Evening star., 1933-04-21
MISTAKE BLAMED
FOR TRUCK M|SHAP
Wrong Location of Alarm
Held Cause of Injuries
to Six Firemen.

A mistake in the location of the alarm
to which they were responding on the
part of the crew of the 2l-ton ladder
truck was blamed for its collision with
the fire hose wagon at Fifteenth and G
streets southeast late yesterday after
noon in which six flremen were in
jured, by Battalion Chief T. B. STAN
ton, who is investigating the accident.
Chief Stanton said he learned Pvt.
Frank M. Dyer, driver as we'll as other
members Of the crew of the huge truck
from Company 7, understood that the
local alarm came from BIS Seventeenth
street southeast instead of the correct
address at 315 Fifteenth street, the
home of Alexander S. Pope, where a
minor blaze was subsequently extin-
guished with chemicals, when sother
companies were called. He said the
misunderstanding came when the big
truck, engines running. was about to
be driven from the fire house.
Condition Improved.
The condition Of four Of the six in
jured men was reported today to be
improved. The other two. Capt. William
L. Mcmahon, 40, 1902 Trinidad avenue
northeast, and Pvt. Daniel j. Plass, 36,
1923 e street southeast, both riding with
the hose wagon from No. Engine,
were still in serious condition at Prov
idence Hospital. The captain received a
severe laceration of the scalp that neces-
STATED IA stitches. possible fracture OF
the skull, and a possible fractured left
wrist; while Plass is suffering from frac-
lures of the right hand and leg.
William v. James, 81, 3l03 Alabama
avenue southeast, Of No. Z Truck. re-
ceived only minor injuries and was al
lowed to leave the hospital today. Capt
Eugene ]. Trainor. As, $40 E street
northeast, who occupied the front seat
Of the ladder truck. was also seriously
injured when thrown nearly 20 feet
Casual examination at Casualty Hos
pital showed broken shoulder. Later
he was removed to Emergency, where 1t
was feared that he received other in
juries. Pvt. Dyer's back was dislocated,
and Pvt. David P. Grady, 38, 705 Six
teenth street southeast, received possible
conclusion, cuts about the head and
injury to the left ear.
The hose wagon was headed south on
Fifteenth street and was preparing to
halt at a hydrant near c street. when
the truck speeding east on c, smashed
into its rear. The impact was terrific
and turned the smaller piece of appa-
ratus completely around. The truck
turned just in time to avoid driving into
a grocery store on the southeast corner
as the vehicles locked bumpers and
skidded over the curb and across the
sidewalk. The noise could be heard for
blocks, witnesses stated, and the back
wheels Of the front section of the truck
smashed through the sidewalk and tore
out a hole nearly three feet deep The
men riding on the engines were thrown
in all directions.
Stopped by Hydrant.
Hilton Gentry, 1716 Sixteenth street
southeast, who was preparing to enter
his machine standing at the corner was
nearly crushed, as the hose wagon
stopped only about two feet from him,
and was kept from turning over by the
hydrant, which was driven half way
through it. Capt. Mcmahon, he said,
was thrown violently to the pavement
at his feet The corner mail box was
hurtled past his head and came to earth
nearly hundred feet down the street.
r. B. Gotsharr, BAL Seventeenth
street southeast, another eyewitness, de-
clared the wheels of the truck were
locked some distance before it reached
the intersection.
Three-year -old Marvin Geller, son OF
the corner groceryman. was standing on
the corner licking a lollypop and es-
capped injury by the narrowest of mar
gins, as one of the vehicles halted with
in a yard of him. Witnesses said the
child's eyes widened, but the candy
licking was uninterrupted.
Chief Stanton said that while he
would continue investigation of the &C
cident he believed it was unavoidable
and in no way due to negligence. He
termed the mistake in address ''just one
of those things" due to the noise Of the
motor drowning out the sound Of the
announcement.