Imperial Valley press., 1932-04-27
SECOND VICTIM
OF SEWER GAS
TRAGEDY DIES
Inquest Into Imperial Dis
aster Scheduled For
This Afternoon.

n CORONER jury dt G'HU tiiiS
afternoon decided Andrew j.
Jensen came to his death from
gas inhaled while inspecting the
Ell Centre sewer system with
out the consent of the city
engineer, and that Alex Allen
met his death while trying to
save Jensen from the sewer
manhOle in which he was
trapped. The verdict was based
largely on inferences drawn by
George Wright, Imperial police
chief, who was the principal
witness called at the inquest.
Andrew j. Jensen, former COM
missioner of public works at Fres-
no and we'll known California con-
Sulting engineer, died at 10:48 last
night, the second victim of eX-
posure to odorless gas and INNER
sion in a manhole of the Ell Centre
outfall sewer system mile north
of Imperial yesterday morning.
Jensen's death was added to that
of Axel Allen of Fresno and San
Francisco, who died early yester-
day afternoon, when efforts to save
both men with resuscitators from
the Ell Centre fire department
proved futile.
George Wright, who took both
men from the manhole after be-
ing informed of their presence
there by Filipinos who had been
working in a nearby field, was
completely recovered today from i'll
effects of the gas, suffered when
he descended into the hole in an
effort to save the two lives. Wright
is chief of police in Imperial.
Relatives of Jensen were expected
in Ell Centro today, possibly to at
tend an inquest set for this after
noon. Aliens connection with the
sewer inspection trip which cost
the two men their lives still was
largely unexplained today. He is
not listed as a registered engineer.
Contrary to reports which were
current yesterday, neither man was
connected with any state depart
ment.
Jensen was a representative of
the Pacific Clay Products Institute,
an association of manufacturers of
clay products. 1t was his task to
accumulate information useful to
members of the institute, and 1t
is believed he was engaged in car
rying out this task by an inspection
of the Ell Centro sewer system yes
terday morning. Allen was acting
as assistant to Jensen in taking
photographs of the brick-conStruct-
ed sewer system.
Risks Unexplained
E. M. Davids, vice-president of
Gladding-McBean and company
and a member of the Pacific Clay
Products Institute, is in Ell Centre
today to take charge of the bodies.
Jensen's body was to be sent to
Fresno, where he spent most Of his
life, tonight. Aliens body probably
will be sent there tomorrow night,
Both Jensen and Allen were
former residents of Fresno, and
lately had made their homes in
San Francisco. Jensen was born
in Fresno, graduated from the Un-
iversity of California, acted as COM
missioner of public works for the
city of Fresno for six years, and
held the office of city engineer
and various other offices for sever
al years. He was a 33rd degree
Mason. Surviving Jensen are a
wife and four children.
Asked how it happened that two
men with as much experience as
Jensen and Allen should take the
risks they did yesterday morning,
Davids this morning declared he
did not know, unless they had
grown careless during years of in
specting and investigating sewers
in all parts of the state.
The two men had failed to visit
the office of the city engineer here,
or any other city official. before
starting on their inspection trip.
Phil w. knights, city engineer, de-
clared he has equipment which
would eliminate much of the dan
ger of such an inspection, and
would gladly have placed this
equipment at the disposal of the
visitors.