The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-02-16
TWO BARRIERS ARE
GAS FUME VICTIMS
Arthur A. Peterson and Russell
Gaines Are Overcome by Burnt
Gas in Shop at 1904
Main Street.
- --t -----
AT HOSPITAL
Was Slowly Resainins Consciousness
However, After Doctors Worked
Over Him for Two
Hours
PETERSON AT HOSPITAL

Arthur A. Peterson, owner Of bar
Der shop at 1904 Main street, was
overcome by gas in his shop at noon
today and taken to the Graham hos
pital in an unconscious condition. At
the hospital this afternoon he was
said to be gradually regaining con-
sciousness and it is believed his life
is no longer IN danger. Russell Gaines,
q barber employed in the shop by
Peterson, also was overcome by the
gas for short time, but was revived
in few minutes and apparently was
all right this afternoon Harry Wycom.
also employed in the shop, and sever
al patrons who were in the shop at
noon, were slightly affected by the
gas but none Of them were overcome.
The gas escaped from coil in an
old stove in the rear end Of the shop
The presence Of gas in the shop was
not recognized by either the BARRIERS
or the patrons, even after Peterson,
the first to be seriously affected, hao
fallen on the floor unconscious Dr..
Wedel who was called to attend to
Peterson, recognized the presence or
gas as soon as he entered the shop
and had the supply to the leaky pipe
cut OF.
The shop is divided into two rooms
by a partition in the center. A door
through this partition is screened
with a curtain. The gas escaped in
the rear room and was largely con-
fined to this room. although some OF
it penetrated through the curtains Of
the doorway to the front part of the
shop.
Gas Escaped from Coll.
The gas is piped from the meter to
an old stove wnere it circles in q coil.
From there 1t is conveyed through an
other pipe to small gas heater used
for heating water. The gas in the
heater was lighted but there was no
fire in the stove It IS believed that
the leak in the pipe allowing the gas
to escape was in the coils Of the old
stove The gas evidently had been
escaping all morning and the rear
room was well filed with gas at the
time its presence was noticed.
Peterson became unconscious about
1925 this afternoon after he
had spent about ten minutes in the
rear room and had then started to
enter the front part Of the shop. AS
he started to come through the door
way in the partition he fell forward
and was caught by Russell Gaines, an
employee of the shop, who had just
returned to the shop from dinner.
Gaines started at once working
over Peterson without knowing what
had caused him to become uncon-
scious, while one of the men who had
been sitting in the shop called DR..
Wedel When the physician arrived
Peterson was taken at once in the
ambulance to the hospital and Gaines
was ordered by the doctor to go out
doors. AS the young man stepped
from the front door Of the shop to the
sidewalk he fell forwards on his face,
unconscious. He was revived within
a few minutes, however, and seems to
be suffering no i'll effects from his
experience.
At the hospital everything possible
was done to bring Peterson out Of his
state OF coma by physicians ana
nurses. After he had been worked
over for about two hours It was re-
porter that he was gradually regain
ing consciousness. 1t Is believed that
he will recover. Peterson is a young
man and for that reason will be bet
ter able to stand the effects OF the
gas. He resides at 1409 Concert.
Gaines lives at 924 Johnson street.
Burnt 6as Was Cause.
Gas men who examined the pipes
in the rear Of the shop this afternoon
following the accident. stated that
there was no leak in the pipes but
that the men were overcome by what
is called burnt gas" which is much
more deadly than the commercial gas.
Burnt gas" is the fumes which
come from burning gas. In all gas
heaters this burnt gas Is carried away
by small pipe from above the heat
er. This ripe used to carry away the
gas fumes was removed by Peterson
last week, when some changes had
been made in the rear Of the shop,
and had not been placed back in posi-
ton The heater had been operated
for about a week without this pipe In
place and the men had been affected
by it to some extent, 1t being notice
only by their having headaches.
The heater, however, had not been
operated continuously for over few
minutes since the pipe was removed
until this morning when it was left
burning all morning. The gas fumes
thus let loose in the room was very
deadly. The fumes will not explode
and do not have the odor Of gas. This
explains why the men In the shop
were not aware of the presence of gas