Wellsville Daily Reporter – September 9, 1924
FOUR MEN NEARLY LOSE LIVES AT REFINERY
-----------------------
Victims Suddenly Overcome By Unusual Gas In
Bottom of Still; Are Rescued After Half
Hour of Heroic Effort
-------------------------------
Rushed to Memorial Hospital Where Continuous Use of Oxygen
Is Gradually Bringing Two of the Men Back to This
World, While Two Others Have Recovered Consciousness.
---------------------
An unfortunate accident happened at the Sinclair plant on the River Road. Four men nearly lost their lives when they were suddenly overcome by unusual gas at
the bottom of a still. They were rescued after half an hour of heroic efforts. They were rushed to Memorial Hospital for a continuous use of oxygen and brought two of the men back to
this world. Two others half recovered consciousness. The men were overcome when cleaning a still. The victims Don Gardner, George Gardner, Charles Gardner and Fred Norton, all of
Wellsville. A hard fight has been made to save their lives. Although the first two had not recovered up to 3 o’clock this afternoon.
The unfortunate accident happened after 9 o’clock this morning at the Sinclair Refining Plant, a half mile from town on the river road. Work Superintendent
Charles Gardner, accompanied by his two sons, Don and George, and Fred Norton, with several other workmen, had gone to still No. 3 to repair a slight leak caused by the “loosening” of a
bolt. The still is of the “cheese box” type and is 20 feet high. The still had been shut down for three days, emptied and cooled off and it was not considered dangerous entering the
still. Don Gardner went down the ladder to investigate the leakage. He reached the bottom and calling up to the men it was so gassy he could not stay, started up the ladder, and toppled
over backward, falling in several inches of oil in the bottom of the tank and pulling the ladder down with him.
The younger brother, George, was instantly let down through the manhole with a rope to rescue his brother, got the leader set up, but before he could get a
rope around the first man he, too, was overcome. Work Superintendent Gardner then sent out a call for additional help and men lowered him into the still, but he was as quickly overcome.
He was immediately followed by Fred Norton, who also fell unconscious.
In the meantime, Kaufman, LaForge, Marsh and others were quickly opening another manhole at the bottom of the still, while at the same time an air hose was run
in to the still and the compressor started to supply a large volume of fresh air to the sufferers, and it was probably this quick action that resulted in saving the men’s lives.
Within a half hour from the beginning of the trouble the manhole on the side had been thrown open and rescuers crawled in and removed the three unconscious
men, while George Gardner had been pulled up through the top manhole by workmen.
A quick call to the Refinery office in town had hurriedly brought Richard Lish to the plant, having first secured doctors and within a few minutes Drs.
Comstock and McCarty arrived at the plant supplied with a small tank of oxygen and began the work of restoring the men.
Both the Embser and Piper ambulances were also called and the four victims brought to the Wellsville hospital, where the oxygen treatment was continued.
Two of the men, George Gardner and Fred Norton, partially recovered as soon as they were removed to the open air, but, later lapsed into unconsciousness; while
the two other men Don Gardner and his father, Charles Gardner, were probably in the stills for a half hour or better, were unconscious when taken out and have remained so at the hospital
up to 3 o’clock this afternoon. Their conditions show much improvement and it is now believed they will all recover.
The accident is a very unusual one or the Refinery. Many times the still has been cleaned and while the men were slightly affected by the gasses, it was not
considered serious. But, on this occasion there seems to have been a different gas in the bottom of the still, possibly carbon monoxide, a heavy gas which affected the men instantly upon
reaching the bottom of the still. The prompt supplying of fresh air through the air hose and the quick opening of the second manhole in the bottom of the still, together with the prompt
use of oxygen brought from town, were factors in saving the four men’s lives. A large tank of oxygen is kept at the plant for emergency use, but could not be used on this occasion as the
men were lying on the ground.
