Saturday, March 13, 1999
Carbon monoxide kills Madisonville man
BY MARIE McCAIN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
— A man died and two women became ill Friday after carbon monoxide levels in a Madisonville apartment and an adjoining dry cleaners reached lethal heights.
Fire investigators blamed a leak in at least one of two boilers in the basement of the dry cleaners.
Dead is Michael A. Washington, age unknown, of 5821 Chandler St.
His 61-year-old wife, Elaine, was in critical condition and being treated in a hyperbaric chamber at University Hospital, fire officials said.
The third victim, Gladys Cox, 69, was treated at the scene. Officials said she owns the adjoining dry cleaning business, Cox Cleaners, 5227 Whetsel Ave., the Washingtons' apartment above the business, and another apartment at 5219 Whetsel Ave.
Mrs. Cox and a maintenance worker discovered the Washingtons shortly after 11 a.m. Friday, authorities said.
The flawed boiler is used to heat the building, while the other boiler is used to operate the dry cleaning machinery, Assistant Fire Chief David Hill said..
“The flue pipe was rusted and the vent was tilted at an odd angle,” he said.
Carbon monoxide levels in the Washingtons' apartment were found to be 600 parts per million — far above safe levels. Evacuations are made when levels reach 100 parts per million in buildings.
Both Assistant Chief Hill and Cincinnati Fire Capt. Bill Long, of the department's Fire Prevention Bureau, said this amount of carbon monoxide can kill quickly.
“The blood has an affinity for carbon monoxide. It clings to the blood cells in place of oxygen. They were in effect being smothered to death,” Capt. Long said.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are difficult to detect because they mimic other illnesses such as recurring headaches, influenza, heart attacks and strokes.
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