Of
Death Dealing Fumes
URGES TESTS BEFORE
MORE SEVER WORK


O. Hastings and a crowd of spectators,
the jury empanele by Coroner John T.
Spring to inquire into the cause of the
deaths of William Boulden Jacob MoncK
and Albert Trustv. all culored. who died
in a sewer manhole az Thirteenth and
Lombard streets. on August ], returned
a verdict last night TO the effect that
the men were suffocaed by nhaling poi
sonous gas, but made no attempt to
place the responsibility. 1ne Jury rec
commended, however, that in the future
the Street and Sewer Department install
some system of testing for gases in
sewer inlets before allowing its EN-
ployes 10 enter them.
The Jury, with the exception of the
secretary. was comprised of well-known
colored men. They were William +.
Grinnage. foreman; Dr. Henry c. Ste
vens. Lewis a. Rcdding, William Posties
and Harry Laws. Charles r. Guyer, the
secretary. took stenographic notes OF
the testimony.
According To the testimony Of several
morocco workers. it appears that the
three men were killed by tho fumes OF
an acid which they termed "hypho,
meaning hypo-sulphne. used extensively
in morocco factories.
Joseph L. Taylor, colored, a morocco
worker employed at the plant Of William
Beadenkopf Fourteenth and Walnut
streets. testified that on the morning OF
the accident he ran to the manhole and
looking down into the sewer saw fluid
of powerful fumes passing through at
the time. He ran back TO his place Of
employment and shouted 20 q Mr.. Larry
10 shut off the fluid. lhe latter told
him the fluid was not coming from then
plant
TAYLOR said he ran TO the ice house
of the Diamond Ice Company and told
them TO telephone to this company to
shut off the flow. Taylor said the
fluid was "hypo" and the fumes we're
so deadly that he was made i'll while
standing in the street. "Hypo' is so
strong he said that no human being
can stand Il and the men who work
with IL in the morocco plants have
sponge over their nose and mouth
and a fan is kept going to give them
fresh air. He said the acid does not
have the same strength after it has
been used as in its original form.
S. J. Mills, colored, for twelve years
a morocco worker, said he knows the
smell of "hypo" and il was "hypo'
flowing through the sewer when he
got there.
Nevin c. Clowney. foreman for
the Street and Sewer Department,
testified that the men worked in the
same sewer the day before, that IL
was safe enough there then. He said
that as a rule sewer gas will not kill
a person. II was something else be-
side sewer gas in the sewer the day
the men we're killed.
Alexander J. Taylor. the city's chief
engineer. was questioned at length by
Mr.. Hastings about the sewer mea-
surements, the work done by the men
who we're killed and his Investigations
since the accident, but Mr.. Taylor
was not able TO throw any light on the
actual cause of the mems deaths.
]. Writ Willis. superintendent Of
the New Castle Leather Compsny's
plant. testified that their plant in
part drains into the sewer where the
men we're killed He said nothing
came from their plant however, that
he knew of that could have caused
death. He said the company every
morning between $50 and 7.30 o'clock
drains off the waste of the day be-
fore, but all dangerous acids have
then lost their strength and they
could hardly form gases that would
prove fatal.
Thomas Bowen. claim agent for the
Street and Sewer Department. who
made an investigation Immediately af-
ter the accident, visited all the fac
tories in the vicinity. but found moth
ing Of Importance until he came to
the New Castle Leather Company
plant. There he was informed That
n quantity of "hypo." muriatic acid. a
sulphide of soda and some pure had
been drained into the sewer after the
company is said to have used the
acids and gotten from them all their
strength in tanning hides He said
Mr. Willis told him that morning that
during heavy weather such as pre-
vailed the day Of the accident 1t was
always possible to smell the gases
from the sewer.
Andrew Wright, colored, employed
by the Street and Sewer Department
was on the scene at the time OF the
accident and described it. He sait
the men, had worked there on Thurs
DAY without anyone feeling any IL
effects from gases. On Friday morn
ing after they had reached the scen'
bOul0en LOOK on Nht hidhiioAN No'Ni
and jumped into the sewer to do som'
measuring. He did what he wanted
handed up the sticks and turned anI
fell PROSTATE. Monck, who was a big
powerful man. went into the man
hole because IL was thought he wal
better able physically to lift Boulder
out, but when he had raised Bouldenl
hody about to his knees, he, too, fel
over helpless.
Then Trusty arrived on the scene
and asked why someone did not hell
the men. He declared he would, ant
he dropped into the manhole. Befor'
he could raise his hand TO do any
thing, he, too, fell over in a heap
The witness said he ran TO tn
shop" to see what they had runnini
through the sewer. He never knew
Of anyone having been killed in
sewer by sewer gas There is alway
bad odor in a morocco sewer. bu
nothing that would have dangerou
effects on anyone in such a sewer
he said
John Wynn colored, another cit,
employe. corroborated Wright i
every detail.
Or II. w Briggs. who performe
the autopsy, said the men had bee
smothered by gas He could not tel
what kind II had been. as there wa
no way to determine this but he sal
nitric acid would suffocate quickly
for a man could not take IL into hi
lungs and live.