The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-15
FIREMAN Is DASHED ID HIS DEATH FROM
 B|G AERIAL TRUCK E. M. PhiIen Loses Footing While Department Is Hav-
 ing Regular Practice
HEAD STRIKES PAVEMENT
 IN SIGHT OF LARGE CROWD
Had Ascended Truck Safely and Was Returning When His Foot Slip ped While Still Thirty
 Feet Above Ground.

Before the eyes of his fellow firemen and of the usual large crowd attending the departments regular practice Fire man E. M. Philen of department No. 1, fell from a ladder on an aerial truck yesterday morning and died in a very few minutes after reaching St. Vincents hos pital. The accident happened so quickly that the mortified spectators scarcely had time to catch their breath much less make an attempt to break his fall.
 The ladder had been run up to it's full height from the body of the truck and PhiIen had been the first man to go up. The ladder sloped at an angle of 50 de- grees and the trip up the ladder was made on the upper side. Reaching the top Philen reversed to the underside as usual and started down.
 When he was about 30 feet from the ground he suddenly lost his grip with his right hand after his right foot had missed a rung. He managed to catch an other grip, however, but the inability to secure a foothold caused him again to lose the hold with his right hand. He swung around, then 1t appeared as though his whole body gave away and in twinkling of an eye he had dashed head downward to the hard pavement be- low.
 As he fell he made an effort to protect himself, holding his hands so that they struck the pavement first. Every bone in his hands was broken, while the skull and other bones in the head were crushed. He made not a movement after striking the ground and beyond a faint breathing it could not be told that he was still alive.
 An ambulance from Shaw x Sons es- tablishment, only a block away. was hastily summoned and the injured man was rushed to St. Vincents hospital. But a moment after the arrival at the hospital he breathed his last and was removed to the Shaw & Son establish- ment
 At o'clock this morning the remains will be sent to his former home, Thomas vile, for interment, being accompanied by four of his co-workers, W. V. Hughes, B. H. Eiland, w. F. McCown and G. c. Giles, all of department No. l.
 Philen was P years of age and single, having no close relations in Birming- ham, He has been with the department since February, 1908, serving as substitute until April, 1908, when he was put on as regular truckman. For several years pre- vious to his employment as fireman he had been a street car man for the Bir- mingham Railway, Light and Power com pany and bore a splendid reputation. Among his fellow-firemen he was well thought of being of a quiet disposition and hard worker. He boarded at A17 Fourth avenue.
 The accident caused a feeling of gloom to spread around fire headquarters It happened so suddenly that 1t was hard to realize that he had fallen to his death He fell between two of the firemen, who were glancing down at the time and who had no idea that he was falling until he struck the ground between them.
 Philen's parents and a rtlmber of broth CTS and sisters reside at Thomasville and the funeral services will be held at the family residence there.