Death by Ammonia fumes

[RichardB]

Isaac Hornsey 51,was employed at the Don Brewery Sheffield where his duties included the care of the refrigerator, which is charged with ammonia. In the early hours of the morning he opened the valve of the refrigerator and immediately afterwards accidentally dropped the key which fell through an opening in the floor, and could not be recovered at once. Fumes of ammonia began to fill the room and though Hornsey did his best to close the valve with a spanner, his efforts were unsuccessful and in a few minutes he was overcome and fell back unconscious. He died a few days later.

http://www.chrishobbs.com/deathhornsey1900.htm also has a picture of the Don Brewery from 1900