The Washington times., 1901-09-28
FIRE TRUCK AXLE BREAKS.
Ti1ermnn's Presence of Mind Saves
the Lives of Two Ffremcn

the Lives of Two Ffremcn.
Two Cremen of Truck A company were
| injured yesterday morning by the break
| ing of an axle on the extra truck tnat was
| being used by the company while their
| own machine was in the shop undergoing
repairs. They were John J. Sullivan.
driver, and Samuel r. Henry, the fore
man of the company
Sullivan WIS thrown from his seat and
| dragged for several hundred feet before
hr could diseatangle himself from the
reri.s. hat he was not crushed to death
by the cumbersome old vehicle is due en-
tirely to the presence of mind and prompt
action of Edward Nohe the acting tiller-
man, who saw the danger which threat
ened his companion and succeeded in
guiding the rear wheels of the apparatus
to one side and away from his compan-
| ions body. Nevertheless. the wheels
| barely grazed the fireman, and Nohe was
| fearful of having failed in his efforts. He
| lacked courage to look around for several
minutes after the truck had been brought
| to a standstill.
Sullivan escaped with severe shaking
up and a number of more or less serious
| bruises and contusions. After being thor
| oughly examined by the surgeons at the
! Providence Hospital he was removed to
| his home, 1862 Ninth Street northeast
where he will rest for several days before
returning to work. Foreman Henry sus-
! tained slight sprain of the left ankle,
! but stuck to his post and refused to be
| relieved from duty.
Truck e has been transferred from the
Georgetown house to Truck A house, on
| North Capitol Street, where 1t will re-
! main in service until the other trucks are
repaired In the meantime Truck B, on
| New Hampshire Avenue and NJ Street
| northwest will respond to all of the
! Georgetown boxes as it used to do be-
| fore the placing of a truck in that dis
| trict.
| The accident occurred shortly before 9
O'Clock while the company was respond
| ing to an alarm from box 636, former
| number ST. at the corner of Second and
Fast Capitol Streets. Arriving there the
firemen were dire cted down Second Street
| to 200 Maryland Avenue northeast, owned
| by DIR. Curtis and occupied by Robert
Adams. The cause of the blaze was de-
| fective fiue. The damages resulting
| amounted to about SIS.
Sullivan was placed in the patrol wagon
| which arrived few moments later and
| was taken to the hospital, and from there
| to his home over year ago Sullivan
| slipped on the ice and broke his ankle
which confined him to his home for some
| weeks.
The truck is an old one and has figured
| in several previous accidents. 1t has been
| in the department twenty-five years and
weighs SS55 pounds. In February, 1891, it
was run into at the corner of Seventh and
| D Streets northwest by cable car. Fire
man Thomas r. Newman was killed.
fI,n Il
the accident occurring at the corner of
| Fifth and ID Streets northwest, while the
truck was responding to an alarm, but no
serious damage resulted.
After thoroughly investigating the ac-
cident and seeing that his men were be-
| ing properly cared for. Chief Robert w.
Dutton prepared and forwarded to the
| District Commissioners the following re-
| port:
| II have the honor to report that, In re-
spending this morning to box 636, the arm
| of the front axle of Reserve Truck A
broke, the right wheel rolling away and
| throwing the forward part of the appara-
| tus to the ground. Driver y. j. Sullivan
| was pitched off. and but for, the GOODNESS
and presence of mind of Acting Tiller-
man E. H. Nohe. who guided the rear
| wheels of the truck away from him, Driv-
er Sullivan would probably have been
| crushed to death. Foreman S. r. Henry
| was thrown off. but managed to secure
| the reins and brought the three horses
to a standstill. Driver Sullivan was taken
to Providence Hospital and given medical
| attention. 1t was found, l am glad to
report that he escaped with a Few bruises
and bad shake-up. l am also glad to
state that the only other man injured
was Foreman Henry. who was fortunate
enough to get off with slightly sprained
ankle.
Reserve Truck A has been in the de-
partment about twenty-three years. and
is only used when regular truck Is out
of service. Regular Truck A was sent to
the shop recently for general overhaul
ing, and the old truck replaced it. Fore
man Henry and the other officers of the
company report that the apparatus was
carefully examined upon its being placed
i'll service, and also after every run with
ii, and no weakness. they state, was dis
covered in the axle. The machinist of the
department reports that the break was
due to crystallization in the steel. He
and the officers of the company regard
the accident as one of these unavoidable
ones, such a one as is liable to happen to
any company at any time.
1t should be stated in this connection
that a rule of the department requires
officers in command of companies to care
fully examine the apparatus after every
run. As the very lives of the officers and
men depend upon proper observance
Of this rule, 1t is hardly necessary to
state that it is faithfully observed. The
apparatus of the department is also in
spected often possible by the ma
chinist of the department.
Orders have been given to rush the
work on regular Truck A, but II will be
a week or ten days before it can be fin
ished. The old truck has also been sent
to the shop for repairs to the axle. Mean
time, the southeastern section of the city
being without truck, Truck h has been
transferred there from Georgetown. and
Trucks b and Z will cover the northwest
ern section. Todays accident is a good
example, 1t is respectfully submitted, of
the departments weakness. especially in
reserve apparatus, and confirmation of
the statement that the department should
be double its present size.