The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-03-12


drinking at least two quarts Of water .
day while on duty. A peculiar Characters
tic of arsenic Is that 1t stores itself mp in
the system and does not pass OF very
readily, so that in time the accumulated
dose could make considerable quantity
and dangerous or even fatal results might
follow.
Furthermore, arseAic poisoning is not
always easy to diagnose. even by skilled
physicians. The usual symptoms are an
acrid feeling in the throat with nausea
and vomiting. Coldness Of the extremi-
ties sets In and the pulse becomes feeble.
The face becoms pale and then takes on
blush tinge. In fatal cases the tenn
persture continues to fall, the patient
sinks into a collapse and dies. There can
scarcely be said to be any clinical feature
which distinguishes these symptoms from
cholera.
Martin was asked II he could give any
idea how the poison reached the water
tanks, sss@es 49,
aYeS. can do that easily. have no
uOuUt WnStOS0A SOVus tA1 uC 00BW Oh Gu
ION every trip the storshseper provided
boiler huid' for cleaning the engine room
platforms and tunnels. It b . terribly
strong acid and II diluted Win Wa&er and
thrown down In bucketfuls, followed by
scalding water to shift the grease. The
tops of the water tanks are among the
first places II falls down ontN That's how
It came to be where We found 4 when we
cleaned the man-hoie lids. At one time
drums OF pure caustic were kept stored
on top of the water tanks. but they we're
shifted before party Of officers came to
make an inspection in New York. These
drums were made OF tin and Il was easy
for the acid to leak through them and
drfbble down onto the tanks."
Officials Of the seamen's and Tiremen's
Union took q hand IN the Investigation.
They were told that the BOILER fluid"
sesped through crack In the tanks after
the steamer had set out Tor England.
The deposit OF arsenic which City An
alyst Roberts found IN the sounding pipes
was called to their attention. One OF the
union officers suggested that the rolling
Of the ship may have forcsd the contamt
mated water some distance up these pipes.
These sounding pipes reach from the deck
sell and are used when the amount of
water IN the tanks 10 measured By means
OF q sounding rod, lowered ut the end Of
q cord through these pipes.
He was asked II the sounding rod would
likely be cleaned with BOILER fluid" and
thereby contaminate the water. Indeed
not he said Boiler fluid would burn
your boots on in no time. It IL similar to
the caustic preparation used for whitening
the decks"
Why the passengers were not affected
by the water was also explained. They
did not drink nearly 20 much - the fire.
men. Besides, the water used by the
passengers was filtered, while the fire.
mems was not, In support Of this theory,
the union official cites the statement OF
a steward. This steward. 80 II appears,
worked among the passengers, drinking
the same water and escaping any Ill
effects until on an occasion when the sup
ply of filtered water ran short temporarily
while changing over from one tank to an
other, when he drank some unfiltered
water and was taken III like the others.
Judge Thomas heard the test case
brought against the steamship company
by Stephen McGuness, one Of the stokers
poisoned by the water. The judges YER
dict showed the company had not proved
that somebody had contaminated the
water by pouring poison into the water
tanks through the sounding pipes from the
deck He held the steamship company re-
sponsible and handed down Judgment in
favor Of McGuiness, but Mr.. Rice Jones,
the company's attorney. asked for and
was granted stay of execution.
The company still contends that they
were not responsible for the poisonings.
1--WE certainly did not poison the water
ourselves, therefore the assumption can
only be that somebody else did with
malice"
This idea of deliberate attempt to
poison the ships water II not shared by
the crew. II ID maintained that he would
have to be Q very desperate sort Of person
indeed who, wishing to poison particular
individual, would run the risk OF poisoning
every man, woman and child aboard ship,
himself included.