Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-01
A new YEAR FIRE.
Mr.. Blaine's Mansion On Dupont
Circle in Flames.
mr. LETTERS FAMILY HOMELESS.
Most of the Valuable Contents of
the House Saved.
HOW THE FIRE ORIGINATED.

| ~ was discovered mat the residence owned by
Mr.. Blaine and occupied by Mr.. L. z. Letter,
| on Dupont circle, at the intersection Of Con-
| necticut and Massachusetts, avenues, was in
flames. The news spread rapidly through the
city and in marvelously short time thousands
Of persons had gathered at the scene.
| The IRE was FIRST discovered on the third
floor at the rear staircase by young colored
man named Lomax. The rear staircase goes
| from the top to bottom Of the house and
ascends even to a cupola above the roof limit.
An elevator shaft occupies the center Of
| the stairway and it 10 thought the
fire started on one of the lower floors, ascended
the shaft and only broke out at the third, or
| top floor.
n THE HOUs1.
In the house at the time beside the servants
| were Mr.. and Mrs Letter, Mr.. Joseph Letter
| and Mrs. F. Remington and Mrs. Prettiman,
| who were visiting the house.
Lomax on discovering the fames which
| were bursting from closed door leading to the
cnpola. rushed down stairs and informed the
| family. Immediately all was confusion and
excitement.
An alarm was turned in at the box in front
OF the house and the department responded
promptly. Engines No. /, 5 and Z arrived in the
order named, and the hustle and confusion
| which always attends fire Of any magnitude
| ensued.
AGENKRAL ALARM.
A general alarm followed shortly and soon
| the entire fire department with the exception
Of No. was on the scene. The police we're on
hand nearly as soon as the fire laddies, and the
| large crowd that seemed to spring from the
ground, so quick was the arrival, were kept in
excellent order.
Mrs. Letter and Mrs. Prettiman retained
| self-contrOl to o remarkable degree, and left
| the house without the slightest excitement.
REMOVING THE FURNITURE.
| The rest of the inmates of the house, aided
| by large number of volunteers, commenced o
raid on the furniture and in a short time nearly
all the valuables on the upper floors we're re-
moved down stairs and on the street.
The entire attention of the fire department
the Are was raging with considerable violence
ladder On tho north side ' Of the soase ans
| truck A did the same for the front, and by IL
o'clock half dozen streams Of water were
kissing and suffering in the flames. The fire
WAS practically under control fifteen minutes
after the arrival Of the first engine, and by
| 1880 only a small amount Of struggling flame
and smoke was left.
DEsoLATKp MANSION.
The result, however, was deplorable for the
| handsome mansion. The rear staircase was
mass of charred timbers while the cupola on
top seemed about to fall. The entire upper
| door except the front room was burned to
| some extent, while everything in the house
was more or loss damaged by the water, which
poured in constant and damaging stream
| from the top to the bottom.
Chief Paris, who was early on tie scene, is
Of the opinion, which is general in the house
hold that the fire started on the second floor
| in the vicinity of the elevator shaft.
HR. REMINaroN's ACCOUNT.
Mr.. Remington, one Of the first to reach the
| top story where the flames were bursting out,
| said that the linen closet close to the shaft
point. The door Of the closet was locked and
| the flames were pouring through.
ATTEMPTED TO RxTINaUIsH THE RIAMKs.
Even before the fire department arrived the
attempt was made to subdue the flames. Mr..
James Caul6eld, who resides opposite the
burning building, seeing the smoke rushed
over and with his assistance q small hose
belonging to the house was attached and q
| stream turned on the burning staircase.
| On the north side Of the house the portico
and lawn WAS crowded with piles of handsome
| furniture, rugs pictures and curtains. The
Letter house was one of the most handsomely
furnished in the city, but in times Of fire every
| body is in q hurry, and today the expensive
| trappings we're bundled away unceremoniously
The condition Of the streets, on account of
| the slush, made it pretty difficult travelling for
the engines, but in spite OF the difficulties the
| engines arrived promptly and no time was lost
| in getting to work.
THE DAMAGE.
The amount of damage done by the fire can
not, Of course, be estimated, but it must GER
tainly run away up into the thousands of dol
lars. A usual in the case Of big fire Of that
hn dan, hu fhn utar
viii more than equal that of the
| flames. The costly woodwork, frescoing and
papering throughout the house are ruined and
| the house must DO overhauied from top to bot
! tom, well as repaired. before il will be in q
habitabe condition again. Fire Marshal Drew,
| In conversation with STAR reporter, roughly
| estimated the damage to the house at SIS, 900.
The damage was almost entirely to the house,
| for as soon the flames were discovered and
| the alarm turned in the maids and the servants
| started to work to remove the handsome paint
| ings and furniture and store them in
| the neighboring houses that were opened up
Hospitality at once. In this they were assisted
by the police and a number Of willing vol
| untcers.
GUARDING THE PROPERTY.
The reserve police from the first, second.
third, seventh and eighth precincts were
promptly on hand and drew ropes around the
building TO keep back the immense crowd Of
spectators that quickly gathered The patrol
wagon from the first precinct soon brought
| Lieut.. Amiss and his mon to the scene Of the
conhagration. The police did excellent service in
preventing any attempts to steal anything from
the house. Officer Wannell caught ono man in
the act Of removing some small articles to his
buggy and at once placed him under arrest
This was about the only event of that Irt that
came to light. Maj Moore, the superintendent
OF police, put In an appearance at the fire and
supervised the operations Of his men.
| GOWNS THAT WERE SAVED.
In the garnet were stored seven immense
trunks packed with gowns just from Paris
Although they were in the room just in front
of the back building, where the fire ragged
| fierccst, they were upinjured apparently, as
the trunks themselves were closed and water
proof
THE SERVANTS ROOMS CLEANED OUT.
| The servants rooms in the rear Of the house
were completed Quilted by the flames and hardly
any Of their effects were saved. One trunk, be-
longing to Miss Letters maid, who is in New
York. was removed to place of safety,
and that was about ALL In this part
Of the house the woodwork and par
ttions were burned out entirely and the
staircase aud elevator shaft furnished . splendid
| drau8ht to the flames. At the top hoor or
garnet, Just under the roof, the fire spread and
took in almost the entire portion under the
| roof and in the big tower.
| Before the fire department could get their
hose in place and the streams directed the
| flames were pouring out of the roof and wav