Two sewer workers asphyxiated in Arcueil-Cachan

One of them succumbs

The residents of Avenue Carnot, in Arcueil-Cachan, had been bothered for several days by fumes coming from the sewer located under the avenue. The road department having been notified ordered samples to be taken from this sewer.

Under the orders of Mr. Cresp, team leader, the workers Georges Tassel, aged 39, residing at 155 rue de la République, in Montrouge, and Alphonse Ruin, residing at chemin des Cuivrons, in Bagneux, went down yesterday morning, around 8 o'clock, into the sewer of Avenue Carnot, with the order not to stay there for more than five minutes.

Seeing them not come back up after this time, the team leader became worried. Having called them and not getting a response, he immediately notified Mr. Fleury, the police commissioner of Gentilly.

The Paris firefighters (Port-Royal barracks), notified by the magistrate, arrived on the scene with a major doctor from the regiment and the necessary equipment.

At around 9 o'clock in the morning, after a long search, the firefighters brought the two unconscious sewer workers back to the surface.

Despite the care given to him by Major Caltex, Georges Tassel died a quarter of an hour later. His comrade, Alphonse Ruin, was rushed to Cochin Hospital. His condition is serious.

Mr. Naudin, Prefect of the Seine, and the director of the office of the Prefect of Police went to the scene, as did Mr. Kling, director of the municipal laboratory.

From the samples and analyses that were carried out, it appears that this accident was caused by sulfuric acid fumes.

In order to remedy these regrettable accidents, Mr. Morain sent yesterday to all the police commissioners a circular ordering them to ensure that no sulphide solution, coming from the various industries of the region, is sent to the sewer before having been drowned in a quantity of water representing at least five hundred times the weight of the sulphide it contains.