Document dnxKk69vjyDbRa7jMrro0KqVe
Date 9-13-1932
On September 8th the three patient began cleyant&g operations
on Tank #8 - a 20,0^0 3bl storace tank at Hartford^t'errainal of
Standard Oil Companyit4ji.This tank had been in 'continuous use for
Sthyi gasoline storage for past three years - no other attempts at
cleaning during that time., The tank had previously been opened at
4 manhole povere and had aired for 5-6 hours. The tank residue con
sisted of a? sludge of rust and scale l/2 to 1 inch thick covered by
a layer off..sho^^^^^aohef^n-^water and a thin film of gasoline. The
supervisor,
equipped with an air mask then went in :
and ndsitig a T ^ j o h l ^ T i h s e connected to an outside pump, succeeded
in evacuating nearly all of the liquid on the bottom except for small i
pools, accumulated in, the depressions in the metal floor. Following
,
this; operation, the sludge w !as scraped un and put into pails which
:
w e r e u b ^ ^ e d i o u ^ a lower, manhole to the two assistants,
dnd one of whom handled the pails while t h e o t h e r ^ ^ ^ ^ '
oppi^ree^^i^lm^^pUjmp. After three hours of this work, ternard
ate^natpd'' tt/ Four's shifts with the men outside for the. remainder
of the day. i.o symptoms were noted by any of the men this day or
night. Thb following day, Friday, 9-9-32, the work was resumed in
the same manner - a man being incide the tank about one hour in three4
Friday afternoon f f l B H ^ an d !flp|P^v/orked inside without masks for
i-l/2 to 2 hours l o a s t , #h?l^^ebroski was- inside working for 4
hours-- without*.masi#. Gasoline fumes were heavy and nauseating and the
air was filled with a fine dust arising mainly from the floor which
had dried out except in the deepepv indentations - the.dust causing
repeated paraxysms '-of sneezingi*1 '&X of the men left work early
because of illness - all complaining of headache, giddiness, nausea
and weakness - none ate much dinner, nausea and headache were more
marked and vomiting occurrehyyi all three. Tinnitus noted by Sebroski -
blurring of vision; b j ^ P P r The three men averaged 1-1/2 to 2 hours
restless -sleep and w e r e u m p y e d by the oersi stent odor of the tank
contents. The next day, Saturday, 9-10-32, there was persistence of
all symptoms^^vomiting was 'increased in frequency - 10-12 times in
case of
there was diarrhea and restlessness appeared. The
vomitus was bile stained watery mucous in each cs.se and the diarrhea
was of liquid stools of normal color. Seen by Dr.-Thai day and night
symptoms increased - sleep being impossible on Saturday night. Sunday
9-11-32 due to the increaseiin symptoms and marked anxiety of the
cases, they were hospitalized, further course in individual's histories.