Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-17

he entire lire department was at inc
scene and worked like demons. although
they realized that no efforts Of theirs could
possibly stay the progress Of the flames.
Chief Paris was on hand a few minutes
after the fire broke cut, and took COM
mand of the department. from the start.
Fire Marshal Drew and Assistant Chiefs
Lowe and Belt also lid good service. Major
Moore superintendent of police, and Capt.
Austin, with rumber of lieIt enants, were
on hand with large force of officers who
had plenty OF work to do in keeping back
the tremendous crowds that filled all the
streets. For some time traffic on the It'll
street cable line was interrupted by the
lines OF hose which crossed the street. but
SOON they had the bridges in position, and
after that the cars went Under without in
terruption.
Damage Estimated mt S15O,OOO.
Assistant Building Inspector King told q
Star reporter that the damage to the build
inss, he thought, would amount to about
$4,000. and probably more.
One of the members Of the firm Of Stumph
& Bro. told a Star reporter that he could
not estimate the amount of loss to the
stock. although he thought 1t would amount
to more than $4,000, and he thought the in
surance covered something less than half
the damage. Only about two weeks ago he
increased his insurance 5000 on account of
the addition to the stock on hand.
Nothing definite could be learned con-
corning the insurance the Woodruff
building and stock, although 1t was stated
that the insurance would not cover more
than half the loss.
The falling of the vest wall of the Wood
ruff building knocked in the rear end
CT the old frame structure occupied by
Lowenthal furniture store, damaging
the building and stock to the extent OF
several hundred dollars. When the east
wall of the Stumph building gave way the
bricks and tfmbers covered Benners marble
yard, fattened Hall & Cammack's furniture
house and injured the dispensary building.
dispensary at the time. and this was proba-
bly, because of the fact that there has been
no emergency work done there yet.
On the X Street Side.
On the K street side only a few horse
shoes were left to mark the spot where
Ofenstein's employees had been shoeng
horses only a short time before. and on
the next lot not single oyster shell was
left uncovered
A two-story brick building east of the
oyster depot and in rear of the dispensary
was badly damaged. This building belonged
to the dispensary property, and the upper
ioor was occupied as the meeting place of
some mission organization. while the lower
floor was occupied by the Horse and Cattle
Food Company. While he building was al
most completely wrecked a large part of the
stock was urinjured This company had
Ho iIlsurdHce OH us STOCK.
The Four Injured Men.
The four men who jumped from the
burning building were Immediately taken
to the Emergency Hospital, two In the po-
lice ambulance and two in patrol wagon.
Upon examination it was learned that A.
j. Haske was the most seriously hurt Of
the quartet. He is young white man
twenty years of age. and resides at 2119 F
a compound fracture just above the ankle
and his left foor is also badly hurt bat is
thought not to be broken. The bones were
protrudfng through the flesh of Haske's
right leg. He was put under the influence
OF chloroform and removed to the operating
room, where DIR. Kerr, assisted by the
house staff. made further examination to
determine whether or not amputation would
be necessary
The conclusion reached was that there is
a chSDce to save the limb. and it was set
IN the most careful manner possible and
Haske put to bed.
The othe- men taken to the Emergency
Hospital were Harry Bacon of 43O New
YORK averUe, James z. Vaughn whose adj
dress could not be learned, and Arthur G.
Bevans. who resiGes with his brother-in-
law. Harry Jordan, in Anacostia. Vaughn
and Bacon suffered injuries in the hack
rios and thighs, while Bevans was injured
on the right side and left wrist 1t is not
thousht that their injuries will prove fatal.
Arthur Bevans' story.
Arthur c. Bevans was suffering excru-
eating pains. but told clear and graphic
story of what he remembered of the fire to
a Star reporter
was on the fifth floor, with James
vaughn, at the time we learned that the
building was on fire." he said. I've were
the only ones on that floor. and were get
ing ready to go to dinner when the room
Nt-tt
the time that 1t was dust from the carne.
cleanlng machine but / locked out the
window. and realized the situation imma-
diateiy l shouted to Vaughn that the
ouiidlng was on fire, and we made a rush
Tor the stairs. The fourth floor. however
was a mass of flame, and again 1 shouted
to Vaughn. this time to follow me back and
Try to reach the roof. We could not find
from the outside to come to the Windows
went to a side window, but the smoke was
so dense that I could not see the ground
by this time | had lost all trace Of
vaughn L leaned from the window as
long as l could remain and then hung from
the window sill. At that moment heard INV
brother. in-law, Harry Jordan, shout from
below for me to hold on / retained NV
hold until my fingers began to burn and
then transferred my right hand to the cor
nice. Again 1 heard the cry from below
10 mold on and, almost stified, / replied
that 1t was no use. my strength was going
fast. For few minutes m.C re / hung tha.e
by one hand and then dropped
Down 1 fell through space. I held my
breath and remember turning several SOM
ersaults in the air. Just before reaching
the ground / brushed against a telephone
wire and then struck the groun1 landing
on my side. Oh, how hard fell. The spot
where L struck was portion of a black
smith shop. Some enc picked me up and
that's all 1 knew till / found myself here"
Bevans stated that he could have been
informed of the danger before the fire
reached the fourth floor He is engaged
to be married and 1t was most pathetic
when he spoke to the reporter of his
fancee and his present deplorable plight.
Unable to Account for Every One.
No one who was in the building when
the fire broke out was able to say whether
every one escaped. and there were several
employees who were not accounted for up to
4 late hour this afternoon.
They may possibly, however, have escaped
and hurried at once to their homes. There
were a number of excited women and chill
cren in the crowd seeking information Of
friends or relatives in the building, but 1t
is thought that no further casualty will be
reported. Notwithstanding the danger from
the falling walls, there were no serious ac-
ri hn fran oil