Evening star., 1895-04-24
A BLAZE AT HYATTSvILLE.
Citizens Have to Work Hard to Save
Their Property.

Their Property.
A fire that broke out in the lower portion
of Hyattsville last evening would. 1t Is
thought. have swept away all the houses
situated on Railroad and Locust avenues
below the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
track had it not been for the prompt ac-
ton Of the citizens. Shortly after o'clock
the roof of the double frame house at the
corner of Railroad and Locust avenues.
owned and occupied by Miss Annie Drake,
was discovered to be on fire by several
pc rsons who were walking on the oppo-
site side Of the street. An alarm was i'm
mediately raised and a number of citizens
quickly responded and made strenuous ef
forts to extinguish the flaraes. The occu-
pants of the house were Mr.. and Mrs.
Drake, Mr. Ager and Miss Annie Drake.
They did not seem to realize their danger
until several citizens rushed into the house
and urged them to leave 1t, as 1t was on
fire. Mr.. Drake was brought out of the
back window down a ladder by a colored
man named Matthews, and considerable
difficulty was experienced in taking Miss
Drake from the house. as she appeared to
be in dazed condition at the time. Nearly
everything that the house contained was
removed to the sidewalk and thus saved
from the flames. An apparatus belonging
to the defunct fire company of this town,
consisting of hose and force pump, was
brought into requistion and made to play
upon the hames. A number of people en-
ployed in Washington. who came out on
the 4:2S and 4:S1 trains from that city,
then made their appearance and went i'm
media teiy to work. Quite a crowd from the
adjoining village of Bladensburg also ar
HyattSville neighbors in endeayoring to
subdue the flames. The house however,
was fated to be destroyed, as the flames,
famed by the northwest breeze, leaped
n fr nd Shnyr
every direction. The next house in the
row. belonging to Mr.. Marion Duckett and
occupied by Mr.. Wilson Brawner and his
family, consisting of wife and child, then
caught fire. and all efforts TO further fight
the flames that were enveloping the first
house were abandoned Attention was
turned to saving the second house and pre-
venting the fire from further spreading
BY this time a crowd of fully 500 people,
comprising men, women and children, had
conSreSated on both sides of the street
and the excitement was intense, while the
heat from the burning houses was almost
uncomfortable. The barrel which held the
water for the force pump fell to pieces
and water had to be carried in buckets
Some of tine men began to knock the shin
giles from the roof and the boards from
the side of the house A force pump from
BladenSburg was obtained, which when at
tached to the Hyattsville hose worked
satisfactorily and succeeded in saving the
Duckett house from destruction. Hardly
had this fire been extinguished before the
roof of the vacant house of Mrs Prime, on
Locust avenue next to the Methodist
Church, caught fire. and there was a rush
in that direction. This, however was soon
put out. Mr.. Frank Wilson's house. near
the corner of Locust and Railroad avenues
and Mr.. Holton's house, occupied by Mr.
L. X. Miller, on Locust avenue nearly
opposite, also caught fire from the roofs
but the flames were extinguished before
any damage was DONE These three houses
caught fire from sparks flying from the
burning houses. Had not the roofs of the
other houses in the near neighborhood
been protected by tin they would also,
probably. have caught fire, and that por-
ton of the town would have been in great
danger of being destroyed. The Drake
house burned completely to the ground
leaving three chimneys standing which
were afterward showed down, as it was
not considered safe to leave them standing
There was an insurance upon this house
of 81 900, the furniture being also insured
Only one part Of this house was occupied
the other being somewhat old. and evident
ly intended for a store. The fire originated
in the caves of the unoccupied part, and it
is the general opinion that it was caused
from a spark thrown from the engine of
passing express. The Duckett house was
also insured. 1t was rather badly damaged
on the roof and side. All the furniture and
other articles it contained We're saved. The
Drake and Brown families removed to Mr.
Joseph Amans house, on Liberty avenue.
DR. Alfred Wells telephoned to the fire de-
partment in Washington, asking that an
engine should be sent out, and was inform
ed that one would be sent, but when the