Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-07-27
Seven Injured
lin Crash Of Fire,
Moving Trucks
Flaming Gasoline
Burns Six Firemen
At Sixth and E
(Story on Page A-D

Six firemen and a civilian we're
burned this afternoon in a gaso-
line tank explosion that followed
a collision at Sixth and E streets
NV. between a loaded trailer
truck and hook and ladder
truck responding to an alarm
a grease fire in O'Donnell's Res
taurant in the 1900 block of E
street.
The fire truck had no siren or ex-
haust whistle and was using its bells
to warn traffic. Sirens are banned
on emergency vehicles by Army air.
raid rules.
Flaming gasoline spread over the
intersection after the tank of the
trailer-truck was ripped open by the
collision. Two cars parked at the
curb and another car halted in the
center of the street were slightly
damaged when the trailer-truck fell
over and the hook and ladder-from
No. Truck company-swerved to
quick stop.
Seven in Hospitals.
The injured are:
Fireman Lemuel Owens, As. Brad
bury Heights, Md, driver of the fire
truck, seriously burned.
Fireman Millard F. Handy. IS,
1912 Decatur road, Decatur Heights.
Md, burned on arms, face and feet.
Fire Sergt. Audrey Mattingly. 80,
ABS Thirteenth street NE, burned
on face, hands and arms.
Kirkland Lites, SO. 214e N street
NV, driver of the trailer truck.
burned on right leg and left shoul-
der and suffered a head concus-
sion.
Fireman Donald Swope, 81, 423
Eighteenth street NE, conclusion
and possibly rib fractures.
Fireman James Bladen, 30 222
George Mason drive, Arlington. Va,
first degree face burns.
Fireman George Hid. 30. 3O36
Madison street, Hyattsville. first and
second degree burns on face, arms
and hands.
Owens and Handy were taken to
Casualty Hospital. The others were
taken to Emergency Hospital.
Gas Tank Ignites.
Fireman Owens was saved from
more severe burning by Joseph
Snyder. cab driver and an auxil-
larry policeman, who drove by shortly
after the accident happened. Mr..
Snyder tore off Mr. Owens flaming
clothing. The auxiliary policeman is
attached to the sixth precinct. He
lives at 705 Elm avenue, Takoma
Park, Md.
Policemen w. j. Matthews and H.
M. Henninger of the First Precinct
arrived with a patrol wagon and
rushed Mr.. Owens to the hospital.
Mr.. Henninger stood on the rear Of
the patrol wagon. en- route to the
hospital, blowing his whistle to clear
traffic. The vehicle is not equipped
with an automatic whistle
The mishap occurred at 2:10 pm.
The hook and ladder was proceeding
west on E street. The trailer truck.
owned by the Baltimore Transfer
Co., fully loaded, was proceeding
north on Sixth street.
The two met. and the trucks gaso-
line tank ripped open and ignited.
Flames quickly spread and trapped
| the flremen. The wooden ladders
of the fire truck were burned, and
the side of the vehicle was scorched.
Heard Fire Truck Siren.
James Gowes, colored, 20 M street
NV who works for the Hecht Co.,
saw the accident occur He said the
| truck was half way across the in
tersection when it was hit by the
| fire truck.
After the collision there was a
loud report and a sheet of flame
two stories high shot up. The flame
was quickly extinguished. The driver
of the truck was pulled from his
cab by several men
The car halted in the center OF
the street was being driven by
Charles Hollod, 1441 Harvard street
NV. who was going south on Sixth
street when he said he heard the
fire engines approach and stopped to
let it pass. Mr.. Hollod said he had
the green light when he halted.
His car suffered damaged fender
in the collision.
One of the two other cars slightly
| damaged belonged to J. B. Rosen-
thai, 5l8 Buchanan street NV.
Superintendent of Police Edward
j. Kelly hurried to the scene as soon
AS he received word of the accident.
/. He was joined there by Assistant
Superintendent Harvey J. Callahan
and Traffic Director william A. Van
DuZer.
Ambulances from Casualty and
Emergency Hospitals responded.
MI Il n