The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-09
PIRETRUCK MOWSDOWNCROWD
KILLS TWO AND INJURIES TEN
IN NINTH AVENUE.

Tall OF the Machine slides on slippery
Asphalt and Sweeps COrner--Driver
Made sharp Turn to Dodge Pushcart
He and tho TIliermam Are Arrested.
Fire Truck 4, in making q sudden swerve
at Fortieth street and Ninth avenue yester-
day afternoon, swung its tail into crowd on
the sidewalk, killing two persons and in
juring ten, one of whom will also probably
die. Fully a score were knocked down,
and one or two we're run over The acct
dent was curious one, and was due largely
to the slippery condition of the asphalt in
Fortieth street.
The hook and ladder was on it's way to
fire at 51s West Thirty-ninth street, which
did only about S25 damage. Its station is
at Forty-eighth street and Eighth avenue,
and with John F. Meaney driving Martin
Hanan at the steering wheel and Lieut..
Robert G. Ruckholdt in charge OF it, it went
down Eighth avenue to Fortieth street and
then turned west. Fortieth street was
crowded with pedlers' wagons making for
"Paddy's Market in Ninth avenue, and
Driver Meaney had lot Of trouble dodg-
ing them. Several times he had to almost
pull up on account of the congested con-
dition Of the streets. but when about fifty
yards from the corner Of Ninth avenue he
thought he saw a good opening, he let out
his three big strong horses.
1t was just as the truck started across
Ninth avenue that an excited pedler pushed
his vegetable cart out LIN front of it,
Meaney either had to run the man down
or make sudden turn. lie made the turn
over to the nortN side Of the road before
the man at the steering wheel realized what
he was going to do. If Eanar had had warn
ing he might have Ipipimzed the accident by
controlling the rear end Of the truck, but
he had no way Il foreseeing the move
and the end went into the crowd on the
sidewalk at the southeast corner.
Men, women and children, who had been
attracted to the spot by the ca lging of the
trucks bell, were thrown right ard left.
Some were able to get up at once; others
lay where they fell. Policeman Sheehan
sent in an ambulance call and ambulancCs
from Roosevelt and New York hospitals
responded. The surgeons attended about
twenty persons, nost of whom were only
slightly injured. Two Of the injured
died in Roosevelt Fospital.
After the accident Meaney had to dodge
an elevated railroad pillar TO escape COM
plete smash-up. But he drove right on to
the fire. After the fire he and Hanan were
arrested and later released on parole by
Coroner Scholer. Truck il the large truck
in the Fire Department. 1t weighs four
tons, carries 90-foot extension ladder and
is drawn by three horses. All the firemen
and citizens who witnessed the accident
agreed that it could not be helped.
Following is a list Of the dead and in
jured:
GILL. GKoRoK, 80 years old. janitor. Of 24s West
a fractured skull.
KNOTT RICHARD 0 years old $50 West fortieth
strcet-ated' IN Roosevelt Hospital of fractured
skull.
INJURED.
BERoUER, FREDERICK WILLIAM, % years old,
piano dealer of $40 West Thirty ninth street: frac
ture OF the right arm taken to New York Hospital.
son street: abrasons Of the face and side; u New
York Hospital
BLuSERCHoYF, ABRAHAM. pedlcr. 10 years old,
l5+ Allen street fracture OF the right shoulder:
TO New York Hospital.
GORDON, SIDNEY. So years old, 254 West Thirty
eighth street. abraslons; TO Roosevelt Hospital
MOONEY. Ro1RR, - years old. sol West Thirty
fourth street. injured about The head. TO R0Ose-
Welt Hospital
MUNCa. LEWIS. 50 years old merchant. i09th
street and Marcy place, scalp wound and fracture
OF right arm; TO Ncx York Hospital.
OCoNNoR, RosR. years old, $40 West Forty
hfth street, injured about the head: taken home
West Forty NTH street injuries 10 back and hight
side: 10 Roosevelt Hospital: Will probably die
GEoERiNG. JOSEPH. iOycars old. 3tS West Fortleth
street scalp wounds: taken home.