The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-05-16
Rescue Workers Victims of
Gas; Many Are in Criti-
cal Condition.
FIND FAULTY FIRE DOOR
Investigators Learn That
Fatal VaporS Could Have
Been Shut Off.
BY c. Nj. BURCKY
United Press Staff Correspondent

CDEN ELAND, May I6.-AS
the death toll in the Cleve-
land Clinic explosion disaster
reached 126 this afternoon,
many Of the rescuers were near
death.
An order was issued by city Off
cials for any who had come in con-
tact with the gas which killed most
of the victims to report for medical
attention, no matter how slightly
they had been affected.
Four firemen we're in serious con-
dition and were given blood trans
fusions.
Doctors, nurses police and citizens
we're in hospitals for treatment.
Most of these had entered the
fume-f1lled building in rescue work.
Faulty Door Found
An automatic fire door that would
not work was found today by H.
L. lockwood, health commissioner,
who headed the first of the investi-
gators at the scene of the explosions.
Had the door worked it would
have Shut.off the room from the rest
of the building and caused the
deadly poison gas to be forced out
to the street through ventilator,
DR.. H. L. lockwood, health COM
missioner and head of the probing
commission, said.
The faulty door is the only en-
trance to the X-ray room. 1t is
large, thick. metallic.
The door works automatically,
the temperature of the room releas-
ing 6. lever when it reaches a cer-
tain heat. The lever closes the door.
Three Inquiries Started
The lever worked when fire broke
out in the room Wednesday. But a
heavy metal pipe, carrying either
gas or water, stood in the direct
path of the lever. This prevented
the door from closing more than
half way.
With the death toll growing hour
ly, federal, state. county and city
Investigations were under way as
follows:
City-CommisSion headed by DR..
named by William R.
city manager, to determine
cause, fix responsibility and make
recommendations that will prevent
future disasters.
County-Prosecutor Ray r. Miller
assigned assistants to inspect scene
with grand jury probe promised
if negligence is discovered Coroner
A. j. PearSe started inquest.
u. S. Enters Probe
State-Governor Myers Y. Cooper
ordered full inquiry. Ross Hedges,
assistant state industrial relations
director; P. F. Casey, commission
chairman; Thomas Devine, chief in
Spector of industrial buildings; John
Clemmer, of The state board of
standards ard X. NJ. Schnerer, in
duStrial commission engineer sent to
scene.
Federal-From Washington came
that the United
States bureau of standards was
sending two inspectors here.
Also investigating we're Thomas
C. MARTINEZ, deputy state fire mar
shall and his assistant Joseph Fari-
sci and DR.. w. E. Obetz, medical
of the industrial COM
Die of Fright
Investigations will center around
the cause of the deaths.
Except for a general agreement
that the first explosion occurred
from defective wiring, opinions vary
as to what followed and what
caused the many deaths
Coroner Pearse, in an effort to
determine what caused the skin Of
the victims to turn yellow, had
blood tests from three bodies made
Wednesday night.
He reported that the blood showed
heavily of both hydrocranic acid
gas and bromene acid gas (bromide
gas).
DR.. Pearse expressed the belief
that poisoning by either of the
gasses was sufficient to cause quick
death. Many of the patients in the
clinic died from fright, Pearse said.
The hydro cyanic gas an bromide
case, DR.. Pearse said, evidently were
formed by the combustion OF x-ray
films.