Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-09
Several Are in Hospitals
Seriously III as Result
of Gas.
FOUR FIREMEN AMONG
VICTIMS OF ACCIDENT
Laundry Forced to Suspend Opera
tions for Day as Crew
Is Hit.

Scores of persons were made i'll, two
seriously, by chlorine gas fumes that
flooded the four STORY building of the
Tolman Laundry at Sixth and c streets
shortly after 9 o'clock this morning
when the safety valve of 2O0-pound
tube of the gas blew off.
The gas pervaded the entire building
almost Immediately after the safety
valve blew off the container, and a
near-panic ensued among woman work.
erS as the cooler-headed men employees
herded them up the fire escapes and
side stairs to the roof of the building
Four of the woman employees of the
laundry are at Emergency Hospital, with
two reported in a serious condition
Four f1remen, who responded for res
cue work, were made SO i'll by the
fumes that they were forced to report
of duty.
Operations Suspended.
Practically the entire force of the
laundry, numbering more than 200 per-
sons, was ordered to leave the building
and the plant operation was suspended
for the day.
The two most seriously i'll are Mrs.
Mildred Beavers, %, of 908H G. street
southwest, and Miss Grace Studds, II,
3217 M street, both at Emergency Hos
pital. Others at Emergency are: Mrs.
Margaret Therakos, 81, of 409 Second
street and Altee Bennett, colored, 35,
of 222 D street. Carrie Minor, 80,
1914 Fifth street, and Alberta Turner,
"a, 240 K street southwest, both colored,
were treated at Casualty Hospital.
Although bedly affected himself,
Claud Hayden, Third and E streets, an
employe at the laundry, helped quiet
the woman workers and remained on
the second floor of the building direct
ing relief work until almost overcome
by fumes. He was the last person up
the steps.
The safety valve of the gas tank blew
off while Clyde Hungerford. 1906 Poto-
mac avenue southeast, engineer of the
plant, was attempting to valve some Of
the gas off for the bleaching machine.
The gas is used in the laundry Coz
bleaching purposes.
When the safety valve blew of. Hum
gerford wreStled with the heavy cylia-
der for a moment and then, finding 1t
impossible to stop the flow of gas and
becoming weakened rushed from the
room and gave the alarm.
AS the gas first started seeping
through the building some of the work.
ers on the upper floors refused to leave,
according to A. T. Du Busky, the man.
ager. Then the fumes began spreading
rapidly, and the woman employees made
a rush for the stairs to come down
The fumes were strongest on the ground
floor, where the cylinder was kissing
out it's deadly fumes, and Hungerford
found great difficulty in keeping the
women from coming down the stairs.
Had to Fight Women.
ct really had to fight with them to
get them to take the stairs to the
roof" Hungerford said. st don't know
what would have happened if Hayden
hadn't turned to the way he did and
gotten those women out into the fresh
air"
Meanwhile the fire alarm was turned
in and the rescue squad responded
With gas masks, the firemen entered the
bleaching room and drew the gas cylin-
der out to the street. There, a water
hose was attached to the valve and
towels placed around 1t to minimize the
escape of the gas. For more than an
hour after the cylinder was taken out
into the street, the fumes made the
air in the vicinity OF the Duliolng OlS-
agreeable. A police detachment was
assigned to the building and kept
pedestrians away from the cylinder.
After windows of the building had
been opened by firemen and the least
affected of the male employees of the
laundry, the women on the roof were
allowed to go out into the street. Prac-
tically all Of the plant employees were
permitted to go to their homes and only
a skeleton force was kept on.
The four firemen made i'll are Capt.
j. r. Grove, Sergt. E. j. Carroll, D.
j. Mccarthy and l.. F. Price.