The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-08

/ BrlVate charles A. heeie, the 1rSIndl
| attached TO Truck Company, who wa
| thrown from the truck in a collision will
| one of the big yellow cars OF the Metro
| politan Street Railway shortly after
l O'Clock yesterday morning while re
spending to an alarm of fire, died a
o'clock yesterday afternoon. Foreman
T. J. Donohoe and Private John J. Ryar
were also seriously injured, but they viii
recover. The accident occurred at th'
corner of Connecticut Avenue and NJ
Street northwest, at a point that has al
| ways been considered a dangerous enc
by the members of this company. The
accident is attributed to the excessive
speed at which the car was running. AS
sstant Foreman George II. Reynolds
promptly assumed command of the dis
abled company. saw that the men were
properly cared for, sent the injured We
hicle to the shop and made a report OF
the accident to Chief Joseph Paris, in
which he charged the motorman with be-
ing responsible for the occurrence. The
motorman, John Larne, refused to make
any statement, and, with his conductor.
Thomas Davis, was locked up at No.
stationhouse to await the action OF the
coroner.
Chief Paris was quickly on the scene,
and with Commissioner Macfarland con-
graduated the men who escaped injury
and did everything possible to provide for
the comfort of their less fortunate COM
| panions. The records show that the alan m
! was received at the truck house at S:08
o'clock. from box 50, located at the Sum.
ner School, corner of Sixteenth and NJ
Street northwest. The company left quar-
tiers with Foreman Donohoe standing on
the turntable beside Dan Williams. the
colored driver, who for years has safely
| guided Truck B in all its runs without an
| accident. Assistant Foreman George II.
Reynolds was acting as tillerman, and en-
| the right running board stood Priyates
| Keefe and Ryan.
AS the truck neared Connecticut Ave
| nue. the driver pulled in his horses and
] slowed down, as he always does at this
| place. Car 704, of the Metropolitan Line,
| was then moving swiftly forward, going
north. citizen who saw the fire appara-
| tus ran into the street and violently sig
| nailed the mOtorman TO stop. but the lat
| ter evidently thought that he wanted to
| board the car for he moved his hand, in
dicating that he would stop on the other
side of the street, and slowly began to
apply the brake. 1t was not until the We
hicles were within ten yards of each
other that the driver and motorman saw
each other, and it was then too late TO
avert the accident Foreman Donohoe
called to his driver to turn into Connec
ticut Avenue but the turn and the dis
lance were too short, ard it was tmpossi-
BILE to clear the tracks, although heroic
efforts were made by Williams to do so.
The car struck the truck just back Of the
forward wheels, and Foreman Donohoe
was pinned again the aerial ladder. The
top of the car hit the firemans helmet
which he wore, and smashed the metal
head covering into numerous pieces. This
hat probably saved Donohoe's life, for IL
the full force of the blow had been re-
ceived directly on the head it undoubtedly
would have crushed his skull and killed
him instantly. Keefe, who was forward
on the truck, was also struck by the car
and thrown to the ground At the same
time Ryan fell just under the rear wheels
of the heavy fire appara as, and the
wheels were only prevented from passing
over his body by the prompt action of AS
sistant Foreman Reynolds in turning the
tiller quickly to one side and guiding the
wheels away from his companion. The
force of the collision threw Driver Will
liams from his seat high into the air. and
he landed on the backs of the horses then
fell under thc!- feet. He was not injured.
After applying his brakes the motorman
OF the car is said to have jumped and thus
escaped. with but few slight bruises |
to a staadstiIl Immediately after the |
crash. for Keefe, who was unconscious, |
fell just in front of the car. and its fen |
der had already passed over his body. |
The many hystanders quickly rushed to |
the assistance of the injured men, and |
Donohoe and Keefe were carried into the |
office of Dr. j. R. Bromweil, 1927 Gomez
ticut Avenue, while Ryan was taken to
the cigar store at the corner of Eight
teenth and NJ Streets. Assistant Chief |
kurtZ reached the scene of the accident |
in his buggy shortly after IL occurred
Seeing that his men were being properly |
cared for he continued on his way to the
fire, which proved to be a small one in a
frame house occupied by j. z. Williams,
in the rear of 1927 NJ Street The damage
that resulted from the fire, which is said
to have been caused by a defective fiue,
will not exceed S25
The reserves of the Third precinct stop
ped on their way to the fire, and the pa
troll wagon was made use Of to take
Keefe and Ryan to the Emergency Hos
pital At the hospital it was found that
Keefes condition was critical and every
possible attention was paid to I'm. He
had sustained Internal injuries, his back
was seriously hurt, and his shoulder blade
broken. Doctors and nurses were con-
stantly in attendance upon him. but in spite
of all efforts, he succumbed to his in
juries few minutes before O'Clock.
lie was thirty-two years of age and leaves
a wife and one child, who were notified
of the accident at his former home, 1884
North Capitol Street.
Keefe was a brother of the well known
ball player. Jack" Keefe. Some years
ago. when he was a substitute fireman
with No. company, he was overcome by
smoke at a big fire, 1t is said and since
then he has been a member of the police
force, from which he resigned. Before Sc
curing his permanent appointment to the
Fire Department, he was special police
man at Kernan's Theatre.
Both Ryans legs were broken below
the knee and he is thought to have re-
ceiyed slight internal injuries. The at ;
tending physicians say that his chances | I
for recovery are very favorable. One re- J
thing in connection with Ryan's |
injuries in the manner in which his /
was stripped from his body. The
splnters from the broken ladders on the
truck cut his heavy clothing as though |
It had been done with a knife.
Ryan is single man and lives at 1923
Nineteenth Street northwest. He vas
appointed member OF the Fire Depart
nent June I, 1899.
Foreman Donohoe who Is forty-four
years old and has been member of the
Fire Department for sixteen years, was y
taken to his home, Ills Twenty-third !
Street, where he was attended by Police
Surgeon Mayfeid. A thorough examina-
lion showed that his right arm had been
badly lacerated The thigh on the same
side was terribly bruised. He also com !
planned Of pains in his back. but they are +,
thought to be due TO the terrible shaking
m ubf ha raceiVed 10 |