Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-07-08
6 CHILDREN HURT
BY FIRE ENGINE
Brakes, Previously Reported De-
fective, Fail to Hold on Hill
and Accident Follows
TEN OTHERS ARE INJURED

As the result of the failure of brakes
on a heavy chemical engine to work.
the names of six children appear among
total of sixteen, mostly youngsters,
who are suffering today from series
of traffic and other street accidents.
The chemical engine. which had been
mt the scene OF fire at 235 Lcvcring
street, Manayunk. had started up a
steep hill, then rolled back, crushing
the youngsters against the house. Four
are in st. Timothy's Hospital.
The injured we're:
Lottie Wheeler, seven years old. of
124 Gay street. Both legs fractured.
Catherine Wheeler. four. Although
holding her sisters hand at the time
of the accident, the tot received only
minor injuries about the head.
Bertha Szczick, nine years old. Of
21S Grape street. Left leg fractured
and right leg lacerated.
Suffers Leg Fracture
Leonard Harmer, 231 Hermitage
street. Left leg fractured.
Lottie Cybulski, nine years old, ia
Grape street. Both legs crushed and
bruised. necessitating amputation Of
one. Condition fairly good.
Edward Convery, nine years old, 42o2
Terrace street. Right ankle fractured.
He is to be removed from his home to
the hospital today.
In response to an alarm of fire fol-
lowing an explosion of gas in the cell
lar of William Lenox, 235 Levering
street, Frank Fitzpatrick drove chemi-
cal engine No. IL from Main and Du-
pont streets, two and a half blocks
away, about eight o'clock last night.
Months ago, Fitzpatrick says, the
brakes were reported to the department
as defective, but they had not been re-
, paired. >,
After making quick work of the small
blaze. Fitzpatrick says he wheeled his
team around and prepared to drag the
heavy engine up the hill, one of the
steepest in that section. His horses
pawed and slipped and tried with all
their strength to get start, but the
wheels began to roll backward. Looking
hack, Fitzpatrick saw the children
crowding the curb near the house, and
he made a vain attempt to jam the
brakes down and hold the apparatus.
Children Pinned Against Wall
1t pulled the horses back with it,
and pinned the screaming children
against the wall.
Others hurt included:
Elmer Geber, five years old. 1884
Ridge avenue. crushed left leg. st. Jo-
sephs Hospital; run over by trolley
car.
Sylvia Loopman, thirteen years old,
$40 West Diamond street, general con
tusions and lacerations, Episcopal
Hospital: struck by automobile.
Ethel MOntrey, thirteen years old,
1880 North Sixth street. probable frac-
ture of skull. Jewish Hospital; struck
by automobile.
William Eranwickel, 131 Green
street, foot crushed. Roosevelt Hospi-
. tai: run over by wagon.
Mrs. Elizabeth Cairns. forty five
years old. 2143 South Fifteenth street,
fractured left leg. st. Luke's Hospital
hurt in automobile smash up.
, Mrs. Charles Forster and her son.
| 2207 West Venango street, general in
. jurics. Sunbury Hospital; hurt in au
tomobilc smash-up.
Michael Hatz, ten years old. 66(
Central avenue, injuries about head ant
} legs, Camden Homeopathic Hospital
hurt by motortruck.
John TikoO, three years old, G6C
: Central avenue. injuries to body. Cam
den. Homeopathic Hospitals; hurt by
motortruck.
Thomas Moore, Woodbury., genera
injuries, Cooper Hospital; hurt il
motortruck smashup.
Motorman Arrested
Elmer .Geber was run over by q
trolley car at Ridge avenue and Ok
ford street. The motorman, James +
Smith, Lambert street near Berks
was arrested. Mr.. Geber's condition IL
critical.
Sylvia Loopman was run over al
Diamond and Reese streets. Harry
Smith, driver of the automobile, was
arrested ..L.
Ethel Montrey was hit at Tabor
road and Fifth street by an automobil,
driven by Charles II. Fry. '...r
William Eranwickel was hurt wher
he tried to chop" on back of'd wagor
near Third and Market streets. Samue
! Stern, 929 North Randolph street
! driver of the wagon, was arrested.
Mrs. Cairns was injured when tn,
,, automobile in which she and her sor
Harry were driving turned over at Fifti
street and the Roosevelt Boulevard. TIL,
son lost control Of the automobile ant