Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-29
BIG BLAZE AT GLEN ECHO.
The Picturesque Pattawomeck Cafe Burned
to Ashes.


The Picturesque Pattawomeck Cafe Burned
| to Ashes.
NARROW ESCAPE OF THE INMATEs-A LOSS OF
ss5, 0O0-scENEs AND INcrDxYTs-A TALK WITT
THE PRoPRIEroR-How HE SAVED HIS FAMILY
THRILLING EXPERIENCES.
The picturesque Glen Echo Cafe, one of tn,
most attractive resorts about Washington, nov
remains in memory only, for about $50 oclocl
this morning it took fire and within IN hou,
was totally destroyed.
Glen Echo Cafe was beautifully situated on tn.
Conduit road about five miles beyond George
town on an eminence commanding an unbroker
view of the Potomac and the Virginia hill
for miles, The originality of the
structure. both as to architecture
and material, made it one of the mos. UNIQUE
public houses in this country or abroad I'm
hewn cedar logs were alone used for the ex.
terror and interior excepting the floors and
trimmings. Around the sides of the build.
ing winding steps of unhewn cedar logs led to
| attractive towers far above the house proper,
in which open towers al fresco dinners were
served to small parties.
| The handsome port cochere escaped the fury
OF the flames, as did the picturesque gateway.
On the site of this popular road resort now
only stands an immense stone chimney.
| THE INMATES ESCAPED
There were in the house at the time Mr.. Ed.
win Baltzley, his wife, two children, Mr. Baltz.
ley's sister and about eight or ten servants and
| employees, all of whom escaped. Nothing worthy
| OF mention was saved, and the fleeing ones had
TO make good their retreat in their night
| clothes.
Mr.. Ellwood Hallcwell. the architect of '.Pat-
| tawomeck," was seen by STAR reporter this
morning nursing broken foot which injury
he had received while trying to save something
from the flames.
MIR. Hallowell told the reporter that the
building cost fully s75 600 embracing the cleo
trio plant. The building of this cafe was be-
gun In February, 1880. and for four months
steady work was done upon it. Sixty car
| penters were employed, and some time in July
the house WAS opened for the reception OF
guests. In the construction of this resort Mr..
| HallOwell informed the reporter that 40 900
sticks Of cedar were used, and that each stick
was taken off the premises or immediate
| vicinity.
| There were in the "Pattayomeck" at least
| twenty rooms, besides the large dining hall,
! which was 100 feet long by 40 feet wide, which
could easily accommodate several hundred
guests --....--...
Every precaution was taken against fire in
the place. said Mr.. Hallowoll, 'but the fire
was so located that the precautions could not
| be used
Amid the network Of pipes and coils an iron
safe stands. which contains about s175, all that
was saved from the fire. Near by lies tray,
upon which Is placed several cream jugs,
| spoons, forks and nut crackers. The boiler
was not totally destroyed, but is greatly
| warped.
1t is the intention of Mr.. Baltzy to erect
| at once pavilion upon this site, and to
grade and transform the forest around into a
park. It is quite certain that before great
while there will be another Glen Echo Cafe,
but 1t will be erected out Of less perishable
material.
WHAT MIR. BALTzLEY SAYS
MIR. Edwin Ealtzley, who, in connection with
his brother Edward, is the proprietor of the
| cafe. and the owner Of large tract of the adj
joining country known as Glen Echo Heights.
was found this morning in his Office in the Sun,
building. He was without a collar and his
clothes were selections from such odd
garments as he able to pick up
in the hurry of getting out of the burning
building. In spite of the misfortune, which he
has suffered, he was in good spirits and spoke
more of his plans for repairing the damage
than of the disaster last night. His account of
the fire was given in few words.
He spent last night in company with
the managers of the cafe, Messrs. Burch
and Fricbley sitting before a wood fire
which burned in the large brick fire place in
the main hall of the building. His wife, sister,
her children and maid were in their rooms in
one OF the ,pavilions connected with the main
building by passage way. The cook
and her walters were asleep in
their rooms below the main hail. About II 80
the three gentlemen concluded to 60 to bed.
Before retiring Mr.. Baltzley SAYS that he went
| down stairs to the kitchen, which is under the
main hall, to see that everything was in proper
| shape. He noticed that the range, which was
connected with the same chimney, as the fire.
| place in the main hall contained small fire
| and that the small fire for the boilers located
on the outside of the building had been
drawn. The wood fire in the big fireplace had
| also died down to n few embers. This was the
condition, Mr.. Baltzley says, when he and his
companions retired for the night.
THE ALARM.
Everybody in the building was in sound
sleep when about $50 o'clock an alarm of fire
was sounded. Mr.. Baltzley was awakened by
his sister coming to his bed room and
arousing him with the intelligence
| at once sprang from his bed and rushing out
/ took in the situation at glance. The main
building was even then wrapped in flames. He
saw that no time was to be lost
Quickly returning to his apartments he carried
| his two children out. followed by the other
members of the family. They were all in their
| night clothes. AZ soon rs they had reached a
place of safety Mr.. Baltzley hurried back and
threw clothes and blankets out of the
window. In the meantime the cook,
who it is thought was the first one
about the building to awaken, had
! jumped out the window and in her haste rolled
down the steep embankment nearly to the
edge of the canal. She aroused the walters
| and they got out Of the windows without wait
ing to dress. 1t was
! A sHIvERINa GROUP
that stood ont in the chill night air and watched
the beautiful spectacle Of the burning bqilding
Mr.. BaItzley says that it was the grandest sight
he ever saw. The building, as stated, wa,
constructed almost entirely of cedar trees
which were used in their natural state. The
material was infiammable and the fire spread
with such rapidity that in about an hour moth
ing. he said left OF the picturesque structure
with its paviions but heap of ashes and
charred wood. No part was left stand
| ing except the porte cochere. which
| is q short distance from the building and thu
stove chimney. Mr.. Haltziey distributed the
clothing he had among his shivering compan.
| ions and the entire party returned to the city
in the tally no which happened to be there.
THE LOSERS AND INSURANCE.
The origin of the fire il a mystery to Mr.
Baltzley, although he says that he supposes il
started in the chimney. His loss he places a
about Ss5.O0O- He estimates that the buldin,
cost $4,000 and the balance covers the vain,