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VOL.  2.                NO.  67.
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FIRE ENGINE WRECK

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 Two Men Seriously Injured
When Apparatus Crashes
Into Trolley Car
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ONE PASSENGER WAS HURT
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Firemen Riding on Wagon
Were Thrown From Their
Seats
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BOTH HORSES ARE KILLED
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Shock of Collision Nearly Tilted
the Fast Running, Heavy
Electric
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    Answering an alarm of fire shortly after 12:30 o'clock this afternoon, engine No. 7 dashed from its station at East Twenty-fourth street and Maple avenue and crashed into a passing trolley car.  Six men were injured and the two horses killed.

Collision Was Inevitable

    Driver Richardson was in the seat when the apparatus was run from the house.  If there was any warning bell from the fast running trolley he did not hear it, and if he had it would have been too late to avert the crash.  With violent force the big team attached to the wagon struck the car, doubled and the wagon piled upon them.  Both were killed.

    The force of the collision was so strong that it nearly tilted the car from the track.  One passenger, who refused to give his name, was slightly injured.  He was driven away in a carriage.

    Driver Richardson had a number of ribs broken and his left leg was severely bruised.  Charles Gross, an extra, was thrown to the ground with considerable force and was injured about the hips.

Captain Jenkins Injured

    Captain Jenkins and Firemen Gridley and Hicks, who were also on the apparatus, were thrown and received injuries of a more or less serious character.

    The accident created considerable panic among the passengers on the car, mostly of whom were women and children.  Eye witnesses say that it is a mystery how many of the passengers escaped serious injury.  The car was badly smashed and the fire apparatus demolished.

FIREMEN HURT      
      IN COLLISION
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CAR HITS WAGON, HURLING
MEN TO GROUND
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Witnesses State Fault of Accident

Lies With Motorman, Who Was

Running Coach at High

Speed
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    In a collision between Maple avenue car No. 403 and the hose cart of engine company No. 7 at the corner of Maple avenue and East Twenty-fourth street yesterday noon two firemen were injured, two others hurled to the ground and one of the horses of the team badly bruised.  The injured are M. M. Richards, driver, and Charles Grose.  Richards sustained a crushed leg and severe bruises about the body, and Grose was also bruised about the body.  Others on the wagon were Capt. C. S. Jenkins and Hoseman Harry Hicks.

    In response to a still alarm at Thirty fifth and Central avenues the hose car dashed out of the station at 12:10 o'clock.  As the wagon turned the corner to proceed south the proximity of the tracks to the engine house made it necessary for the driver to cross them.

    In doing so southbound car No. 403 which, it is said by the firemen and residents in that vicinity, was traveling at a high speed, crashed into the hose cart, throwing the men from the seats and knocking down the horse on the left side of the tongue.

    Uses Brake Ineffectually

    Driver Richards was thrown under the wheels of the hose cart.  Capt. Jenkins, who was also thrown from the wagon, seeing that the wheels would pass over the driver, grasped the brake and stopped the progress of the cart, but not in time to prevent the wheel from partially crushing Richards' leg.

    The injured men were immediately removed to the receiving hospital, where they were treated by Police Surgeon Quint.  Later they were taken to the California hospital, and are still under the care of Dr. Quint.

    In the collision the forward right hand steps of the coach were torn off.  The car continued on down the street about seventy-five feet before it was brought to a stop.

    In the opinion of several witnesses and the firemen the accident was due wholly to the rapid speeding of the car.  If a warning bell were sounded by the motorman it was not heard by any of the firemen, it is asserted.  The car was in charge of Motorman G. W. Gavin and Conductor J. W. Meyers.

The Los Angeles Evening News,
June 18, 1906

The Los Angeles Herald, June 19, 1906

CAR HITS HOSE CART: FOUR INJURED    
    MOTORMAN BLAMED FOR ACCIDENT

FIREMEN HURLED TO    
    PAVEMENT BY BLOW.
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Captain Declares Man at Controller Was Careless and
Did Not See Truck Ahead.

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Killed by cars in 31 months . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Injured by cars in 31 months . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 711
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Two city firemen were severely injured and two others badly bruised yesterday afternoon in a collision between the hose cart connected with engine house No. 7, Maple avenue and Twenty-fourth streets, and a Maple avenue street car.  The severely injured are Driver M. M. Richards of the wagon and Hoseman Charles Gross.  Captain Jenkins and Hoseman H. Hicks received painful body bruises, but were able to return to duty.  After the collision, Richards and Gross were hurried to the Receiving Hospital and later the the California Hospital.  Both suffered from body bruises.  No bones were broken.

    Shortly after noon a call came into house No. 7 for a fire at Thirty-fifth and Maple avenue.  The hose cart was first to leave the house, with Captain Jenkins and Diver Richards on the seat.  Gross and Hicks were on the foot board. As the wagon issued form the doorway the street car was seen approaching from the north about a block distant and the firemen, believing the motorman would stop as the city ordinances require, paid no attention to the rapidly moving car.

