Scrapbook of Morris and Ruby Logan
Morris Arthur Ransome Logan was born in Chesterton, Cambridge and came to Melbourne, Australia between 1911 - 1915. He met and married Ruby Dallas/Irwin. Morris had a long career with the Melbourne Fire Brigade.
A serious collision between a motor fire engine and a tram car occurred yesterday at the corner of High and Bendigo streets, Prahran, and as a result three members of South Yarra fire station sustained injuries.
A fire broke out in a house situated at the comer of High-street and Denbigh-road, Armadale, and in response to the call a motor fire engine, driven by Fireman A. N. Moore left South Yarra Station. Everything went well until the corner of Bendigo and High streets was reached, the motor engine travelling at a good rate of speed. At this stage, however, the driver, in turning round the corner into High-street, took a wide sweep, apparently with the intention of passing on the outside of a furniture van which was standing in the street. An electric tramcar, proceeding in the direction of St. Kilda-road, came into view, and before either the fire engine or the tram could be brought to a standstill they had collided.
The force of the impact was such that the occupants of the fire engine — Fireman Moore, Station Officer A. Cross and Fireman Morris Logan — were thrown high into the air, and landed on the roadway several yards away. The engine was forced forward a distance of 87 feet before the tram car was stopped.
There were several people in the vicinity of the accident. The Prahran station of St. John ambulance was communicated with, and the three firemen, who appeared to be badly injured, were hurriedly removed to Alfred Hospital, They were medically attended to by Dr Lang, but after spending a short while at the institution they were able to proceed to their respective homes. The driver, Fireman Moore, sustained a broken wrist and shock; while Station Officer Cross and Fireman Logan received severe cuts and bruises.
A remarkable feature of the occurrence was that only one person on the tram car was injured. The driver was Thomas Burgess, of Euston-street, Malvern, and the conductor was X. Panioty. There was a fairly large complement of passengers. Mrs Raises, of Chapel-street, Prahran, however, was taken to her home in a St John ambulance suffering from shock. A doctor subsequently saw her, and from inquiries made last night, it was learned that she was somewhat improved. Late in the afternoon Station Officer Cross and Fireman Logan were able to resume duty at South Yarra fire station.
Conflicting versions of the accident were given by bystanders who witnessed the occurrence and by the Fire Brigade officials. It was stated by several people, who were attracted to the street by the clanging of the fire bell attached to the motor engine, that the engine was proceeding at fully 25 miles an hour when driven from Bendigo-street into High-street. (Even then, it was added, the driver of the engine did not observe the generally accepted 'rule of the road,' but travelled on to his wrong side. By the time he had passed the furniture van, at the corner of Bendigo and High streets, it was then apparently too late to divert the vehicle to its correct side. The tramcar was running at the ordinary speed, and the vehicles came together with a resounding crash. Official reports of the occurrence stated that on approaching the corner of Bendigo and High streets, Prahran, the driver of the fire engine slackened the speed. There was a furniture van standing on the corner, and the driver had to run out into the centre of the roadway to avoid it. The fireman on the motor did not see or hear the tramcar until passing the furniture van. The tram seemed to be travelling at a fast rate, and after the impact, the motor was carried a distance of 87 feet down High-street before the tramcar was brought to a standstill.
The motor vehicle was severely damaged. Both the front and rear near side wheels were broken, the spokes being ripped out. The mudguards, running board, steering gear and the supporting arms of the engine were broken off. The front portion of the tram was damaged, and the car was driven back to the repair shop. An inquiry into the cause of the accident will be held.
