Two little boys tampered with a fire alarm box on Flora street Saturday afternoon and as the result of their prank, one Dallas Fireman is dead, another may die, and three more are seriously injured.

Answering a false alarm to Flora and Leonard streets, the big hook and ladder truck from Central fire station and the hose wagon from the Bryan and Hawkins station crashed together at Harwood and Bryan streets. Firemen clinging to the apparatus were hurled headlong to the street or crushed between the two heavy pieces of motor machinery.

Captain Patrick Galligan of the hose company lost his life in the accident, his body being smashed to a pulp under the wheels of one of the speeding cars.

Captain W. L. Erwin of the Bryan street station was seriously injured. His ribs were caved in and he sustained internal injuries. Physicians at Parkland Hospital say that his condition is critical.

Other firemen injured were:

• Emmett Russell, No. 5 Hose Company, right arm and left ankle broken.
• Brent Syvesen, Central station, bruised and cut about the head and shoulders.
• C. M. Blaha, Central station, feet crushed bruises about the body.

O. B. Cox, Eddie Frith, and T. O. Morson, Engine Company No. 5, and E. N. Bartley, R. S. Williams, and M. C. Archer, Hook and Ladder Co. No. 2 escaped without serious injury although all were bruised shaken up by the collision.

Captain Galligan was off duty when the alarm sounded, but swung onto the left side of the engine as it left the station. He was thrown from the machine against the curbing at the northwest corner of the street intersections and the heavy machine skidded onto his body. He was killed instantly. Those injured were hurled or jumped from machines as they crashed.

Homer Dyson, aged 8 and Phillip Sunday, aged 11 are blamed for the fatal accident. It is charged they turned in the alarm from Box ** at Leonard and Flora in response to which the fire apparatus collided. The boys were taken to the county jail on ********** charging them with malicious mischief. They were later released by Judge Allen to appear before the juvenile court Monday.

The boys were arrested shortly after the accident by Detectives Carpenter and Hanson, when a woman telephoned to the police station that see saw two boys turn in a false alarm. The officers had not learned of the fatal accident when the arrests were made.

The mixing of miscalling of signals is also said to have been indirectly responsible for the wreck. The men from the Bryan street station received the alarm as coming from Box 113 Elm and Austin streets and were speeding west on Bryan.

The men from the Central station received the call from Box 232 Leonard and Flora streets and were going north on Harwood street. The drivers of the machines were almost on top of each other when the danger was seen. Presence of mind on the part of B. S. Williams, driver of the truck from Central station, probably saved the lives of several men on his truck. Seeing the danger he gave the engine more gasoline and succeeded in clearing the street with all but the rear end of his truck.

Eddie Frith, driver of the machine from the Bryan street station, did everything in his power to stop his hose wagon and attempted to turn to the left. The front wheels of the machine from the Bryan street station struck the rear of the truck. The front wheels and axle of the Bryan street machine crumbled and the big car skidded to the curbing. The back axle on the machine from Central station was broken. Williams succeeded in stopping his car within a short distance.

The Bryan street machine was badly damaged and will be out of service for some tine. The hook and ladder probably will be back in service y Sunday night.

A truck from the Oak Lawn station with the firemen who regularly handle it was assigned to Central station until the repairs to the regular truck are completed.

Patrick Galligan was commended for bravery following the destruction of the Main hotel which burned in January 1920, at which time several persons lost their lives. It was through the efforts of Captain Galligan that the death list was not greater. He was injured at the time, being caught under a heavy awning which fell with a number of firemen. He was known among the members of the department and has many friends as "Fighting Pat," the name being given him because of his courage in fighting fire.

Captain Galligan was unmarried. His mother and father live in Ireland. He has a brother residing in Austin, Texas. The body was turned over to the Welland Undertaking Company where it is being held pending funeral arrangements.

Galligan was one of the most popular of local firemen and there was gloom throughout the department when the news of his death became known. Soon after the Main hotel fire, Galligan paid a visit to his parents in Ireland while recovering from his injuries.

Eddie Frith, driver of the Bryan street wagon, stated after the accident that he did not expect to see the truck at the corner as the alarm was in the downtown section and he thought the apparatus from the Central station would go down Main street.

"I slowed up for the Harwood street crossing and seeing the way clear had feed more gas to the engine when the truck shot across the street in front of me. I attempted to stop and turned to the left. The front wheels of my machine struck the rear wheels of the truck. The front of my machine crumbled and the machine began to turn with its side towards the curb. Then the crash came and I was thrown form my seat. I did not know Galligan was on the side until after we hit the curb," he said.

R. S. Williams, driver of the hook and ladder, stated he did not see the hose wagon and was not expecting it, thinking it had gone in another direction.

"I was half way across the street when I saw the hose wagon coming. It looked as if it was going to hit the front of my machine. I gave the truck more gas and it shot ahead and I thought we had missed it. There was very little jar when the machines hit," he said.

Funeral services for Captain Patrick Galligan, Dallas fireman who was killed when two fire trucks crashed Saturday afternoon while responding to a false alarm, will be held Tuesday morning at 9 o’clock from the Welland Parlors. Interment will be held in Rowlett Cemetery.

Pallbearers selected from among the members of the fire department will be A. P. Taffes, *. *. Patterson, W. E. Sanderford, Bert Burris, Capt. H. Stevens, and Capt. H. W. Williams. Captain Galligan si survived by two brothers and a sister. Owne Galligan lives at Austin, Texas. The other brother and sister live in Ireland. His mother and father recently died in Ireland.

All members of the fire department who are off duty and those who can be spared from duty will attend the funeral services at the chapel in a body.