| Show c Creeping Death Still Pursuing Hero of Cleveland Clinic Blaze 6 Lungs Lungs Eaten by Deadly Ga Gas Price Officer Pays rays for r. r His 21 Rescues DEXTER TEED By Copyright 1931 NEA Service Inc CLEVELAND June II A ll-A A smile and a 3 shadow The smile is still stUl on the face of Patr Ernest hero of the Cleveland clinic disaster who more than two years ears ago on May MayIS 15 IS 1929 carried out 21 persons while poisonous yellow nitrogen gas was snuffing out the lives Ilves of persons trapped within the building by fire and explosion The shadow falls faUs athwart the fu future future fu- fu ture of DC the courageous officer It may be the shadow of ot creeping death for even now he suffers sudden sudden sudden sud sud- den attacks which topple him to bed gasping for breath his head humming hum- hum ming with shooting pains paths It is is' the after effects of the gas Hero of ot many heroes at the disaster disaster dis dis- dis aster he fights the good fight day after day forgotten by a R. nation which applauded an unknown po policeman's po- po bravery In fn 1929 almost forgotten forgotten for for- gotten In fn his Ills own city except for occasional little n newspaper r stories Patrolman collapses again WRACKED BY COUGH Coughing wracks his sturdy body as it did In those hours of ot suspense suspense suspense sus sus- pense after he collapsed at the fire They said he could not live then but buthe buthe butI I he did They said he would never recover completely that completely that may be betru tru true He faces the days to come with optimism unafraid In his spare time he be works In ill his garden or around the yard believes he will get well eventually Once he was a traffic officer Now he works in the de detective detective detective de- de bureau For it is not safe to allow him to st stand nd in a street congested by automobiles For many months after he recovered recovered recovered ered from the first effects of ot the gas he suffered fainting attacks at short Intervals He lapsed into coma Physicians administered oxygen oxygen oxygen oxy oxy- gen to save his life They suc sue The seizures became less frequent He had one in fn December then for several months he was comparatively well A few days ago he collapsed n t h hf hi started tn to work worl What will wUl be next He doesn't know Physicians dont don't know The death dealing nitrogen peroxide which he inhaled two years ago usually kills by causing the lungs to be filled with fluid fluids It also causes dilation of the arteries low blood pressure and serious changes In the blood itself Its action is Insidious Many of the gas victims in the clinic disaster suddenly collapsed collapsed collapsed col col- col- col lapsed and died hours bours even days after they seemed well again lives in a modest but well kept home in the west side of oC Cleeland Cleveland Cleveland Cleve- Cleve land with his wife and two daughters daughters daughters daugh daugh- Glad Gladys s 10 10 and Dorothy 13 He lie spends most of his time there when he i isn't nt working The current of his life flows along much as it did before he became a 3 hero except He seldom drives a car because he suddenly may become powerless to control It GASPS FOR BREATH Frequently he awakens at night gasping for breathing clutching his chest coughing His sleep leep is broken In moments when he is alone with his thoughts the events of that day dayt t two o years ears ago come rushing back packed with memories of men and women and children who flung up hands and fell feU unconscious and unconscious and died But still smiles He goes about his tasks at the police station station statton sta sta- sta- sta tion and home unconcernedly ignoring ing the future This is his philosophy They told me In the hospital otter fter the fire that I couldn't live they And I told them Id I'd Ve C e to see them all under the daisies Of course it pulled me down I used to weigh pounds now I weigh only That's enough the use of worrying That That wont won't do any goed They have done all they can for me I am doing all I can for myself Every Everyday Everyday day I get all tle me fresh air possible I work vork around the house on the lawn in my little garden Sometimes Sometimes Some Some- times I even play baseball a little lUtle I have haye a good home and a family and anda a a. job yet et What more could I ask Stab wont wout talk much about that da day when he faced death in the deadly gas from burning X-ray X celluloid cel cel- cel- cel fumes One of the first policemen policemen polie po po- po- po lie m n to reach the scene he wasu was quickly u kly in the thick of the rescue work It was just my Job Is his modest modest modest mod mod- est comment But the courage he snowed showed then undoubtedly ily helps him in his fight I to r regain train health and escape death Time after t r time he rushed In and when wien others tried to dissuade him he kept ept repeating Got to get em cut out Got to get em cm out outi I He kept it up until he had brought out 21 persons Then Theu he collapsed Death usually follows inhalation of the gas b by a a. few hours if it doesn't occur instantly Dead De-ad and dying dropped all around him But it did not kill kUl Perhaps it wont won't but theres there's always alwa's the shadow shado It is the price he has paid for lor being a I hero heto |
