Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-02-04
THE GREAT FIRE THIS MORNUNG
BURNING OF the JEFFERSON SCHOOL.
BUILDING.
PARTICULARS OF THE DISASTER.

timore and Potomac railroad, discovered flash OF
light in the NTH grade shool taught hv Miss Kate
MAXWELL, on the first floor OF the west main en-
trance OF the Jefferson public school building cor
ner OF 9Th street and Virginia avenue and notified
No. Engine Company. near by. The conpany
responded Immediately and turned In an alarm
IRON box No. az, ana after a haSty examination
the onildng was found 90 be on fire within owing
10 the comhustiole material used In the conS,rlc-
tlon general alarm was turned I'm four minutes
later calling out the whole fire department.
SCARCITY OF WATER
No. = company went 10 work with viii. ana
very soon arterward the entire fire department.
responded, and were put 10 work 20 extingush the
nre Ihe greatest exertlons were used hut owing,
TO the scarcity or water their efforts were nefrec
tual 10 prevent the spread OF the imes The fire.
men men entered the door, but as they could not COM
the wl.h Ihe burning portion, they burst In
northwest corner, first story, In flames and
THE FIRE RUNNING Up TIRE VENTILATION F1rR,
which communicates with the main ventilattnp
smart OF The west wing, which is about four feet
square, and, before water could be applied,
the fire was spreading towards the
ROOF through this shaft ana in loss
than twenty minutes, the flames were cracking
oaiouEh the entire length and breadth of the roof
anu through the large lecture room ia the tor,
story-al constructed OF pine wood. The ianitor
MI. JULIUS STobel. and Mr.. Simon Imrie who live
very near, were among the first on the eround
having been awakened by Mr. Coftiie nlember of
No. engine company. Mr. strobe gave every at
tentlon 10 opening the rooms and otherwise faciii
tatlng The engine companies.
THE FIRE TOO FOR OUR LIMITED pEP.RrNp>yv
FOREMAN w. l. Sorrell, who was hurt lsCnf ip the
morning by falling timber, states that the fire
ragged with such rapdity and power that had there
been any quanttyof water there was not a force
sufifcient 10 stay the flames The night was cold
with a steady breeze and the snow Storm had NOT
commenced, but the fire seemed to communicated
.seIl very quickly through the ventfIating shafts
N hn hull
DEFECTIVE CONSTRUCTION
The construction OF the building was not calcu.
lated 10 guard much against the spread OF fire as
there were no fire walls above the second story.
and even below this story they were cut for doors
wood.
WHAT THE JANIToR SAYS
Janitor StrOb1 says there was an exhff,ftton
given In the lecture room, top story after the
schools closed yesterday afternoon, and
heat had been turned on. during the day
no steam on after O'Clock, and during the lecture
about O'Clock in the afternoon. the fires In the
furnace were banked up for the day. The JefIer-
son Literary and Debating o.iety held meeting
early after lighting up time, in the library room
Immediately over the room I'm which the fire was
olecoF.red 1hey had 10 communication with
any other room, and the meeting was of short
DURATION Mr. rhomas the librarian, obtained the
afternoon and placed the KEYS I'm the little box as
has always been the custom on such occasions,
"hefe lte lahitor gets them In the morning.
THE FIRE BURNED ALL NIGHT
and the engines were sim playing on the smould-
ering debris at l2 O'Clock to-day. The building is
utterly destroyed from base up, AMI nothing but
the walls are standing, and they are intact, ex-
cept the center portion or the front wall, which
lell In, dragged In prob bly, by the heavy falling
ttmbers OF the roof. There was no portion OF the
building fire-proof, ana had the fire burs; out in
Tue DAY Tine, when the children are all present.
there Is no knowing how many lives might have
been lost.
THE LOSSES AND INSURANCE
The building cost In the first place sis0,0o0, and
the rooms were all furnished with the best kind OF
school furniture. The library OF the jefferson Lit
erary and Debating Society, six hundred volumes
were al destroyed. They were composed OF a fine
selection of miscellaneous books and there is no
insurance on them. There was an insurance OF
$4,000 on the building ana $500 on the furniture
mostly in foreign comp anies. There were twenty
MAE school rooms in the building with "A capacity
Tor sixty pupils each, making 2,.40 IL the rooms
were all filled.
THE CAUSE or TUE FIRE
Is unknown, but the opinion prevails generally To-
day that ii originated In the furnace-room.
ACCIDENTS TO FTRENEN.
John Kane, or No. company, was very severely
burned by the explosion OF some chemicals in the
second story, used To run the electric clocks ana
bells. Ills hair and beard were burnad from his
head and his face ana lips dreadfuily torn. Dr.
Riley gave medical attendance. and he was sent 10
hts home, No. 112 18th street northeast. Later,
SOfTtl H. tl I engine. MtN injured hy
the falling OF burning timber. which struck him
on the head. and h3a it rot been Tor his freman's
nat he would have been Killed He was taken to
Tue engine house and attended by Dr. HaZen.
Charley Boss ana nTeln Adams, of No. COM
pany. were also badly burned at the same time
that Kane was hurt.
The citizens living i'm the vicinity aided the fire.
men all in their power, and Were prcfuSe In dis
trbut ng hot coffee and other refreshments To the
Virginii avenue ana Mr TsItafeTroi wo ilves 9s
Just opposite TIE burned building. furnished the
hremen md policemen with hot coffee and other
refreshments
NO DANGER OF FAILING WALLS.
The sidewalks have been roped of to prevent
accidents from falling bricks, and the police are
guarding the ruins The whole structure is COM
pletely Quilted, and there VIII be nothing saved OF
value. Architect Clu-S paid visit % tie ruins
about u O'Clock and states that there il no danger
or the walls tunlbling i'm, they are very thick
and strong. He Is also reported as having said
thtt $4,000 would put the building back TO where
it was before the flre
TIE DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS IN FAVOR OF A NEW
SITE.
The District Commissioners say they are in
favor OF selling the ground and together with the
Insurance money erecting two new buildings in
stead Of reoonstluctng this one; but all these are
questions to be settled hereafter. It Is probable
that there viii be thorough invest eaton insti-
tuted by the school board as 70 the Cause OF the
fire.
THE BuILDING CNGuARDED AT NIGHT
1t Is fact that there is one left Oh the premi-
ses at night 10 guard the building, and that the
janitor was compelled TO vacate the building as
dwelling for his family some three years since by
The boarj OF health on the ground that t was not
tenaEtable on account OF bad ventilation. IL Is
also well known that the building could be entered
from the outside at many Of the windows.
THE REPORT OF TIE ''sAFETY COMMISSION"
On this building published in Fridays STAR, JAM
uary %, is as follows:
''The Jefferson building, on the southeast corner
or 9th and ID streets southwest, has capacity Tor
LOGO pupils ln this building are crowded greater
number or pupils Than In any other in the District.
1t is provided with two wooden stairwayS, stu.
ated near each end OF the building. The hall,
floors and landings OF wood. The steam boilers
are located Immediately under the exit hail. In
the third story Is large hall, capable OF seating
500 persons. The only passage from one end OF
the building Ia the other, on the first and second
noors, Is a door In the partition between the two
rear school rooms i'm the center portion OF the
structure. II is advised that similar doors be placed
In the partition between the 'front.' rooms in the
center section, SO that ln case OF fire at one end
the pupils may pass freely 10 the other Ii is also
suggested, that the boilers be removed from their
present position, and placed in a separate building
at the rear, as soon as practicable. Also that the
corridor floors, landings and stafrways be con-
Structed with hre-prooi material, and that an en-.