The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-10-27
HENRY B|ERMANN AND GEORGE RENARD
ASPHYX|ATED IN GAS PLANT TODAY

80 BAL
ably went down to effect rescue and
met a similar fate.
Happened Before Noon.
There were only three men working
at the plant at the time. The men
were probably overcome about 1l:4o
o'clock.
Andrew G. Anderson, master me-
chanic of the Keokuk Electric COM
pany, was passing the gas plant on
his motorcycle at five minutes to
twelve. He was hailed as he was
passing by James Pitts, a helper at
the plant, who said that something
was the matter.
MIR. Anderson went into the gas
house yard and located the trouble
in the purifying room. He went
down the ladder that leads into this
room, which is in the basement.
This room is directly at the corner
Of Seventeenth and Main streets.
When he reached the basement floor
he heard the men grooming. The
fumes Of the gas were so heavy, how
ever, that he could not advance a
step and escaped fro the place just IN
time to save himself from being
overcome.
Notified the Office.
Mr.. Anderson telephoned the Keo-
kuk Electric company office and no.
titled officials of the accident. He
then jumped on his motorcycle and
raced down to the Office to get help.
BY this time the fire department
had been notified of the accident and
the firemen went out on the truck.
William Ainsley, superintendent pt
the gas department, was notified ana
hurried out to the gas plant Win
some helpers. Mr.. Anderson also re-
turned to the. plant and made anoth-
er attempt to go after the two men.
This was unsuccessful. Mr.. Ainsiey
went down with a rope tied to him,
but had to be brought back.
The rescuers were attempting TO
20 through the door in the floor down
the ladder to the room from the in
side of the plant.
, William Burris, assistant fireman,
made an attempt but was brought up
unconscious. His place was taken by
Fireman Harry Teeters but the gas
was too strong for him also, and ne
had to be pulled back. Fire CHIEF
Anderson while directing the work,
got too much Of the gas and had 10
retire.
Employees Of the Electric company
made attempts to reach the basement
but all were unsuccessful.
Cut Through Foundation.
About 1880 o'clock it was decided
to cut a hole in the foundation OPP
posite the room where the men were
lying. Several volunteers soon com
pIeted the work with spade and PICK,
and a colored man, Robert Damah'
volunteered to go down and bring up
the men.
The ropes had Just been attached
to him when F.. w. Bufe, chief en-
pineer at the Pure Ice company, ar
rived with an oxygen helmet.
Bodies Are Brought up.
He entered the basement through
the hole in the foundation at 12:45
O'Clock with ropes to pull out the
two asphyxiated men. Five minutes
later he gave the signal and the
volunteer workers brought out the
body of George Renard, boiler IRE
man at the plant.
He was laid out on the sidewalk
and the Lungmotor applied by the Drs.
Dorsey, assisted by Drs. sherlock,
Holmes and Brown. Efforts to revive
him were unsuccessful.
A few minutes later Mr.. Bufe adj
iusted his helmet and entered
the hole again and at 1:05 o'clock
the body Of Henry Biermann,
the foreman of the plant, was taken
out. The Lungmotor was tried on
him also and every effort was MADE
to revive the two men. they were
dead though, and no spark OF life
could be stirred.
In Room Over Hour.
The two had been in the room for
over an hour When 1t was seen that
further efforts were useless, Acting
Coroner Burrows was called. Inc
bodies of the two men were taken
into one of the offices. Mr.. BUTTONS
Immediately impanneled jury.
While the bodies were being TAX
en- out of the building, an immense
crowd had gathered and 1t was nee
essary to send for the police to Keep
the crowds away from the pulldlns
while the rescue work was going on.
some even were smoking cigars
while the odor of gas hung heavy
about the building, until they We're
ordered to throw them away. Chlef
of Police Hennemann, Officer Wilson
and Assistant Chief Pearson went out
in an automobile to keep order.
III GA !
Don't Know Real Cause.
Officials of the Keokuk Electric
company are in the dark as to the
real, cause of the accident that cost
two lives and endangered many 9TH
ers. Mr.. Ainsley was at the gas
plant at $50 o'clock this morning
and at that time everything was all
right.