    Just as the turn was made onto Maple avenue from Twenty-fourth street the car crashed into the wagon.  Richards was hurled over the dashboard beneath the hoofs of the horses, both the animals being knocked down and one badly injured.  Captain Jenkins attempted to save Richards from falling but was unable to do so and was hurt about the hips in the crash.  Gross was hurled against the pavement, twelve feet distant, and badly bruised.  Hicks was thrown a number of feet through the air but his fall was broken by alighting on a pedestrian named Gammon, who was slightly injured about the legs from the weight of Hicks fall.

    The wagon was almost wrecked and was sent to the repair shop. Men, horses and wagon were replaced at the station by substitutes in a few hours and the house was crippled only a short time.

    Captain Jenkins when seen yesterday said the motorman, G. W. Cabin, evidently was not looking or the accident could have been averted.  Captain Jenkins said:
    "As we left the house the car was about a block distant.  Cars are required by law to stop when fire apparatus is moving near them and we paid no attention to the car believing it would stop.  Just as we made the turn and straightened out for the run the car hit us.  Richards saw the car and made an attempt to swerve to one side.  The car hit the front wheels and horses about the same time.  We could see the car as we left the engine house, so the motorman could have seen us it he was looking.  Furthermore, some colored people living across the street waved to the car to give the alarm, but their shouts and motions went unheeded.  The car was running at a high rate of speed as it did not stop after hitting us until it had gone about 70 feet."   

TO BLAME FOR ACCIDENT
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Fire Engines Have Right of
Way, Which Street Cars
Fail to Recognize
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    Violations by the street car companies of the city ordinances have been brought to the attention of the fire commissioners through several collisions with fire apparatus.  They are entitled to the right of way when responding to an alarm but this is not always granted the department, and in one case serious injury to firemen resulted.

    Chief Lips made his report of the accident at Twenty-fourth and Maple avenue June 18, the result of which is that M. N. Richard, driver, and C. Gross, hoseman of Engine No. 7, are patients at the California hospital, badly injured.  The engine was stuck by car 403.

    Anthony Schwamm, the new member of the board, thought that firemen should be sworn in as special police, with power to make arrests when interfered with in the performance of their duty.

FIRE BOARD PLANS TO
DISCIPLINE MOTORMEN
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Ordinance Giving Apparatus Right of
Way Will Be Enforced

    Three collisions in the past few months between fire apparatus and street cars have directed the attention of the fire board to violations of the city ordinance by the traffic companies.
   A city ordinance provides that fire apparatus when going to a fire, shall have the paramount right of way and unobstructed use of the thoroughfares.
    Motormen of street cars have been inclined to ignore this ordinance provision.
   Walter Lips, fire chief, reported to the board today that C. Gross and M. N. Richards, members of Engine company 7 are in the California hospital suffering from injuries received when a Maple avenue car crashed into their engine at Twenty-fourth street and Maple avenue.
    Commissioner Schwamm is of the opinion that firemen should be sworn in as special police and when interfered with in the performance of their duties should have the power to arrest the guilty persons.
    The penalty for obstructing the streets is a fine of not more than $100, or from five to one hundred days in jail.
    The question has been referred to the city attorney and Chief Lips with power to act.

The Los Angeles Evening News, 
June 22, 1906 

The Los Angeles Express
June 22, 1906

OPERATE ON DRIVER RICHARDS
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Victim of Car and Hose Wagon
Smashup in Critical
Condition

    M. N. Richards, driver of the hose wagon of the fire department which was struck by a rapidly moving Maple avenue car at Twenty-fourth street last Monday, is at the California hospital in critical condition.

    In the accident Richards was knocked from the wagon to the ground and one of his legs was crushed when a wheel of the hose wagon ran over him.

    He was operated on successfully by Dr. Quint yesterday at the California hospital, and it is said he has a good chance of recovery.

FIREMAN HURT;      
      CITY MAY SUE
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    Suit may be brought by the city attorney against the Los Angeles Ry. Co. for damages for injuries received by M. N. Richards, driver of engine No. 7, Twenty-fourth and Maple av.  Richards was thrown from his seat and sustained serious injury when a south-bound Maple av. car struck engine 7, June 18.

    Richards was operated upon at the California hospital, Sunday, by Police Surgeon Quint, and it is feared that he will be confined to the hospital for at least two months more.

    The car was in charge of S. W. Cavin, motorman, and J. W. Myers, conductor, and was traveling at a high rate of speed.  It struck the front wheels of the wagon as it turned the corner of Twenty-fourth and Maple, throwing the hoses, Richards and C. Gires to the ground with great force.

    Monday Fire Chief Lips submitted the case to Asst. City Atty. Hewitt, and Hewitt stated that a damage suit might be brought against railway.

The Los Angeles Herald,
June 25, 1906

The Los Angeles Record,
June 27, 1906