Two Firemen Killed in Motorboat Blast
Two members of the New York City Fire Department were killed and nine other persons, including a fire captain and lieutenant and six firemen, and the captain of a volunteer “fireboat”, were injured when the gasoline tank of the burning cabin cruiser “Tipsey” exploded on the night of June 17 and flew through the air to crash into one of two small motorboats taking firefighters and police out to fight the fire on the blazing cruiser.
The burning craft was anchored about 1,000 feet off Whitestone, Queens. The cause of the fire is unknown. First notification was given the police at 9:16 P.M. They immediately notified the fire department, which sent out signal 5-7—6244 which brought Engine 295 and Ladder 144. Firemen were helpless to reach the burning craft without a boat and quickly took advantage of the offer of boat captain Arthur Hubig of Whitestone, to ferry the forces out in his motorboat. Police, meanwhile, set out in a small police launch. Firemen took with them tools and extinguishers.
As the improvised “fireboat” approached the Tipsey the latter blew up and its gasoline tank tore into the small deck house of the rescue craft, maiming and burning all hands in the cubicle.
Captain Hubig, skipper of the little boat, was pierced in the abdomen by a fragment of glass. Fireman Fred Ziegler, 32, and William D. Austin, 36, both of Ladder 144 were so badly injured that they died shortly, after being taken to Flushing Hospital. Others removed to Queens General and Flushing Hospitals were, Captain George Behringer and Firemen Julius Boertlein, Richard Harley and P. F. Gerahty of Engine 295 and Lieutenant Henry Schmidt and Firemen Louis DaRos, Al Nnrath and W. C. Hugill, all of Ladder 144. Of these, Lieutenant Schmidt was the worst injured, although several of the other victims were reported on the danger list.
At 9:20 P.M. the fireboat Thomas Willett was called along with Ambulance 2 and fire department Doctors Blum and Nilsen. Battalion Chief Klein was initially in command on the ‘5-7’. Others who arrived soon after the blast were Assistant Chief Hennessy; Deputy Chief in Charge Loftus, and Chief Richard Burke in charge of Brooklvn and Queens.
Ray Hellriegel Photos, Courtesy Now York Fire Department
The explosion threw sonic of the firemen and policemen into the water but they were quickly dragged to safety, and small fires started on the two converging launches were quickly extinguished.
The unexpected accident, coining like a bolt of lightning during what appeared to be an insignificant fire, has caused some concern among fire forces along Long Island Sound and other metropolitan waterways where there is a heavy concentration of gasoline driven motorboats.
