The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-09-11
TESTING S|LO GAS
TOCLEARM MYSTERY
Of HEBRON DEATHS
Nitrogen or Carbon Dioxide Now
Believed to Have Been
Deadly Agent

The mystery Of the deaths Of five
members Of the Neidhardt family from
gas in their farm silo, at Hebron,
Monday afternoon, is being investi-
gated by the State Health department
and psychological laboratory here.
The Health department and labor
atory scout the theory that the deaths
were the result Of breathing meth
ane, or marsh. gas. Another theory
has been advanced to take the place
of that first advanced. This Is that
either carbon dioxide or nitrogen
smothered the victims.
To determine whether blood tests
will explain the mystery, A. w. Eek
lund, state bacteriologist, has sent
three guinea pigs to Hebron, to be
lowered into the silo and then to be
returned to the laboratory for chemi-
cal tests for the poison, II any. that
was fatal to the Neidhardts. He ex-
poets to be able, by the end Of the
week, to announce the exact cause of
death, something In which the entire
medical fraternity and chemists here
are greatly interested.
Methane Not Poisonous
Bacteriologist Ecklund to day said
"a consideration Of certain facts from
the chemical point of view will show
that death from breathing methane
gas was probably impossible.
First he continued, "methane is
not a toxic. poisonous gas or deadly
upon being inhaled. Air containing S
per cent methane has no effect when
brcathed by a human being. When
the concentration Of methane In the
air reaches IS per cent, the breath
ing process Is slower and deeper. Not
until 10 per cent OF the air is methane,
do we get danger to human life, and
this Is caused by lack Of oxygen
rather than from the toxic effect of
the gas. In coal mines, the miners
work continuously in an atmosphere
containing, sometimes, up to 20 per
cent. methane.
Second. methane is a very light
gas. weighing about one-half as much
as air. It would certainly never re-
main in a silo, but would rise, and air
would take its place. It also has no
odor. while the gas In question had
one.
Third, many analyses have been
performed Of the gases formed In q
silo during the Preventative process,
and hydrogen, methane or any 9TH
er h~ydrocarbon gases have never been
found.
Had To Be Heavy Gas
W. are, therefore, forced to the
conclusion that methane gas was not
the cause Of death.
1.-The gas that caused the deaths
Of the people certainly had to be q
gas heavier than air OF 1t would not
have remained in the silo. During
the formation Of silage, . fermenta-
tive process takes place. during which
time huge volumes Of carbon dioxide,
a very heavy gas-1.5 times heavier
than air-and another gas, nitrogen,
about the same weight as air, Is given
off in the proportion Of 20 parts Of
carbon dioxide to 80 parts Of nitrogen.
Neither of these gases Is poisonous;
but q person placed in an atmosphere
Ox tI1cSS 8dSC0 WVOA0 JO0t 40 OH Cay
suffocate to death, due to the lack of
oxygen, as II he were immersed un.
der water.
Blood Test To Clear Doubt
"This combination, I think, was the
cause of death.
IN order to investigate the toxic
or smothering effect Of the gases in
this silo, I Immediately sent three
live guinea pigs to Hebron, with In
structions to place them in q con-
venient receptacle and lower them
into the silo. allowing them to re-
main either until death takes place
from the gases or no effect is no
ticeable. BY q chemical analysis Of
the blood of the dead animals, 1t may
be possible to identify the toxic
agent.
Before methane Is accepted az
the toxic gas. it will have to be prov
3D."