The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-03-26
MYSTERIOUS blaze
TN DOWNTOWN STORE
Furniture Establishment On
Ninth Street.
FIRE STARTS IN BASEMENT
Building Owned by the Robert Boyd Is
tate and Store by Mr. Leon Stein.
Loss Estimated at $1,000, Insurance on
Stock $500.

Fire Of mysterious origin this morn
ing in the basement Of the five-story
and basement brick building at 4l9 Ninth
Street northwest. occupied by Mr. Leon
Stein as a furniture and picture frame
store. and owned by the Robert Boyd
estate. caused loss Of about 81 500 to.
the stock ard building. Mr.. Stein car
RED $500 insurance On his stock
The flames were discovered in a pile
Of paper in the front part of the base
ment near the elevator shaft Mr. StcinI
began to fight the flames while a boy.
Carroll Jameson, who was in TIT. rear of
the basement at The time. was sent 10
turn in an alarm. Engine companies
Ncs- 2, 4. and 8. trucks A and c and the
water tower responded, reaching the
scene about 7:45 O'Clock.
By that time an immense crowd had
gathered and Niath street was com
pletely blocked. The police found it diff
cult to clear sufficient space for the OPP
Grafton Of the fremcn. and were kept
busy for some time after the fire had been
eXtinguished in keeping the people back
and the walks and street open.
May Have Been Spontaneous.
No theory is advanced rs to the cause
Of the blaze. Spontaneous combustion
has been suggested, owing TO the flames
being found first in a pile OF paper. The
furnace is located in the extreme rear
OF the basement. and there was no fire
in 1t this morning. There were no cleo
frfe wires in fba hoca-,ryt I'll - - -
was in the rear Of the basement at the
time the blaze was discovered. did not
know Of the fire until he saw Mr.. stein
fighting the flames
The flames spread quickly. being car
ricd up TO the first and second floors
through the elevator shaft. and when the
fremen arrived, had spread throughout
those two floors and were making progress
on the third foo-
The ceiling Of the second story yras
composed Of merely cotton tackled on the
rafters and covered with paper, although
to all appearances it was a thick lath
and plaster ceiling When the FIRE reached
IT the ceiling blazed like the paper it was
and burning pieces fell upon the furniture
and pictures. igniting them.
Confined to Two Floors.
The fremen forced their way through
the smoke and flames into the first floor
and ladders were run up on the outside
TO the second and third stories.
Under the direction Of Assistant Fore
man Frank J. Wagner. Of the Fire De-
partment. as much Of the stock as was
not already burning and could be reached
was moved into the back part OF the
building where the flames had not yet
reached.
The water was then turned on in foods.
and the flames were beaten back and pre-
vented from securing a mold in the third
story Riggs and rolls Of Mating were
thrown cut into the street and the hose
turned on them.
Within three-QuarteTs OF an hour. the
flames were totally extinguished and the
engine companies were able TO leave.
Nj. STEMS Statement.
Mr.. Stein stated 70 a reporter for The
Times that he was absolutely unable to
account for the origin Of the fire. He
had just entered the store. he said, about
FIVE minutes before the flames we're dis
covered His first knowledge Of the fire
was the sight OF flames pouring up. the
elevator shaft. He ran down into the
basement and endeavored 70 extinguish
the blaze. but finding this impossible. sent
the boy 10 give the alarm.
He is unable 10 state exactly the amount
Of the loss at the present time. as he had
Just gotten large stock OF new goods
IN few days ago. The building is not
damaged to any great extent.