Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-24
GIRL HIT BY AUTO
OF FIRE CHIEF DIES
Hope Held for Friends Re.
covery-Inquest to Fix
Responsibility Slated.

Miss Cecilia D. King, % years old, of
3o3s Otis street northeast, died at noon
today at Emergency Hospital from in
juries suffered yesterday when she was
struck by the speeding automobile of
Battalion Chief Andrew H. Wolter Oh
Fourteenth street near B street. Mrs.
Margaret A. Connick, "a years old, 1857
Good Hope road southeast. struck with
her, is In a critical condition in Emer-
gency Hospital Mrs. Connick, how
ever, has partially regained conscious
ness and there is some hope that she
may recover
Immediately after the death of Miss
King Pvt William Jaeger, who drove
the car, surrendered to the police and
was paroled to the custody Of Battalion
Chief p. w. Nicholson, pending an in
quest at IL 80 tomorrow morning.
Two brothers of Miss King, William
J. King and e. A. King, hurrying to
the hospital upon learning their sister
was dying, figured in traffic accident
at Seventh street and Rhode Island
avenue, when their car was IN coll
lision with taxicab, driven by George
r. Lite
The King automobile was so badly
damaged that its occupants abandoned
it and finished their trip in taxicah,
arriving just before the sister died
Both brothers were shaken up and Will
liam Kings left shoulder was injured.
Lite was also shocked and slightly
bruised. The taxi was badly damaged.
An official report of the affair was
made today to Commissioner Proctor L.
Dougherty by Nicholson, acting chief
engineer of the Fire Department in the
absence of George S. Watson, who Is
confined to his home by illness. The
report, however, has not been made
public because Commissioner Dougherty
Is engaged at the Budget Bureau
Thrown 152 Feet.
An investigation by E. s. Dawson.
claim adjuster for the corporation
counsel's ONCE, has established the fact
that both young women were thrown
for q distance of 152 feet from the
point of contact, the automobile going
FOR that distance before 1t could be
brought to a stop.
Miss King and Mrs. Connick, both
employees in the bookkeeping department
of the Potomac Electric Power Co., were
returning from lunch on q one-man
street car when the fire apparatus start
ed to q blaze in the Bureau Of Plant
Industry, Department of Agriculture, at
221 Linworth place southwest.
The car stopped to allow the passage
of two vehicles from No truck conf
pany, D street near Twelfth street. As
the two engines turned into Fourteenth !
street from D street the street car came
to a stop just north Of Ohio avenue,
waiting there until the apparatus had
passed.
Continuing, the car came to stop
m front Of the Potomac Electric Power
Co., Just as Chief VOTERS car. operat-
ed by Pvt. Jaeger. sped down Four
tenth street. There were horse
drawn vehicle and an automobile di-
rect1y. behind the street car and an
other automobile Just behind the street |
car. blocking passage of the Fire De- |
partment car to the right of the street |
car,
Run in Path Of Car.
The only alternative left. and one
that Is frequently followed by IRE ap..
paratus, was to swing TO the let OF
the street car. This was done, and at
the same time, the motornaf1 let Miss
King and Mrs. Connick on ct the
front of the car. They ran around 1t
and directly IN the path Of the fire
-1 witnesses told police and FIRE oficials
that VOTERS car was travelling at q
speed Of. from so to so miles an hour.
Wolter, however, said that he was
watching the speedometer and that
his machine was making but 30 miles
an hour before 1t started around the
street car and that 1t was necessary 10
allow down at least 10 miles an hour in
order to make the turn.
Assistant Corporation Counsel a. II.
Bell, IT., to whom the case was assign
ed has revealed the fact that there
IA no regulation of any kind governing
the speed or actions Of fire apparatus
Il was also learned that there Is
nothing in either the police or Public
Utilities regulations requiring that the
crew Of q street Car refrain from dis
charging passengers upon the approach
Of fire engines. Regulations OF both
hold that they must come to stop
during the passage Of the apparatus.
This was done.
Inquest Is Scheduled.
As the result, District officials were
Of the opinion today that the only vio-
lation Of any regulation was by the
motorists who blocked the fire appa-
ratus. Due to Miss Kings death, how
ever, an inquest will now be held to
TX responsibility.
The suggestion made several weeks
ago by MAJ. EDWIN q. HeSSe, super
intendent of police, to place motor
cycles in the ERE houses from which
runs are more frequently made, will be
put into practice at the earliest possible
time, he said.
Maj. Hesse pointed out the regula-
ton that requires motorists to draw to
the curb and stop and pedestrians to
remain on the curb at the approach of
fire apparatus. This regulation Is
ignored to, surprising degree, he said,
and the motor cycle police will follow
the engines and arrest all violators, so
that the regulation will be made more
impressive.
Wolter was today in such nervous
condition that he requested leave. He
failed to sleep any during the night and
seemed highly excited even today.
Jaeger, although also in an extremely
nervous condition, reported for work.
Oficials of the Fire Department re-
vealed today that yesterdays accident is
the first in the careers of both men.
Wolter has been In the department for
the past 81 years, and Jaeger has been
driving for 10 years.