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OVERCOME BY SEWER GAS

THREE MEN TAK£ ( TO HOSPITAL

RESCUE FROM

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. November 11 Three employees of the >Velliii«L, City Council were overcome by gas in a manhole today, when th/ were working on alterations tn tp City's sewerage system. They taken, semi-conscious, to hospital ' The men are Mr J. a ]« ad ing band, of Ashley street, Johns™ Ville; Mr F. Macdonald, a leS' hand, of Owen street. Newtown- .3 Mr J. Smith, an engineer, of Gaur!,' street, Rongotai. a ' 11 The sewerage system in the ar». where the men were working had K turned off for several weeks to tierrnh a new pump to be installed i n roadway opposite the General Office. The work on the pump been completed, and Messrs Houstn, and Macdonald went down a menhn.. in the middle of the street to turn ™ the sewerage system. Apparently there was then a rush m sewer gas ihydrogen sulphide) the men became unconscious fcefoi. they could escape. Mr Smith noticed the men's phi. and was lowered into the manhole S a member of the staff of a nearby shm Mr R. E. Kember. He, too. was over come by the gas. and Mr Kember n unable to extricate him through th, narrow opening of the manhole. ™ AU three men were finally rescued by a drainage foreman, Mr F. Brituu by means of grappling hooks “

Passers-by Assist \ " Nine persons, two of them worn® Who Were passing by when the iS were extricated Horn the sewer claa her, applied artificial respiration tai the arrival of the ambulances equlrnS with oxygen apparatus. As the men were taken train sewer chamber and laid on the rm? Traffic Officer T. J. Dwan organised artificial respiration, and he rnnS was one of the first to begin giving the treatment. A young girl was speedilv at his side and took over the retm. citation, - aided by two men. In a matter of seconds, all three gassed men were receiving artiffoij respiration. Mr Dwan said: “These passers-b» went to work with a will, and I cannot praise them enough for the wav ther acted. They gave no thought to their own comfort or appearance, and forgot about everything except the lives of the men lying at their feet. The two women in particular deserve un bounded praise. After it was all over these people just disappeared back into the crowd.”

The action of those who helped in re. viving the men was also praised by the City Drainage Engineer (Mr K J Mawson), The helpers’ coolness and efficiency had played an important nan in saving the lives of the three menhe said.

When a telephone call for assistants was received by the Free Ambulance, the only information given was that h ? d been g assa d in a sewer All Wellington ambulance vans are equipped with oxygen plants, but a special resuscitator apparatus was also sent to the scene of the accident The ambulance officers found that it was unnecessary to use the resuscitator Within four minutes of receivim the alarm, the first ambulance an rived at the scene of the accident and two other ambulances followed almost immediately.

Witness Describes Accident The accident was described afterwards by Mr Kember. He said he had noticed a “terrible odour," and left his shop to investigate. He was just in time to help Mr Smith fasten on a rope, and at Mr Smith’s request he lowered him into the hole. “He wpnt out like a light.’’ said Mr Kember. “He is a big, healthy man, and when this occurred, I suddenly realised the enormous danger that the other men were in. A nearbv shopkeeper had meantime telephoned for the ambulances, and I gave a heartfelt sigh of relief when the first one arrived.” The Mayor (Mr R. L. Macalistet) expressed deep concern tonight about the accident, and said ne would have it thoroughly investigated. The accident caused a traffic jam m Featherston and Brandon streets, and at one time four trolley-buses and a stream of cars were held up.

BOY DROWNED

DINGHY CAPSIZES IN RIVER (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. November 11. A boy aged 14. Mark le Leu, was drowned when a dinghy capsized near the mouth of the Hutt river early this afternoon. ; His parents, Mr and Mrs E. F. Le Beu, live at Louver Hutt. TIMBER WORKER KILLED (New Zealand. Press Association) NEW PLYMOUTH, November 11. A timber worker, Mr James Wellington O’Brien, of Pakihi, near Raetihi, was killed in an accident in the bush at Maungataroa this afternoon.

He was helping to haul logs from the bush ana became entangled in a wire rope. A widower, Mr O’Brien is survived by two children of school age.

TRUCK OVERTURNS NEAB HINDS BRIDGE

Darcy Gilbert des Forges, aged of Halstead road. Pleasant Point suffered a dislocated shoulder ana shock when a light trade motorvehicle operated by Hervey Motors, Timaru, travelling south on the main road, overturned on an approach to the Hinds river bridge at about 3.45 p.m. yesterday. Mr des Forges, who was driving, was admitted to the Ashburton Public Hospital, where his condition last evening was reported M satisfactory. It is understood that the truck had come to a stop, and Mr des Forges was pinned under it when it overturned as he was getting out. The truck was not badly damaged.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19521112.2.69

Bibliographic details

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26886, 12 November 1952, Page 8

Word Count
893

OVERCOME BY SEWER GAS Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26886, 12 November 1952, Page 8

OVERCOME BY SEWER GAS Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26886, 12 November 1952, Page 8