Evening star., 1922-12-02
FIRE ENGINE CRASH.
LAID TO CAR RAILS
Injured Driver One of Best in
City, According to Chief
Watson.

Failure of the proper authorities
to see that the car tracks at 18th
and streets northwest were prop
erly graded, and not careless driving.
caused the accident yesterday in
which No. engine was wrecked. and
its chauffeur. A. H. wernig, probably
fatally injured. according to George
Watson, chief engineer Of the District
fire department.
in the department." Chief Watson de-
clared TT would be suicidal for US
to cut down our speed while answer
ing alarms of fire. Whenever a nre
department is called out. you can bet
there is an emergency. and the orders
given to every man in the depart
ment are:
"-Get to the scene of the alarm as
quickly as you can with safety.
'Wernis was driving the heaviest type
of machine We have and the maximum
speed it is capable of developing is only
twenty-five miles an hour. I doubt very
much If Wernigs particular engine
could do that now; it is pretty old. II
is plain enough what happened. Wernig
was bounced out Of his seat by the un-
usually rough places between the car
tracks, lost temporary control OF his
wheel and crashed into the oyster truck
before he could bring the engine around
again. 1t was an unavoidable accident
Accidents Expected.
THE idea of cutting down the speed
Of the fire depar artment is a bad one.
Last year we had only twenty accidents
and you must expect such accidents as
long as you have a fire department and
automobiles. The trouble is that we
have too many drivers who are 80 dumb
that they refuse to stop when they hear
fire bell. Let every motorist remem-
ber this: When you hear the gong Of a
fire engine stop dead, look to see what
direction it is going and don't move.
unless you are in its path, until you are
sure it and all other fire apparatus
answering the alarm are past"
In defending his belief that the
Washington fire department does not
have an unusual number of accidents
Chief Watson made public a state
ment showing his apparatus has had
only twenty accidents in responding
to 1868 alarms of fire since Janu-
ary ].
This. the chief points out. is one
accident 10 every ninety-eight runs"
The chief voiced the opinion that this
is as good a record as any fire depart
ment would make.
The list of accidents follows:
List Of Accidents.
No. hose wagon coliided with
fence. northeast corner Sth and h
street northwest. 1-:5-22.
Collision between No. truck and
automobile. I-3l-22.
Collision between No. IS engine
and truck. 2-G-:2.
Collision between No. engine
and automobile, 2-7-22.
Collision between No. "a engine
and automobile. 3-4-22.
Collision between No. 8 engine
and wagon. 3-l5-:2.
Collision between No. ~ hose
wagon and truck. 3-31-22.
ans s',s,s" sarss .ns Ss'Tssn r,ssn ss engine
Collision between No. o engine
and automobile. 4-11-22.
Collision between 20. 8 hose
wagon and street car. S-s-2c.
Collision between No. 10 engine IS
and trash wagon. 1922.
Collision between LIST battalion
chiefs automobile and motor truck.
.-I3-::33.
Collision between LIST battalion
chiefs automobile and track.
S-5-:22.
Collision between No. 3 hose
wagon and truck. S-17-:2.
Collision between No. "a engine
,, and automobile, 9-6-c2.
, Collision between No. = engine
aDd roadster. 9-6-22.
Collision between No. e hose
wagon and motor cycle. 10-31-z3.
Collision between water towoQ
and automobile, 11-24-22.
Collision between I'd battafs0o
chiefs automobile and automobile,
lI-2S-...
Collision between No. eagfAo
and truck. 12-1-22.
Wernig was hurt while responding
to the alarm from the fire at the plant
of +. G. Schafer & Co, 18th and c
streets northwest At Emergency
Hospital today il was stated that his
condition is very grave. A more care
full examination of his injuries has
revealed that he probably sustained
a fractured skull. Physicians said
they could not determine whether or
not he will live.