Evening star., 1943-07-28

Benjamin w. Weaver. acting head
of the department. named Battalion
Chief Carlisle Peterson to conduct
an investigation of the accident
Chief Weaver withheld comment
until after the inquiry had been
completed.
Five flremen and the truck driver
were burned and injured in the COL
lision. but all were believed to be
making satisfactory recoveries to-
day
Mr Owens veteran of almost l9
years service in the department, all
of it spent at No. Truck Company,
died about 10 hours after the crash
without regainlng consciousness.
Casualty Hospital physicians resort
ed to two blood transfusions in an
effort to save his life The fireman
was married and resided with his
wife at Bradbury Heights, Md. The
couple had no children.
Condition of the injured men
today ranged from fair to good, hos
pital attaches reported. One fire
man. Pvt. James A Bladen, 30,
of Arlington, Va. was released yes
terday after being treated at the
hospital.
The condition of Sergt. Aubrey
Mattingly. "a, of 4435 Thirteenth
street NE, and Pvt George Hid
30, of 3036 Madison street, Hyatts-
vile, was described today as fair.
Only Warning Was Bell.
Pvt. Millard F Handy. 43. of 1912
Decatur road, Decatur Heights, Nd.
was said to be favorable. while Pvt
Donald Swope, 81. of 423 Eighteenth
street. N E. was good.
Kirkland Lltes. 36, Of 2l49 N stree,
NV. driver of the truck. was re-
ported in favorable condition.
Mr. Owens was driving the fire
truck west on E street, travelling at
speed Of about 25 miles an hour,
according to eyewitness accounts.
The truck was proceeding north on
Sixth street and had the green
traffic light when it entered the in
tersectiOn.
Tie Cnly warning or the ep-
oroa ching apparatus was sounded by
a trasS bell, traditional equipment
on all fire vehicles It's sound was
drowned out in the roar of motors.
The fire truck. a six wheel, trailer
type machine with tillelman on
the lear, was equipped with no other
noise making device. Fire Depart
ment officials said only 40 of its 1875
vehicles have exhaust whistles. per-
misslble under existing regulations
Lack of Siren Blamed.
One ranking department officer.
who asked that his name be with
held. said: You know we District
employees are limited in any EXPIRES
sion we might care to make Of
course. if there was more noise there
would be less probability of an acci-
dent. That is cur theme at all
times" 9
While other Fire Department off,
cia,s would make no official COM
mont concerning the cause Of the
accident. Inspector Arthur E. Miller
Of the Police Department, in charge
cf traffic, placed the blame on the
| lack of suitable warning devices on
tho fire engine
IN my opinion. failure to have
a siren operating on the fire ap-
'>aratus was the cause Of the acci-
dent he declared Il cannot give
anv further statement or Go any,
thing about it because they are
Army orders
Fire Chief Was Away.
Dr. E. F. Harris, president of the
Federation ct Civic Associations said
blame for the accident should be
placed solely on those in authority
who were RESPONSIBLE for removing
cirens from all emergency vehicles
The federation, he said. adopted 2
! resolution several months ago asking
that sirens be restored to fire, police
and other emergency vehicles.
We feel that any person would be
able to distinguished between a fire
engine siren and afraid signal" he
said. This accident would not have
occurred if the fire apparatus had
| been equipped with siren. The
| blood Of that firemen who was killed
is on the hands of those in authority
who will not permit sirens to be
used"
The police patrol that took Mr.
Owens to the hospital, manned by
Policemen w. j. Matthews and H
M. Henninger of the first precinct
has no warning device of any kind
and Officer Henninger stood on the
rear step blowing his whistle to clear
path through traffic all the way to
the hospital.
Fire Chief Stephen Porter was out