KILLED BY CHLORINE GAS

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 April 1935, Page 9

KILLED BY CHLORINE GAS

WOULD-BE RESCUERS AFFECTED. LONDON, March 4. Chlorine gas—one of the most deadly used in the war-—killed two men, Wallace Holmes, 55, foreman, and Frederick Ost, 65, and nearly cost the life of a man who helped in the rescue attempt at the Sheppey Glue and Chemical Works at Queenborough (Kent) yesterday. Ost was cleaning an iodine tank in the stillroom. He was missed, and Holmes, who went to look for him, also disappeared. Then the alarm was raised by the yard boy, Alfred Jackson, and several workmen went to the rescue. They found Ost lying at the bottom of the tank with one leg through a ladder leading to the stillroom, and Holmes huddled on top of him. Artificial respiration was tried, but nothing could be done for the men. Several members of the rescue party were affected by the fumes and had to receive medical attention. Later they were conveyed to their homes. In order to keep them awake It was decided to keep their bedroom windows well open all night, so admitting plenty of fresh air. Relatives and friends served out cups of coffee and cigarettes at intervals. It was stated later that the men, who are suffering from the effects of sulphurated hydrogen fumes, were out of danger. One of the men who helped in the rescue work said last night: “When the alarm was raised the shout went round the works, ‘Two men are in the iodine tank.’ “There are 240 workmen at the works, and they all knew what that cry meant. The tank is used for neutralising iodine liquor, which leaves a crust which gives off chlorine. It is very concentrated. One whiff of it, and it is all over with you. “There was no question of getting volunteers for the rescue work. Everyone was willing to do what he could. The hero of it all was William Rule, the yard foreman, a married man, who ran to the tank and first found Ost. All he could see of him was his pallid face just above the slime at the bottom. He held his breath while he dragged him to the top, but Ost was dead. Then Rule saw the body of Holmes and dragged him out, but he. too, was dead. Then when Rule had done his heroic bit of work he collapsed.” *|