New-York tribune., 1922-09-10
wv oman browns
AS Auto Plllnges
Off FerryI,oat
Fire Lieutenant Driving
When Car Goes Through
Gates With Loss of Wife:
All Others Are Rescued
Mother Saves 2 Children
Boy and Girl Pushed Out
of Windows Reach Top;
Cause of Misl1ap Unknown

During the seventeen years that
Mstenant Richard Mangels has been
member of the New York Fire De-
pastment he has driven all sorts of
fire trucks, and his skill and coolness
as a driver have been demonstrated on
many occasions. But yesterday after
noon, on Brooklyn ferryboat at St.
George, S. l., light, ive-passenger
sedan in some unaccountabie manner
became unmanageable in his hands,
and plunged from the boat into the
bay.
His wife, Adelaide; his two children
and another fireman were in the car
with him as it dropped thirty feet to
the bottom of the bay Mrs. Mangels
was drowned, sacrificing her life to
save her children. Mangels, the two
children, Dorothy, eleven years old,
and Richard, fourteen, and Fireman
Daniel W. Mortimer were rescued by
deekhands.
Theferryboat from which the car fell
into the water was the John ingels.
The Mangelsand Mortimer were return
ing from 0akwood Beach, Staten Island,
TO the Mangels's home at 49s Seventh
Street, Brooklyn. The ferryboat was
to take them to Sixty-ninth Street,
Brooklyn. The Mangels's car was the
first to be driven onto the boat Morti-
mer sat beside Mangels and Mrs. Man
gals was with Richard and Dorothy on
the rear seat. Mrs. Mangels had bun
dies in her arms.
Car Shoots Through Gates
Lieutenant Mangels stopped his car
near the bow, shut of the power and
put on the brakes. It's occupants re-
manned in their seats. A short time
later deck hand, it is said, told the
lieutenant to pull ahead to make room
for other cars. biangels did so, but
the car shot forward, smashed a
small dock chain "a larger chain was
not in use at the time), pushed aside
the fiimsygates and plunged into the
water.
The car apparently struck the bottom
IN an upright position. Water roared
through the open windows and it's oc-
cupants, trapped thirty feet below the
surface, began struggling to get out
all except Mrs. Mangels. She first
pushed Dorothy out, and then Richard,
and found that she herself had re.
mained too long. 1t is believed that
the bundles that she had been carrying
handicapped her to some extent When
the car was lifted from the water ar
hour after the accident her body was
found hanging from a window. .
Lieutenant Mangels was so shocked
that when ne was helped to the dock
he tried to jump back into the water
He lost his fire badge, cap and bool
of rules. Some money which had beer
pinned to the clothing of Mrs. Mangel;
was found to be missing.
Fireman Mortimer later talked of tn
accident, but Lieutenant Mangels wa
so prostrated he could not tell hi
story. He is attached to Company 243
at Eighteenth Avenue and Eighty-sixtl
Street, Brooklyn.
Mortimer Can't Explain
81 don't know how it all happened,
said Mortimer, an occupant of tn,
automobile at his home, 339 Eightietl
Street, Brooklyn. last night. "It cam,
too swiftly. All / remebmer is tha
the attendant ordered Mangels to NOV
to the center of the ferry, in tn
middle of three lines of automobiles
"Thc next thing | knew the ca
crashed through the gates. Th
windows were partly open. As the ca
settled, the water washed in.
~ guess we went dow nabout thirt
feet. l dived through an open windo,
and got out ALI the others, as far a
] know, did the same, except Mrs. Man
gels, whose lap was filled with bundles
Besides, we could all swim, and sh
couldn't.
when l got out the water was darl
couldn't see the car again. rose t
the surface and / saw Lieutenant Man
gels and his two children also up an
gasping for air.
"They lowered boat from the ferr
and we put the children in first an
then climbed in ourselves"
Richard Mangeis is student a
Manual Training High School, Brook
lyn, and Dorothy, his sister, attend
Public School 80, at Sixth Avenue an
Eighth Street, Brooklyn.