New Britain herald., 1916-08-18
NEW HAVEN CHECKS
 FIRE AUTO SPEED
RepriInandS for ChaufeurS Who
 Exceed Chief FanCher'S Limit

New Haven, Aug. 18.-That the
 operating of auto fire apparatus at a speed exceeding twenty-miles alr hour when responding to alarms has become a practice the board of fire commissioners feels convinced and furthermore it is determined that it shall be stopped.
 The board, at a special meeting last discipline the chauffeurs if the order issued two months ago by Chief Fancher is disobeyed. That the order has been disregarded, the first board is agreed, and the commissioners re- ported that several citizens had told them of seeing apparatus speeding at a rate exceeding twenty-five miles.
 The discussion of speeding fire ap paratus arose in connection with the investigation conducted into the acci- dent that occurred Monday afternoon streets when the Flying Squadron sideswiped the machine of the Rev. Father J. J. Fitzgerald, of St. Roses church, in order to avoid colliding with pumping engine No. ', which was turning the corner simultaneous ly. There have been altogether too many accidents, said the commis- sioners, and some disciplinary meas ures will have to be taken to put a stop to them.
 The fremen directly concerned in lhe accident were examined by the commissioners at great length The collision occurred at 1:52 o'clock on the afternoon of August IA. Driver Albert H. Ellis, of the squad wagon, said the accident was unavoidable. He said:
 T wasn't going at 25 miles an hour when l reached the corner of Chapel and Franklin. Just as I reached the corner, No. 7's engine turned the cor her. I threw out my clutch and then to avoid colliding with No. 7's, I shot my car ahead, at the same time ob- serving Father Fitzgerald's car against the north curb. I thought I could get by easily. I used my best judgment under the circumstances and did everything in my power to prevent a collision"
 Ellis said his speedometer usually indicated maximum speed, but that after the accident is registered fro. The commissioners questioned him closely on this point, and he said that no one turned back the speedometer after the crash. He believed it may have been affected by the smashup.
 Lieutenant Richard M. Greene, who was riding on the seat with Ellis, told the commissioners that he would have done the same as Ellis, had he been driving. T saw the speedometer just before we reached Franklin street." he said, and it marked 22 miles. I think Ellis used good judgment"
 The squad flashed by me-" said Lieutenant Francis Spaine, driver of engine No. ', who was the last wit ness. He said he was waving to coal cart on Franklin street to stop so that he could make the turn into Chapel street, when the squad passed him. Father Fitzgeralds car was at a stop, he said. He said his drivers had always obeyed Chief Fancher's rule about speeding, and he had never had occasion to reprimand them for violations of this rule
 Before any action is taken by Chief Fancher, to whom this matter has been left, neutral witnesses will be se- cured to give some estimate of the squads speed approaching the corner of Chapel and Franklin streets. The fact remains 1t made the distance from Chemical No. Is house to the nnint nf ho ici
 time engine No. came from Water street. The latter is about half the distance.