The New York herald., 1921-10-09
FIRE TRUCK PLUNGES
THROUGH 18-IN.WALL
FROM STEEP GRADE
Whole Crew Flung From
Heavy Ladder Wagon An,
swering an Alarm.
DRIVER SHOT OFF SEAT
Great Machine Skids in Eff
fort to Avoid TaXicab in
Amsterdam Avenue.
SIX TRAPPED AT BLAZE
Block Party Attended by May
or Hylan Broken Up Dur
ing Excitement.
SIX TRAPPED AT BLAZE

While SIX firemen were being
dragged out of the five story building
at 532 West Fifty-eighth street last
night and almost 10000 persons were
being herded behind broken fire lines
by police reserves the big motor truck
of Hook and Ladder Company 25,
roaring down Amsterdam avenue re-
spending to third alarm, skidded at
SiXty-six street and plunged through
the. eighteen inch brick wall that sur
rounds the tanks of the Consolidated
Gas Company.
The chauffeur of the truck, Thomas
Faughan, "a, 269 West 1880 street,
was whipped out Of his seat by the
twist of the wheel and literally flipped
across the pavement. He crashed into
the wall The ten firemen who were
on the truck when the thing became
unmanageable We're tossed off into the
street. None except Faughan was
badly injured.
The truck was running south in the
car tracks. 1t encountered no imp adins
traffic until 1t reached Sixty-sixth
street. At this point Amsterdam ave-
nue. is steeply graded. The truck wos
going down hill. There was no possi-
bility of even slackening it's speed. Ou.
of Sixty-seventh street taxicab. driven
by Peter j. Ginch. 522 West Forty-sev-
enth street. had jumped like a rabbit
ond fled south in front of the speeding
fire apparatus
All shaken From Machine.
Ginch says he couldn't stop until he
reached Sixty-fifth street. And there
he came to a halt in the centre of the
street. lie says he thought the truck
would turn to the east and pass him.
Faughan tried to turn out. He man
aged not to crush the taxi. but in leav-
ing the car tracks the front wheels of
his truck skidded.
The street was wet. The great weight
behind the engine was turned around
like a child's train Of cars. The ten
firemen clinging to the apparatus were
thus flung off. But Faughan. strapped
to his seat and vainly trying to stop
the truck. stuck until the skidding front
wheels hit the curb.
There the strap that held him &c his
seat broke. lie was tossed as though
by buclSing horse. He hit the wall,
bounced back and the unnamed truck,
now running wild, ran over him and
bit the brick wall. 1t crushed that OBJ
struction as it would paper. The sur
face of the gas tank is four feet below
the street level. Down plunged the
front wheels. The rest of the truck
tried to follow, but 1t buckled and the
rear half of the truck failed to pass
through the wall. Faughan was taken to
Roosevelt Hospital and Is In a serious
condition. The other injured men were
taken home.
The fire In Fifty-eighth street was
desperate one. Under command of Lieut..
Murphy Of Engine Company 23. Firemen
Cranseuhr, Connolly. Duffy. Walsh and
Bradley had dragged hose lines to the
second floor. The place was occupied
oy an automobile machine shop conducted
by L. Wander Henden. No sooner had
the Lieutenant and his men begun oper-
ating on the second floor than there
was a dull explosion and a back draft
that knocked them down and enveloped
them in a heavy smoke that all but
stifled them. All we're rescued in time
to prevent serious injury.
Mayor HyIan Takes a Hand.
Down in West Fifty-seventh street
between Ninth and Tenth avenues there
was q block party in progress. II was
being conducted by the Terence Mac
Manus Council OF the American Associ-
alton for the Recognition of the Irish
Republic. Large banners announced the
presence of Mayor Hylan, Congressman
Ryan and Stephen 9. OMara, Mayor of
Limerick.
TLis celebration dissolved like snov v.
Mayor Hylan hastened to tn, fire and
turning up his coat collar and jamming
his hat down upon his ears began
bustling among the firemen. As soon
as Ii looked as though the fremen had
control Of the blaze he began holding on
impromptu reception. He shook hands
with hundreds and grasped the grimy
hands of the firemen as they passed
him.
Only one fireman needed surgicrl aid.
He is William Palmer of Hook and
Ladder Company IS. He was cut by
glass and was taken TO Roosevelt. Hos
pital. Lieut.. Patrick Costigan and Fire
man Thomas Conniss who were thrown
off the skiddng hook and ladder truck
when Faughan was hurt, were patched
up BY ambulance surgeons, but went
home afterward.
Ginch. the taxi chauffeur. was taken
To the West Sixty-eighth street station
and there detained to be questioned.
He was not MIA ccd under arrest