ESCAPING GAS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 19, 24 January 1939, Page 8

ESCAPING GAS.

NEARLY A TRAGEDY. WHOLE FAMILY OVERCOME. DAMAGES CLAIM FOLLOWS. (Br Telegraph.—rrcss Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. TTow his wife, five children and him- i so If were affected by gas poisoning was re 1 a ted in the Magistrate's Court to-day by Albert Johannsen, who sued the ('hriatchurch (»a« Company for £20 da mages. ■Toliannsen said he had been wakened by his wife falling on the floor, and nil the family had been sick as a result of gas poisoning. Plaintiff alleged the escape of ga« wan (Imp to negligence by servants of the company. In evidence, lie said on August 11 last a gnu stove had been installed by an employee of the fias Company, and in the early hours of the next morning he had been awakened by hin wife falling. All his children and himself had been affected. Hi* wife and two children had lieen admitted to hospital. but had lieen discharged within 4S hours. When a <ia» Company employee repaired the pij>e witness noticed i , was rusty. The defence claimed that there had been contributory negligance on the part of phiintiff. as evidence would be called to show that <!a-t Company employees liti(l iiiit installed the cooker, and that outride workmen miir<t have done it. Plaintiff had smelt gas the night before, tmt. had not telephoned the <Ja« Company until eight o'clock next morning. (Proceeding.)