The news & observer., 1905-12-16
Hose Wagon No. | of
Durham Wrecked.
DISASTER AT CORNER
Injuries of the Six Men Not Very Sc
rious. The Horses Were Beyond
Control, and the Wreck &C.
Cured at a Sudden
Turn.


Especial to News and Observer
Durham, N. c., Dec. 15.-In answer
ing an alarm of fire this afternoon be-
tween 1 and o'clock hose wagon No.
l was smashed and six men hurt, more
or less seriously. There were ten men
on the wagon at the time. Those hurt
were:
A. n. Johnson, assistant chief, four
inch cut in back of head
D. c. Christian, ex-assistant chief,
bruised and hurt all over body and
sent to hospital.
w F. Freeland, bruised and cut
about body.
Thomas Rigsbee, driver hose wagon
No. l, thrown from seat ndNbadly
bruised.
Ed. White jumped and his thumb
was broken, the thumb being drove
back into his hand.
w. H. Lewellyn, eXchief, jumped
and was hurt about knee and back.
Those on the wagon not hurt were:
B. C. Canada, assistant foreman; Max
Summerfield. Dave w. Levy, and Luth-
er Robertson, all members of Hose
Company No. 1.
How the Wreck Occurred.
1t was between 1 and o'clock
that an alarm of fire came in from
box No 81, South street, the alarm
ching Occasoned by the home of Maj.
r. j. Winston being on fire. All three
companies answered the alarm and the
wreck of No. l wagon occurred just
as the wagon was turning from Black
we'll to Vivian streets, near the scene
of the fire.
Eye witnesses say, and the state
ment of the driver is, that about one
hundred yards from the corner of
Vivian and Blackwell streets the
horses hitched to No. l wagon got
beyond control of the driver and were
running away At the corner the wa
gon left the truck and the body was
thrown from the running gear AS
sistant Chief Johnson was on side
step and was thrown over the wagon
and caught under the seat. He re-
cefved a painful wound in the back
of the head but after being attended
by physician who took four stitches,
he was able to come up street. ID. Z.
Christian, eX-asSiStant chief, was hurt
on one shoulder and leg. No bones
were broken but he was unconscious
for a short while and then taken to
doctors office and from there carried
to the hospital for treatment. His in
juries are very painful but it is not
thought there will be serious results.
Ex-Chief LeWellyn, who is now a men,
Der of the department, jumped from
the wagon and was hurt in the fall, re-
ceiving a sprained leg and was hurt
in the back. W. T.. Freeland was ON
a side step and when he fell twenty
sections of horse fell on him. At first
it was thought he was killed, but his
injuries are not of a serious nature,
being principally bruises. Ed White
was on the boot with the driver and
Jumped His thumb was broken. Tom
Rigsbee, the driver was thrown from
the high boot and badly bruised. He
held on to the horses, however, and
prevented further damage. The other
four men, above named. were on the
rear step and jumped in time to save
themselves from injury.
The wagon was almost a complete
wreck The wonder of it all is that
several of the men were not killed
The Fire Extinguished
Just after this wagon was smashed
the second hose company came up,
dropped off two or three men to assist
the wounded and went on to the fire,
putting on two streams of water. The
fire was knocked out with a loss of
something like $500 or $500. 1t was a
two-story residence, and the fire
started in the ceiling. No time was
lost on account of the wreck of No.
wagon. While the wounded of that
company were being cared for other
members Of the company and the
members Of No. 2 company were put
ting out the fire which was less than
q, block away.