Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-12-08
BOYS AND GIRLS
POISONED BY GAS
IN RURAL SCHOOL
Lips eiistsred, Eyes Bloodshot
by Fumes in Richardson
Park Building.
SEVERAL ALMOST STlFLED


Poisonous fumes nlling tho lower
ro"ms I'm the Richardson Park School.
believed To hc coal gas generated in
ths furnace In tho basement. yester-
udnr afternoon and again this morn
'g made teachers and pupils ~.
threatened the lives of the more than
700 children IN the building and neces-
stated the dismissal cf several OF the
srad"s when the boys and girls be-
came so "dory" that they could no
longer hold mp their heads and the air
IN the rooms was apparently smother
ing the occupants. Several of the
children were found 10 be suffering
from hiis,crcd lips as II they had been
burned hlis'crs on their arms and
ewes 80 hlodshct that ~ was only
with difficulty that they could see.
Many of tho children who had 20 be
sent homo yesterday were too ill IA
return 60 school this morning. due 20
the effects Of the gas. or whatever the
fumes might be.
Two OF the children attending the
srhooi. William Davis. aged about 9
years. and Mary Samansky. aged
about 10 years. when found today in
tho school were on the verge % coll
lapse and were revived with difficulty.
Mrs. Elizabeth Jordln. teacher ~ the
NTH grade Is suffering from what APP
pears o. be burns on the arm. hlis-
tered lips and blooishot eyes. Miss
Alberta Sapp. teacher in the fourth
rrade. nearly tainted from tho effects
of tho r,s before she could be gotten
into the fresh air outside.
Yesterday afternoon Mrs. Jordir
noticed several cs the children in her
room were becoming nauseated while
% their studies and investigation
showed thcv were being slowly over
come BY tho poisonous fumes which
IN. believed % be coal gas from the
furnace The windows were thrown
oncn bat tho fumes were so thick thai
70 was impossible 90 continue with
the classes and the children were sem
in their homes. some % these chill
drcn required medical attention after
they had gotten 90 their homes. Many
no them were unable 10 report AZ th'
shool this morning.
N was thought today the trouble
has been eliminated and the session:
.cr~ resumed as usual. However
about 10 O'Clock many os The boy,
.-d rlr,a 4, the fourth and NTH grades
were found unable 20 hold up their
head. and they were resting them or
their d~sks as y they were about q
70 % sleep According 20 the teacher,
~ oaor q, any kind could be detected
IN sh~ rooms but the children wer'
taken into the yard and revived onc'
fhev rot into the fresh air. The roon
vore ventilated and a. was thought N
trouble was over 80 the boys and girl
went hack 90 resume their studies
only short time later. however
th same conditions were found an
fhen both hrades were dismissed 20
the day. II was stated these grade
are on the Nrst roor and the childre
in the upper rooms were nct-afecte
lv The gas. II was thought by open
Inr a cellar window the gas nigh
esrap. and this was tried but withou
results II wa. also stated that IN
ras Il had only when the wind
blowing from certain quarter.
when the children were dismisse
today 10 was found nearly al % iher
had blstered lips and that their eye
were hloodshot. Mrs. Jordin's arm
rcd a. II IL had been burned. Ais
Sapp was very ~ as a result Of he
narrow escape from being overcom'
Another school Official who has bee
Ni Cor several days IL said 20 attribui
20 % the gas he inhaled while In N
building
Conditions have become 80 bad Q
fhs school that many parents ar
afraid 90 have their children atten
here. lest they he fatally poisoned b
~. fumes The Janitor is said 70 hay
reported the furnace ERE box file
with clinksrs from the grade OF cot
supplied the school but whether tn
has anything 90 do with the poisonou
fumes ls not known.