Capt. Tom Ross Fatally Hurt When Truck Hits Pole Guy Wire.

Captain Tom Ross of Engine Company No. 10 at the Fair Park fire station, was so badly injured that he died a few minutes later when at 7:50 o’clock Sunday evening the truck on which he was riding in answer to an alarm struck a guy cable at Forney and Grand avenues, East Dallas, pulling down a telephone pole. The pole fell on Captain Ross, causing injuries from which he died at Baylor Hospital about twenty minutes later, after the Emergency Hospital ambulance had taken him from the scene of the accident.

Captain Ross was about 35 years old, married and resided at 617 First avenue.

The fire to which his company was going when the crash occurred damaged a small frame cottage at Forney and Grand avenues.

DRIVER, BLINDED BY LIGHTS, FAILED TO SEE DANGER

Thomas W. Ross, 48 years old, of 817 First avenue, captain of engine company No. 10, Fair park station, was almost instantly killed when pinned between a guy wire and the seat of a heavy fire truck, on which he was riding Sunday night, at Fletcher street and Forney avenue.

Captain Ross shouted a warning to brother firemen just before the wire struck him.

O. R. Winterbauer, driver of the truck, escaped injury as did Jack Linakle, J. W. Arnett, and J. D. Moore, who were also on the truck.

As Captain Ross shouted "look out," Linakle jumped from the truck as it crashed into the wire, pulling down a heavy pole which fell across the apparatus.

Winterbauer reported that he did not see the wire because of the glaring headlights of an automobile which was on Forney avenue.

The accident occurred where a cut-off road crosses a vacant lot at the intersection of the Forney road with Fletcher street. The firemen were responding to an alarm sounded from Forney and Grand avenues, where a small automobile was burning.

Chief Bartley, A. F. Baker, driver; W. H. Lee, and Al Long, firemen, were on a chemical engine just ahead of the truck. Their machine, being low, passed under the guy wire. Long and Lee heard Captain Ross’ warning cry and looked back just in time to see him jerked back by the wire across the rear of the seat and the heavy pole fall across the machine.

The trucks, because of the rough condition of the road, were traveling at about twelve miles an hour.

Drivers of the apparatus have been using the cut-off road in response to alarms in the neighborhood and Winterbauer said that he did not know the guy wire had been placed across it.

Ross was crumpled up in his seat when firemen reached his side. Dr. J. W. Fussell of the emergency hospital staff, who reached the scene on the city ambulance, ordered the unconscious man taken immediately to Baylor hospital.

Ross died in the city ambulance on the way to the hospital.

Ross had been in the fire department for twelve years, his first service being at Fair Park station. He was later transferred to the station at Commerce and Hawkins streets.

He is survived by his wife, Allie Ross, a son James Ross, and a daughter, Ethel Ross; a brother, Frank Ross, and a sister, Miss Ethel Ross.

An investigation of the accident was conducted immediately by Louis S. Turley, police and fire commissioner, and T. A. Myers, chief of the fire department.

Ross was one of the best liked members of the department and an efficient fire fighter.