FIRE ENGINE SMASH.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18409, 16 June 1925, Page 8

FIRE ENGINE SMASH.

ONE FIREMAN KILLED;

SIX INJURED.

COLLISION WITH MOTORCAR. A collision betwoen a lire engine and a motor-car last evening at tho intersection of Madras street and Oxford terrace resulted in one iireman being killed almost instantaneously and six other firomen injured, moro or less seriously, whilo the driver of tho motor-car had bis right leg slightly injured. Details of the casualties arc as follows: Killed. Station Officer J. H. Xoblctt (single). Injured. Foreman T. B, Robb, officer in charge of engino (married), sovoro cuts ou forehead and right eye. Mechanic W. Low (single), bruises to leg and arm. Fircmnn P. J. Taylor (married), broken loft leg. Fireman C. Wilton (single), cut leg and bruised back. Fireman W. H. Collett (single), abrasions to arm and elbow. Fireman R. E. Downing (single), bad bruisos to knoe and back. Of the injured men, Downing will undergo an X-ray examination today for injuries to his knee. Taylor's log was attended to at tho Christchurch Hospital last nigh't. Tho threo men who received tho minor injuries were treated as out-patients at the Hospital last night and discharged. Tho Brigade received a call a little before 6.45 p.m. to a motor-car which was on firo in Clyde street. No, 1 Donnis engine went out, and was travelling northwards along Madras street at a good speed, sounding tho syren, when a Hupmobile car, driven by Mr John B. Cade, of tho Now Zealand Farmers' Garage, and residing at 138 Matson's road, Papanui, was proceeding along Oxford terrace towards the city.

Car Jilts Engine. According to the statements of bystanders, Cade's car had bright lights, but both the engine and the car were travelling in directions and at speeds which made a crash inevitable. The car smashed into the middle of the engine. Th< engine skiddo'd oWer to the left, turned over on «its left aide, and came to a stop against the stonework of the bridge. The crash was heard some distance away, and it is stated that both car and engine heaved right up into the air. The top hamper of the engine, carrying tho hose and apparatus was smashod right off tho body of the machine and lay on the path. The car was slewed right round and faced the Baptist Church, Noblett Finned Under Wreckage. Men crawled out from under tho wrecked engine, and tho crowds of people who rushed up to the scene were made aware of tho fact that someone was lying pinned underneath by tho cries of anguish that wore heard. Tho cngino was righted on to its four wheels by willing helpers, and it was found that Npblett was pinned boneath tho wrecked gear, and terribly injured about the head, his helmet being crushed, and various parts of the body mutilated. Tho most. severe wound was in his left temple. He was then breathing, but must have died within a few sooonds, A little later one of the firemen crawled out of tho rivor, having been thrown right over the bridge and into the stream. As the engine was lying on its side the siren was still sounding, causod by some pressure on the lever. The fatally injured man, Noblott, must have been lying under the ongino for Sully five minutes before the wreckage was removed from on top of his body. Tho injured men were con? vcyed to the house of Mr M. E. McConnell, 82 Chester street, where they wore attended by a doctor and removed to the Hospital in the Ambulance. A Miraculous Escape. The driver of the car, Cade, had a miraculous es?apo. There was no' one else with him at the time; and ho was proceeding into the city preparatory to going to Kaikoura this, morning. His car was considerably damaged about the front portion, The radiator waß dented, the wheels badly wronched, the dumb*iron and headlights smashed and the front part of the chassis twisted out of shape. As far as damage to the fire ongino is concerned the left front wheel was smashed and the chassis twisted- out of alignment. The top portion, carrying apparatus, jvas wrenched' off when the machine turned over, and yards of hose and gear were strewn about the pavement.

Crash Unavoidable. People crossing tho Madras street bridge a little prior to' the accident stated to a representative of "The Press" that tho fire-engine's eyren ■was sounding softly. : The view down Madras street was cut off by the Oxford terrace church building, and the crash was quite unavoidable. The siren gavo tho impression that the.engine was a good distance off, whereas it was just entering the intersection whon tho niotor-car reached tho corner, the actual impact taking place in the middle of the road. After the injured men had been taken away, two other units arrived from the Firo Station, under the charge of Superintendent Warner, and gathered up the debris. A City Council truck was requisitioned, and the broken engine removed. Asked by the reporter, after the injured had been removed, what happened to the blazing motorcar in Clyde street, Superintendent Warner.remarked, grimly: "I don't know; this is as far as wo got."

A Weird Spectacle. The scene after the accident was a 6trange one. Bain was pouring down in torrents at tho time, and tho wrecked engino with its red woodwork and brightly polished brass fittings, twisted and torn, presented a weird spectacle. Its lights were still burning, and they gave the scene a still more peculiar aspect. The case with the motor-car was the same. The headlights, badly battered, had ceased to function, but the sidelights were still on. Tho accident is probably the most serious ono and comprehensive in its effects that has been experienced in Christchurch for a long time, for it is seldom that a fire-engine has met with

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sueh disaster. The Dominion has not experienced such a catastrophe since the occasion when, in Duncdio, an engine turnod out to a false alarm some years ago, and capsized on turning a comer, ono fireman, bqlng killed. A similar accident occurred in a North Island town more recently, another man being killed, and it is strange that on each occasion, jnoluding the tragedy of lost evening, the call which necessitated the Brigade turning out was a more or lea trivial one.