The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-15
CAR WRECKS SALVAGE WAGON
CREW SPILLED on THE STREET
AND ALL HURT.
Sergeant George Dennis, Patrol No. I,
Has . Fractured skull n May Not
IIVe-West Broadway Car HIt Patrol
at a Crossing -MOtOrman Arrested.

brosses street put two big chunks Of wood
in her cook stove at 7:A5 o'clock last night.
An excited tenant ten minutes later saw
the volume Of smoke issuing from the
chimney and thought that the house was
on fire. He ran to the corner Of Canal and
Hudson streets and turned In an alarm.
The alarm called phi the salvage corps
patrol truck No. 1 from the headquarters
at Al Murray street. The vehicle, weighing
close to 5000 pounds, swung out Of the
house drawn by two white horses and with
the crew Of seven men seated high up on
the wagon. Bill Bsnnister. the driver,
received orders from Capt. Peter Cornwall
to drive straight west to Greenwich street
and turn north on that t~horoughfare. On
the truck wasSa large clapper bell, which
sergt. George Dennis rang vigorously. A
gong on the front Of the patrol headquarters
also changed a warning a. the truck rolled
down the street.
Colon Gushing, the motorman Of a north
bound Sixth avenue car. which was speeding
up West Broadway at a swift gait, says he
didn't hear either bell or gong. His car
smashed into the truck at the Murray
street crossing with great force. The
truck was banged up against a pillar that
supports the elevated railroad where IL
turns from West Broadway into Murray
street. The patrol truck bounced from the
pillar, skidded to the west sidewalk and
turned over.
The seven men we're hurled through the
air and landed in all parts OF the street.
Policemen Campbell and Rohrig OF the
Church street station were standing at the
corner Of Park place and West Broadway
and saw the crash. They found most OF
the salvage men unconscious. Campbell
hurried to a telephone and asked Police
Headquarters to send all the ambulances
possible to the scene. Four soon arrived,
two from the Hudson street. one from ST.
Gregory's and one from Gouverneur Hos
pital.
Capt. Cornwall was the first to recover
from the shock. He had landed on his
back. and although bruised badly and
stunned he was able to direct the relief
work.
The most seriously injured was Sergt.
George Dennis. He landed on his head
and sustained a badly fractured skull in
addition to cuts and bruises on his body.
Dennis was hurried in an ambulance to the
Hudson street hospital, where he was still
alive at a late hour. but the physicians
held out little hope for his recovery. After
DIR. Williams had hurried away with Dennis
the other Hudson street hospital ambulance
surgeon, DR.. Beeuwkes Bundled Frank Hof
into his rig and took him to the hospital.
Hof was found to have three frac-
tured ribs on his right side. a scalp
wound and bruises and cuts about the
head and shoulders.
Meanwhile Drs. Mumford and Dunlop OF
Gouverneur and st. Gregory's hospitals a.,
we're busy attending the others. The two
ambulances carried John Hennessy, George
De Mallie, Joseph O'Donnell and Driver
William Bannister to st. Gregory's. ODon-
nell had a bad scalp wound. a deep cut in
the palm OF his right hand and bruised
| shoulders. Driver Bannister had three
fractured ribs, DE Mallie cuts and
bruises on the body, and Hennessy suffered
a sprained shoulder and a cash over the
right eye.
These four men remained at st. Gregory's
only about an hour and then insisted on
being allowed to go home. They were
driven back to the patrol headquarters and
from there were sent to their homes. Dem
mis- and Hof were put to bed at the Hud-
son street hospital.
Motorman Gushing was arrested by Po-
liceman Campbell. He said at the station
house that he did not rear the patrol truck
bell. Policeman Campbell and Rohrig said
that they heard the bell distinctly at Park
place, a block south Of Murray street. and
/ tkoN Nh,,, IN Had p,,k IN C,QhinU IN n.,f On
the brakes as he shot by at high speed.
Cushing paid no heed to their cries. He
SAYS he didn't hear them either.
The truck was wrecked. The wheels
on the left side Of it were smashed and the
greater part Of the body Of the wagon was
torn Of. The car was unchanged with the
exception Of the fender, which was torn
and twisted out OF shape. Motoman Cush-
ing was thrown against the dashboard
and he complained Of pains in his abdomen
az he was led to a cell in the Church street
station house. There we're seven passengers
in the car at the time of the collision. Two
men who we're seated in the front OF the
car were thrown from their seats and five
women in the rear were spilled out on the
floor. They escaped injury.
Sergt. Dennis has been a member OF the
RalVage corps lot elBhteen years. ne -
10 years old, married and lives on Toledo
avenue, Elmhurst, l.. l. Hof has been
in the corps for ten years. He is married,
has one child and his home il at III Jefer-
son street Passaic, N. J.
The two horsesthat drew the truck escaped
injury. The harness was ripped from
their backs and they were bowled over in
the street. They scrambled to their feet
and stood gazing at the injured men when
other members Of the company rushed out
of the headquarters and took charge Of
them.
Patrol Mol is a double company. The
first section was on duty last night. The
superintendent came down from his head
quarters on West Thirtieth street after the
accident and called out the second section.
The corps il maintained by the FIRE in
surance companies and their work at fires
consists in preventing damage to stock and
property as much as possible withou. in
terfering with the work Of the city fire.
men.
EtrurIa Docks Herself.
Thu Cunard eamah Ftrlria. which mr.