Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-19

No. Z.
Alonzo Taylor citizen. hand burned by
Edward c. Frey, face burned by electric
wire:
A confagration, accompanied by sad
sacrifice Of human life and the destruction
of large amount of valuable property
visited Washington last night and for sew
eral hours held the attention of its people
to the exclusion Of all else The burned
area occupies the center of the triangular
square bounded by 9th, 10th and Il streets
northwest and Louisiana avenue, and twen-
ty-two buildings were virtually destroyed
together with all their contents, causing a
total loss of probably $2OO,O0O.
During the progress of the fire scenes
heartrendins and affecting, pitiful and SEN
saticnal, followed closely upon one another
stlrrlng the vast concourse of spectators to
Uncomfortable emotions and squirting men
to deeds of heroism and self-sacrfice un-
eXampled in the history of the capital.
The origin of the fire is obscure and Is
attributed to several causes. The most
plausible appears to be that the heavy
electrical storm which passed over the CITY
just previous to the discovery of the flames
had surcharged the wires entering the
branch office of the Postal Telegraph Com
pany at 919 B street. and the heavy cur-
rent had ignited the woodwork of the
structure where the wires entered Anoth-
er solution was tnat the Goals remaining
from fire kindled in the street by truck
ers attending the wholesale produce mar,
ket mad been blown by the wind into debris
piled near tn" telegraph office and, setting
1t on fire, had communicated with the
building. Whatever the cause the con-
migration commenced at the point indi-
Gated about o'clock. and was making
rapid headWay when the engines arrived
the latter having been delayed by a con-
fusion of alarms and a consequent inabil-
ity on the part of the firemen to locate the
fire. 'i-e
All the apparatus and all the me, he-
longing to the department were in attend
ance In short time, however leaving the
entire remainder of the city and the Die
trlct inside the fire limits unprotected. 1t
was quickly realized that one of the roost
difficult jobs in the experience of the do
partment was before it. Owing to the con-
fSuration of the square there was no alley
IN 1t, and accordingly no means by which
the fire fighters could reach the flames
save from the surrounding streets and nv
entering through buildings that were quick
ly succumbing to the devouring element
every minute. Twenty minutes after the
engines went to work the central portion
of the block was a mass of flames that
rushed heavenward with roar, lighting
up the city and surrounding country for
miles The crowd that quickly gathered
was enormous, and added to the difticultv
of the firemen in quelling their obstinate
enemy. The reserve police was called out
and the mounted force detailed for the
parade ordered to the scene, and they did
excellent work in keeping the excited peo-
pie back of the lines, but when the fact be-
came known that some of the fremen had
been caught and crushed under falling
walls, even the efforts of the officers were
almost poWerless to restrain the thrones
The fire had, by o'clock, spread east
and west, from the telegraph office on B
street, and then north, communicating
with the rear of the buildings fronting on
Louisiana avenue, and a number of fremen
were ordered around on that side to meet
and repel the flames The hose detail of
No. 8 entered the establishment Of w. E.
Clark & Co., at No. 924-926 Louisiana ave-
nue., fer this purpose, and were galant!y
fighting the fire when the floor fell cutting
OIL the escape of number of them, in
Guiding VIM. J. McElwee, Joe Mulhall, Ar
thur Donaldson and George w. Kettler, all
of No. engine company, who were buried
under the mass of broken timber and
twisted iron, and the contents of the oflor
that had fallen.
The Second Crash.
To the work of subduing the fire was now
added the more important duty of rescuing
their comrades and the firemen labored
as they never had before Owing to the
danger of drowning the imprisoned men,
the water head was reduced, and the debris
was merely sprayed while the rescuers
worked.
While this heroic duty was being done
another appalling catastrophe occurred. A
force of firemen from No. . engine had en-
tered No. 026 Louisiana avenue, and pro-
ceeded to the rear to keep the flames from
their imprisoned comrades. While engaged
in this the rear wall of No. 024 fell in, and
the third floor of 926 went down to the base
nient 1t quickly became known that three
more men were buried, and the efforts of
the workers were redoubled in seeming
sympathy with the excitement of the
watching crowds.
Injured and Dead.
Shortly before 10 o'clock a shout went
up. and figure of man was brought out
through the heavy pail of smoke from
Clarks place. He was Arthur NJ Donald
son, fireman of No company, who was
discovered alive, but badly burned about
the body. He was taken to Providence
Hospital.
Twenty minutes later William J. McEl-
Vice. fireman of company No g, was res
cued. He was injured in the same way,
and was taken TO the same hospital
Joe Mulhall of No. was discovered
about the same time, but he was entangled
in lot of barbed wire and under heavy
timbers. He was finally released, and was
taken to Providence Hospital his lower
limbs crushed and cut and his body badly
burned.
George w. Kettler, also of No. s. was
rescued after long and difficult work, after
being Imprisoned foYr hours and retaining
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