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DALLAS TIMES HERALD FIRE TRUCK AND TRAM COLLIDE, CRUSHING MEN PASSENGERS ESCAPE INJURY IN COLLISION ON SAN JACINTO STREET Five city firemen were injured, two of them critically, when a fire truck from the central station, responding to an alarm from Ross avenue and hall street, collided with a street car at Hawkins and San Jacinto streets Monday morning. T. Riddell, operator of the street car, and five passengers escaped injury, however. The most seriously hurt were Fire Captain Eddie L. Frith and Leroy Cole, driver of the fire truck. Captain Frith's legs were badly mangled when crushed between the front vestibule of the car and the back step of the truck, on which he had been riding. He suffered seriously from loss of blood and shock, and is not expected to live. Cole received injuries to his back which may disable him permanently if he does not die. Three Others Hurt. The other crash victims were: J. H. Nowlin, bruised and cut about the face and body. L. H. Harris, fractured skull and a broken right hand. O. L. Frith, cut and bruised when hurled against the side of the street car. The fire truck was speeding north on Hawkins Street and the street car was going west on San Jacinto Street when the crash occurred. Riddell said that he did not hear the siren of the truck until it was too late to stop his car. The passengers, including two children, were seated in the rear of the car and escaped a shower of flying glass. Riddell emerged with a cut on the hand, although the vestibule in which he was standing was wrecked. Made Quick Turn. Leroy Cole said that he was sounding the siren and intended to go straight across San Jacinto street in order to make the turn on Ross avenue to the right. The street car pulled across the street in front of him and he had no time to avert a collision, but turned to the left off Hawkins Street. Cole was driving the salvage truck from the central fire station and Eddie L. Frith was captain of the crew. The fire was in a grocery store at Ross and Hall streets, and only slight damage was done. Five ambulances went to the scene of the crash when it was reported to the Emergency hospital. All of the firemen except Harris were taken to St. Paul's hospital. He is at Parkland. Charles Kuhnert of 721 West Tenth street, a passenger on the street car, said the first he knew of the danger was when the fire truck suddenly appeared at the intersection and crashed into the front of the street car. Street Car Derailed. The street car was knocked from the rails and the front and headed into the curb. The front of the fire truck was telescoped and the steering wheel torn from the gear. Cole attempted to miss the street car by turning west onto San Jacinto street off Hawkins, but he was unable to do so, the street car had almost crossed Hawkins street when the fire truck plowed into the front vestibule and swung broadside into the side of the car. Harris, who was riding the back of the truck, was hurled against the side of the car. Captain Frith was crushed between the car and truck. Traffic was congested for more than an hour on the street, while mechanics from both the fire department and street car barns worked to clear the wreckage. Officials Investigate. Officials of the fire department are making an investigation of the crash to determine blame for the accident, as are inspectors and special agents of the street car company. Reports from the hospital said Captain Frith's chances for recovery are slight. Firemen at the Central station discussing serious accidents that have occurred in the department, recalled that in practically every instance the run was being made for an inconsequential cal. DALLAS TIMES HERALD FEBRUARY 10, 1931 FRITH, E. L., 35, of 1626 Jimtown road, died Monday night at a local hospital. Surviving are his wife, a son, jack Shelton of Dallas, three brothers, O. L. Frith of Iowa Par, R. J. L. Frith of Charleston and J. W. Frith of Dallas and two sisters Mrs. J. A. Wilson of Childress and Mrs. S. E. Kern of Dallas, Funeral services Wednesday 2 p.m. Ed C. Smith and Bro. Chapel. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1931 Fatal Injuries Result When Truck Sideswipes Street Car Fireman Killed, Four Hurt, When Speeding Truck on Way To Blaze Strikes Street Car Driver Swerves Speeding machine When He Sees Peril to Passengers and Crew. Makes Fast Choice Pilot on Fatal Alarm Kept in Ignorance of Comrade's Death. The name of Capt. Eddie L. Frith, 38 years old, for the past twelve years a member of the Dallas fire department and captain of the salvage corps for the last three years, was added Monday night to the roster of courageous and heroic men who have lost their lives in line of duty. He died at St. Paul's Hospital shortly after 7 o'clock as a result of an accident during the morning when the fire truck on which he was riding collided with a street car at San Jacinto and Hawkins streets. The fatal crash came in spite of a desperate effort by the driver of the truck, Leroy Cole, to save the lives of passengers on the street car, as well as the lives of the four other firemen on the truck. Cole himself was severely injured and his condition was such Monday night that fire department officials did not let him learn of the death of Captain Frith. J. W. Nowlin, L. H. Harris and Leon Frith, a nephew of Captain Frith, were also injured in the crash, but all four men are expected to recover. The salvage corps truck, answering an alarm at Ross and hall streets, was speeding northward on Hawkins street when a westbound street car on San Jacinto street entered the street intersection, according to an investigation made by Fire Chief Jess Coffman and Deputy Fire Chief Rod Gambrell. Two children were among the six passengers on the street car, none of whom was injured. T. Riddle, 2419 Maryland street, operator of the car, said that he was sounding his own bell for the street intersection and thus did not hear the siren on the fire engine. Quick Decision Made. Driver Cole made a quick and heroic choice when the street car suddenly cut across his path. Deputy Chief Gambrell explained after the investigation. "Cole had tow choices," said chief Gambrell. "He might have allowed the powerful, heavy truck, with all its accumulated momentum, to plow headlong and at right angles through the shell of the street car. But he could see the passengers in the car. Besides, he was as greatly concerned to save the lives of his fellow-members of the fire department. So he threw the truck around the corner in an effort to escape colliding if possible, and to spend the force of the blow if the crash was unavoidable. "The street is very narrow there and as the truck whipped around to be moving parallel with the car, the right side of the truck sideswiped the street car. The children and passengers were saved and undoubtedly this quick thinking reduced the fatality the men on the truck. It was one of those cases where no one was to blame." Captain Frith was one of the most popular men in the department, and his death was a blow to all his associates. Chief Coffman, a man of few words and quiet manner, expressed his deepest feeling by saying "I can't talk about it now." Answers Many Alarms. The salvage corps for all of Dallas east of the Trinity River is located at the central fire station on Main street. Chief Coffman explained that the salvage corps truck makes practically three runs to every one made by any other unit of the fire department, since it is called every fire, no matter in what part of the city. The purpose of the corps is to reach the scene of the alarm in advance of the firefighting units, if possible, so that tarpaulin and other protection may be placed over contents of the building before the fire hose are turned on. The salvage corps was created in 1926 at the suggestion of the State Fire Insurance Commission and has saved hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of goods and furnishings that otherwise would have been water soaked. As a result of putting the unit in service, the bad fire loss record of Dallas was reduced and it thus became an important factor in eliminating the penalty of over $100,000 a year which formerly rested on fire insurance policyholders of Dallas. The fire department maintains a separate salvage corps in Oak Cliff. Captain Frith is survived by his wife, a son, jack Shelton of Dallas; three brothers, O. L. Frith of Iowa Park, R. J. L. Frith of Charleston and J. W. Frith of Dallas, and two sisters, Mrs. J. A. Wilson of Childress and Mrs. S. E. Kern of Dallas. |