Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-19
GASOLINE EXPLOSION
d STREET BUILDING SCENE OF
AN EXCITING FIRE.
Two Men Burned, One Painfully-The
Building Was but Slightly
Damaged.

The explosion of a gasoline stove in the
front room on the second floor Of 9O6 d
street northwest caused fire about $3.50
; O'Clock this morning at which several ex-
citing scenes were enacted. B. L. Bolden.
the occupant Of the house, who conducts a
saloon on the first floor; William Perry, his
| colored helper, and William Getz, a Gus
toner, were slightly burned. Getz and
Ferry were taken to the Emergency Hos
pital, where their injuries were dressed.
The explosion of the gasoline made a
loud report, and small boy who saw
smoke coming from the window hurried to
the corner of 9th and D streets and turned
in an alarm. Persons who congregated on
the street and awaited the arrival of. the
fire engines were startled to see a man
threatening to jump from the third-story
window. This man was Mr.. Bolden. the
proprietor of the place. When he realized
that the building was burning and there
was danger Of his personal effects being
destroyed he ran from the saloon to his
sleeping room on the third floor and threw
his wearing apparel to the street. Then he
turned and started downstairs through the
smoke. On the second floor he came in
contact with the flames and his hair was
slightly singed. He went hastily back to
the third floor, and going to the front win
dow he looked about to see how he could
reach the sidewalk in safety. He would
probably have jumped from the window
had not the people on the sidewalk warned
him of the danger.
Was About to Jump.
Bolden thought the time had about ar
rived when he could no, longer hold on, and
was about to jump, when a ladder was
brought from the adjoining building, and
he descended before the firemen arrived to
help him
o,,I ~,
room without assistance. The colored man,
who is about seventy-five years old, occu-
pied the room in which the fire occurred,
and was preparing breakfast on the gas
oline stove when Getz called on him. Getz
had been in the room but short time
when the explosion occurred. A crowd of
excited people gathered in front of the side
walk and spread report that two men had
lost their lives in the flames. When Getz
and Perry were placed in the ambulance
their appearance indicated that they had
been seriously injured, but the doctors
found that Perry had received only
slight burn on his wrist. Getz's face had
been painfully scorched. The hair Of both
had also been singed.
Perry left the hospital about ten minutes
after he reached there and Getz was able
to leave later in the day. GetZ gave his
age as thirty-eight years, and told the doc
tors his home is at No. 8 N street north
west. The building where the fire occurred
is owned by r. T. Warwick. 1t was only
slightly damaged.
Fire Horses Have a Fall.
Three of the fire departments horses fell
while responding to the alarm. When the
hose carriage and engine of No. company
reached Az street and Pennsylvania avenue
a street car in the way prevented the driv-
ers from making the usual long turn, and
one horse attached to each apparatus fell.
No serious injury was received by either
animal, and the delay caused by the acct
dent was but a few seconds. Near the
scene of the fire the horse drawing Assist
ant Chief Sorrell's buggy fell. and was
slightly injured.