Just to answer Bevs points <snip> Cause of death was "Asphyxia by Carbon Monoxide through inhalation of coal gas; Misadventure." <snip> Carbon Monoxide (chemical symbol CO) is produced when gas is burned in a atamosphere which is low in oxygen. example being blocking up air vents to stop draughts of cold air. Gas burnt in an area with plenty of air results in CO2 or carbon dioxide. If the chimney was swept regularly the gas excapes to the open air, but if elderly people fail to have this done and the flue is blocked for any reason the CO seeps back into the room and as there is no smell it can kill you <snip> This was midwinter, and she was old. But don't I remember reading that all these deaths from coal gas led to a reform that insisted that the gas was given a smell?? Perhaps someone will know when that happened. <snip> Coal gas produced by local town gas companies had a very distinctive small, Natural gas is odourless and caused deaths because you could not smell it which is why a smell is added for our safety James

for further (off topic) clarity; natural gas is not poisonous; both will explode hence the added smell. Philip Maddocks ----- Original Message ----- From: "James ~Pitman" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, May 22, 2011 8:35 AM Subject: Re: [ENG-SOM] Mysterious Double Death - Crewkerne/Misterton (BURT) > Just to answer Bevs points > > <snip> > Cause of death was "Asphyxia by Carbon Monoxide through inhalation of coal > gas; Misadventure." <snip> > > Carbon Monoxide (chemical symbol CO) is produced when gas is burned in a > atamosphere which is low in oxygen. example being blocking up air vents to > stop draughts of cold air. Gas burnt in an area with plenty of air results > in CO2 or carbon dioxide. > If the chimney was swept regularly the gas excapes to the open air, but if > elderly people fail to have this done and the flue is blocked for any > reason > the CO seeps back into the room and as there is no smell it can kill you > > > <snip> > This was midwinter, and she was old. But don't I remember reading that all > these deaths from coal gas led to a reform that insisted that the gas was > given a smell?? Perhaps someone will know when that happened. > <snip> > > Coal gas produced by local town gas companies had a very distinctive > small, > Natural gas is odourless and caused deaths because you could not smell it > which is why a smell is added for our safety > > James > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message