The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-08
Lieut.. Thomas Reilly's Ankle Broken and HOseman James Neary Has Concussion of. Brain Following Fall Into Street.
Presence of Mind of Lad derman Rutherford Averts Second Acci- dent When Truck No. 1 Dashes Into Traffic in Crowded Road.

Two firemen were severely injured this morning at Main
 and Catherine streets when
 they were jounced off the rear
 of a big hose truck that skid
 ded as the driver sought to
 avoid hitting a vehicle in his
 path.
 Later in the morning only the pres ence of mind of Gireman and sev- eral policemen prevented possibly fatal accidents when Truck No. 1, speeding past the city hall dashed into a traf- fic-crowded section.
 The injured in the accident to the hose truck are:
 James Neary, 2s, hoseman, 65
 Sanford avenue, concussion of the
 brain, severe bruises and shock.
 Thomas Reilly, 34, lieutenant En-
 zine Go. No. 5, fracture right an- kle, severe bruises
 The first occurrence. in which both
 men were injured when thrown from a skiddipg auto truck, happened at 6:30 a. m. at Main and Catherine streets while the apparatus was on the way to 8 fire in the Brandegee build ing. in George street, where a defec-. tive furnace fiue caused damage of less than $25.
 Only the presence of mind of Po- liceman Daniel Ryan and John J. Hal pin, known as the "bank policeman"
 Fireman George Rutherford and !oth- CTS i'm charge of the truck saved pe- destrians and Truck No. 1 of John i street from sdamage as it attempted Ito turn a corner while under rapid
 headway, shortly after noon at State and Main streets. The f1remen were responding to an alarm of fire from | lodging house at 7S1. Main street, where damage of less than $30 was done to bedding and furniture when some lodger left inflammable matter 1 in the room. y : In the first accident an alarm of fire was rung in from box 331 at 6:29. Under command of Capt. Nicholas Horan, Driver Charles Waters left
 Middle street. and turned up Congress 1 to Main. The big Mack. hose truck | was let out on the long stretch to Catherine street. When approaching that intersection, Lieutenant Reilly and Hoseman Weary were standing on the rear platform. Waters observed a truck coming south in Main street, the driver ap- parently unconcerned about the sig nals of warning being souded by Capt. Horan. As last precaution Waters slowed his machine to 10 miles an hour to obviate hitting the truckman and in the turn about the obstruction the machine skidded on the smooth pavement and the driver felt the right hind wheels graze the curb. The shock was not sufficient to cause con- cern even though it was found later that one of the guard rails had been | slightly bent.
 Neither Capt. Horan nor the driver felt concern for the two men in the rear and the fire apparatus increased speed and reached the fire in good time It was not until Capt. Horan had climbed from his seat that 1t was noticed Reilly and Weary were
 missing The incident was immedi- ately reported to Chief Daniel E.
 Johnson who ordered the truck back { to pick up the men, who were found upon the grass plot outside of a bfll- board standing at the northwest cor
 ner of of Main street. Both the am-
 bulance and the fire truck crews at
  to the hospital. The fire on the second floor of the
 building corner George and Oak street
 gave the department little trouble. The latter incident in which Truck No. 1 almost overturned in Main St. happened the truck passed city hall
 at full speed and the operator mis- calculated the speed in relation to
 density of stalled traffic at the corner.
 Fireman Rutherford, forseeing the
 danger, shouted to Policemen Ryan
 and Halpin who were able. to force back a crowd of men, women and children into the doorway of local
 shoe store just as the big. truck slew ed over towards the sidewalk, balanc- ed itself on two wheels for a fall and was apparently only saved by quick action. of the driver and tillerman in I changing the course and continuing down State street.