Binghamton NY Press 1962 Coal Gas Kills Brick Plant Worker By DICK VENIZELOS "This should not have happened. It's not a dangerous job." That was the reaction of Clarence Austin, president of Binghamton Brick Co., as he walked through the tragedy-struck plant yesterday afternoon. Carbon monoxide content of coal gas fumes took the life of one of the firm's employes, contributed to the serious injury 'of another employe and sent three policemen and a rescue volunteer to General Hospital. Dead Is Stanley C. Colegrove, 46, of 3 Pine Street, a laborer whose body was found lying in a coal chute near the top of the 70-foot high building. In General Hospital's Special Care Unit In "serious condition" with a broken back and head injuries is Robert VanValkenburg 24, of Chenango Forks RD I who tends a gas-producing fire for the firm. THE GAS IS USED in making bricks. . The three policemen and the volunteer were sickened by coal gas fumes during the ' rescue attempt. Treated and later discharged from General were these policemen: Sgt. Carl Stoltx, 46, of 29 Schubert Street; Patrolman Harold Barlow, 31,' of 31 Schubert Street, and Patrolman Clayton Dehlman, 42, of 8 Seminary Avenue. The volunteer was Joseph Colavito, 24, of 22 Grlswold Street, who also was discharged after treatment. The Binghamton police ambulance and the sheriff's ambulance each made two separate trips to the hospital. POLICE WERE (summoned to the Broad Street northern extension of Broad Avenue) brickmanufacturing firm at 1:46 p. m. yesterday when a nearby resident, Mrs. Rose Orielek of 42 Travis Avenue, reported she heard a noise that "sounded like someone was in trouble." On arrival, police found a man. later Identified as Mr. VanValkenburg, lying on a scaffold- like walkway outside the building about 40 feet from the ground. An aerial ladder truck from the Robinson Street Fire Station was summoned. In a dramatic rescue that firemen said took, about 30 minutes, Mr. VanValkenburg was tied to a stretcher then was tied to the top of the aerial ladder. The ladder was then lowered slowly. FIRST ASSISTANT Fire Chief John Sedor described the rescue procedure was ticklish and time-consuming. He said the victim was conscious, and "in pain." He said it was the first such rescue in 15 years. During the rescue, Carl Austin, vice-president of the firm and brother of the president, arrived and Immediately asked the whereabouts ot Mr. Vari- Valkenburg's assistant, Mr. Colegrove "I started to run around and hunt for him, but I didn't see him among the spectators," Mr. Austin said The vice - president said he then climbed an inside ladder | to the top of the^bullding. "I looked over into the coal bin and I saw him lying in the bin. I hollered to the firemen," Mr. Austin said. POLICE SAID Mr. Austin shouted for help from a window at the top of the building just as Mr. VanValkenburg was being placed in the police ambulance. Firemen and policemen used a resuscitator and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation In a futile attempt to revive Mr. Colegrove. During the attempt to revive him, Sergeant Stoltz became ill from the odorless coal gas fumes. Police said he went to an open window at the top of the building, and then suddenly fell about 6 feet backward into the coal bin. He was strapped to a stretcher and lowered down a steep, vertical ladder inside the building. SERGEANT STOLTZ said today that be slipped' on some sheet metal on the, floor and fell several feet into the' spare bin, which was directly below the bin where Mr. Colegrove's body was found. The coal gas was strong in there and I couldn't get out alone." He said. He said he was surrounded by fumes in the spare biin and had trouble breathing Two firemen removed him from the bin. He said he fell while he and others were working to revive Mr Colegrcvc. who had been removed from the_. bin and placed on an Inside catwalk^ -. ' >;: *" Sergeant Stoltz quoted Mr. Van- Valkenburk as saying that he had been lying on the outside walkway calling for help for "about two hours." However, the sergeant added, Mr. VanValkenburg was "pretty woozy." PATROLMAN BARLOW and Dehlman also became ill from the fumes while they were working to revive Mr. Colegrove. Police said Mr. Colavito became ill while he was carrying oxygen bottles from the ground to the top of the building where officers were working on Mr. Colegrove. Chief Sedor quoted Mr. Van: Valkenburg as saying that he and his assistant were in the top of the building tryling to loosen some coal that was stuck in the chute. The two men began to feel the effects of coal gas and tried to escape, each of them beading toward an open window. AS HE REACHED the window, Mr. VanValkenburg apparently collapsed and fell, some 20 feet to the outside walkway, Chief Sedor said. Mr. Colegrove apparently collapsed and fell back into the bin, the assistant chief said. The coal bin where the men had been working is the top compartment in a gas-producing process. The coal is lifted to the bin by an automatic elevator. It drops from the bin into another circular spare bin that works (Continued on Page 23) http://fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html