SERIOUS FIRE BRIGADE ACCIDENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13523, 22 August 1907, Page 6

SERIOUS FIRE BRIGADE ACCIDENTS.

OFFICER AND SIX MEN

INJURED

A HORSE DISEMBOWELLED.

MOTOR ENGINE DRIVES THROUGH

A WINDOW

TriK breaking of a street fire alarm at the corner of Flinders Lane and Russell-street at 8.28 o'clock last night (says the Melbourne Ape of August 13) resulted in a disaster the like of which lia.s not' occurred in fire brigade experience in Melbourne, Tlie alarm which caused all the trouble was a false one, perpetrated supposedly by some larrikins, and thi- more than anything oftin- kind which has previously happened makes it plain that no penalty can be too severe as a fitting punishment for persons who see humour in mischief of this descrip- * t ion.

The position of the tire alarm broken was of such importance that Deputy Chief-Offi-cer Lee turned out a strong force of men and appliances, the latter consisting of a, motor pump, motor chemical engine, horsechemical engine, ladder carriage, and ?alvage van. , Deputy Chief-Officer L«:e got away first with the motor chemical, ant* went along Evelyn-street to Spring-street, followed oy the horse chemical. The motor pump dashed out >f the station along Gis-borne-street, followed by the rest of v he plant, and both sections converged upon each other at the corner of Spring and Collins Streets, where the clamour created by the ringing of bells and the. spectacle of flashing helmets and bras.- work and galloping horses drew the attention of crowds of people. Mr. Lee, in the motor, just shaved a tram, which, fortunately, Mine to a standstill in time, and continued down Collins-street. The horse chemical followed, but in turning, Negro, the offside horse, stumbled, and, falling against Titan, threw him out of his stride, and veered him southward. The ponderous .vehicle swayed after the staggering horses, which were then almost on the telegraph post, rendering the impact inevitable. The pole snapped in the sudden turn, and the horse Negro struck the post with tremendous force with his offside Hank, and was to all intents and purpose* lorn asunder and disembowelled. The pool brute had his off hind-quarter torn almost off, and his intestines lay about the. pavement. The driver, Robl. Archibald, and Fireman J. Davis, beside him, were flung on to the footpath, and two firemen—Hargrave and S. Barker—in the body of the. vehicle, were thrown up against the box .seat with great violence. Third Officer Wiikins and Fireman Crecvy, on the footboard behind, were thrown inside the vehicle, and the. engine crashed up against the post, breaking the foreearnagc and twisting up the ironwork. For a time all was confusion. The horse Negro lay disembowelled and groaning in agony in the gutter, with a flood of blood running away from him, and the firemen were lying about dazed. Somebody rang for an ambulance, but before it came the injured men were removed to Dr. Fred. Bird's private hospital, Spring-street. Here if? was found that Third Officer Wilkin? had his right shoulder dislocated, Driver Archibald had shock and concussion, Fireman Davis was shaken and bruised, and Fireman Hargrave had brrken a blood vessel in the leg, while Firemen Barker and Crecvy had escaped ,:yilh a shaking and bruises. As soon af,Officer Wiikins had his shoulder pulled into place he returned to look after the horses and vehicle. He saw that the horse Negro was beyond help, and'requested a constable to shoot it. The constable had no revolver, and seemed indisposed to make any effort to gel one, so at last, after quite inexcusable delay, a fireman, taking an axe from the vehicle, killed the poor animal with repeated blows of that weapon. The next misadventure happened to the motor pump in Flinders Lane,' near Eliza-beth-street. This had been sent down by Mr. Lee to locate the fire, and while passing the office of Jos. Pickles and Sons, where a building is in course of construction, it ran over some blocks of stone which were, lying right in the middle of the road. The collision hoisted the forecarriage to the left, and the motor ran in on the footpath, and through the window of Messrs. Lister and Co.'s wine and spirit store. The driver, Robert Bell, put on the brakes as soon as the motor struck the stones, and Fireman Mackay applied the side brake, but there was sufficient way on the engine to t-ake it through the window, where it smashed up about a dozen bottles of brandy. The driver was pitched head-first into the recessed doorway, but his helmet saved him from injury. None of the other four men were unseated. The motor was firmly wedged in the window, and was quite unworkable. It remained there for hours, rounded by a curious crowd of people, who fioated all kinds of rumours abroad about the men having been killer) and injured. Late at night, badlv damaged, it was drawn away by horses from the head station. ,