The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-07-20
THE ROWLAND DRY GOODS co.

Chief Mooney hurried from the hos pital to the home of the widow, and imparted the shocking tidings to her as gently as possible. Then he has, tened to Steeplechase Island, where the brother who was enjoying his days off' was at the German day celebration. Chief Mooney found the fireman there and brought him to the widows home.
 Examination of the body by Medical Examiner Garlick disclosed that both legs had been broken, the ribs crush ed, and the neck broken. There was also fracture at the base of the skull. Death was practically instan- taneous Funeral Directors Cullinan & Mullins took charge of the remains.
 The funeral services will be held Saturday morning. special meeting of Court Nathaniel Wheeler, F. of A.. of which he was member, has been called for this evening to arrange for delegation to the funeral. The fire department will send a large delega- tion to the obsequies.
 Services will be held at the be- reaved home at 8:3O and at the Sacred Heart church half an hour later. A solemn high mass of requiem will be chanted. Interment will be in St. Michael's cemetery.
 The .Firemen's Relief Fund will pay to Hegerty's widow $550, and to the little daughter a weekly pension of $2 until she reaches 16. The commits sioners plan to do something much more substantial however, and plans CT Connecticut cities make provision for such deaths as that of Hegerty, but the Bridgeport charter is strange ly lacking in this respect.
 Lieut.. Hegerty was a trained ath- 1ete, one of the strongest and most rr4r of svo n,~ty nT1f When connected with No. 4 Engine Co he achieved considerable reputa- tion as a wrestler. He was of splen- did physique, and walked With the poise of the well schc3led gymnast.
 Hegerty's life was such as to bear the closest scrutiny. His associates in the department speak in the high manly qualities. Regret at his tragic end is general -throughout the city.
 An idea of the close call experience ed by all the occupants of the appar- atus on which Hegerty took his i'll fated ride is given in the statement of Thornton, who measured the tracks of the apparatus after the fatality. He said there was 1 and 1-2 inches between the stone pier and the wheel tracks of the hook and ladder Talk ing the overhang of the apparatus into consideration it may be seen that the entire crew had a remarkably close call from disaster.
 The following official statement was issued this afternoon by the Board of Fire Commissioners:
 At a special meeting of the Board of Fire Commissioners held this morn ing at 1O:3O, rigid investigation was made of the circumstances attending the death of Lieutenant Philip D. Heg- arty of Engine Co. last night.
 Testimony given by the crew of Truck ?. upon which he was proceed ton of 26S Pequonnock street, prove that Lieutenant Hegarty leaped from the running board of the truck, fell, and was run over by the rear wheel on the right side.
 The truck came down Congress street from Main to cross the bridge to East Bridgeport, responding to an street, between East Washington ave- nue and Crescent avenue. At Middle street, just before reaching the rail- road viaduct, the horses bolted to- wards the right and towards their reg ular quarters at Engine House No. 5. Only excellent work by Driver Hafner and Tiller Machalowski avoided collision with the central abutment of the viaduct at this point and prevent ed the probable loss of several lives.
 Lieutenant Hegarty apparently be- lieved that such collision was un- avoidable, and leaped to escape pos sible injury.
 No member of the department is found guilty of carelessness or negli- gence.
 In view of the fact that the present pension system does not provide for the payment of pension to the fam lilies of members of the fire department killed while on actual fire duty, the board within plan to secure the pay ment of a proper pension to the dead officers widow.