Edward Banks, 50, of 4 W. 103rd St., died of cardiopulmonary arrest at Roosevelt Hospital at 12:42 PM after being removed from his apartment, Fire department spokesman John Mulligan said.

The large metal flue had become partially blocked by decaying masonry or soot, and carbon monoxide filled the basement, rising through open-ings into the apartments in the five-story building near Central Park, "Carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless, tasteless and a quick killer, and it did its work, Mulligan said.

Two police officers and three Emergency Medical Service technicians who answered the intial call were among those overcome.

Raccoon blocks flue
family of five saved
from fumes
By Rober Weddle

Five members of a Long Island family were rescued from death's door yesterday after a baby raccoon blocked a furnace vent and filled the house with deadly carbon monoxide.

Robert and Claire Grant and their sons -- Chris 14, Gary 16 and Guy, 19 -- were unconscious or close to it when Chris awoke at 4 A.M.

"I felt dizzy," he told police, "I tried to go to the bathroom but fainted in the hall."

His mother, 47, hearing him fall, got up to investigate, found him unconscious on the floor and tried in vain to awaken her husband, a 61 year old real estate agent.

She felt herself passing out but managed to dial 911.

Nassua Police Officers Brad Anderson and Dennis Mentasti rushed to the house at 2426 Spruce St., Sanford, and found the "very disoriented" Mrs. Grant at the front door.

She was incoherent, but the cops, smelling fumes, ran through the house without masks and dragged out all five victims.

Seaford firemen, investigating after the rescue, climbed on the roof looked into the chimney and saw a dead raccoon blocking a flue leading from the gas furnace.

Fumes from the burner -- including deadly carbon monoxide gas -- had backed up into the house.

The family was rushed to Nassau Medical Center in East Meadow and treated for carbon monoxide poisoning. All five went home before noon "in perfectly good health", said hospital spokesman Ed Smith.

"What a great holiday gift -- our lives." said the father.

FUMES KILL 2

Two men died and at least two dozen other people were hospitalized yesterday when carbon monoxide fumes filled an old apartment house in Los Angeles.
A man and woman who died in the building Sunday also were apparent victims of carbon monoxide poisoning.
The residents, police officers, firefighters and paramedics taken to nearby hospitals before the building was finally sealed yesterday were tentatively diagnosed as suffering from inhalation of the toxic fumes, which are colorless and odorless. Ten victims were admitted to Queen of Angels Medical Center. Most were in stable condition. The building's owner said the tragedy may have been caused by a basement water heater.

28 ARE SICKENED BY FUMES

A defective flue on a coal-fed boiler spread fumes through a five-story apartment house in Brooklyn last night, sending 28 persons to four area hospitals, police reported. Police said residents at 495 Atkins Ave. reported feeling nauseated about 9:30PM. The Emergency Medical Service reported that 14 children and 14 adults were taken to three hospitals and released after treatment.