Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-16
BRISK BLAZE TODAY
Local Establishment Threat
ened With Destruction.
employees IN PERIL
WOMAN RESCUED BY MEMBERS OF
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Loss on Stock and Building Estimated
to Be About IS, OOO-Build-
ing insured.
employees IN PERIL

f1uD uTnlIuIc SONpdUy UuAiuih6 a. LILO
southeast corner of 7th and D streets north
west. this afternoon between l and 2
o'clock. Mrs. Mary A. Cook of 125 jack
son street, Anacostia. was rescued from
the third-story rear window by Lieutenant
P. ]. Sullivan of Truck c company. and
Percy Lowe Of Chief Belts Office Mrs.
Cook is fifty years old and was employed
by the Hub company to sew carpets. The
Emergency Hospital ambulance was sum-
moned, but she refused to go to the hos
pital.
Mr.. Charles Jacobson, a clerk in the es-
adjustment. and Mrs Campbell, colored
customer were on the floor with Mrs. Cook
when the fire started in the basement
The smoke quickly filled the upper part Of
the building. but the clerk and messenger
managed to make their way through the
smoke and reach the lower floor Mrs.
Cook was unable to get down. however.
She appeared at one Of the windows on the
D street side of the building and screamed
for help. There was a big crowd of excited
spectators on the sidewalk and street and
some OF them climbed the awning frame
and broke open a window on the second
moor. The woman, who was in danger OF
being suffocated, went as far away from
the thick volume of smoke possible and
opened window in order to get a breath
OF fresh air. There she was at the win
dow opening on narrow alley in rear of
the store and those on the ground were
unable to assist her.
Department Criticised.
Minutes seemed like so many hours, and
the fire department came In for an amount
OF adverse criticism because of the length
Of time that elapsed from the time the
woman appeared at the window on the D
street side of the building until she was
rescued from the window opening in the
alley. The first ladder put up was too short
10 reach the top story and scaling ladders
had to be used. Mrs. Cook remained at the
window while the crowd shouted for the
hremen to hurry. and when 1t saw her
being brought down by the firemen loud
cheer went up. When she reached the
ground she said she was not hurt, and was
carried into the clothing store adjoining
Some OF the excited men who became i'm
patient put a mattress In the alley and
shouted to Mrs. Cook to jump, but she did
not heed them. fortunately, and was saved.
She was partly suffocated by the smoke
but recovered in short time and was able
to go home. Percy Lowe, who participated
in the rescue of Mrs. Cook, cut his hand
and had to have his injury dressed by a
surgeon.
The origin of the fire is not definitely
known. 1t started in the cellar beneath
the grating on d street, quite a distance
from where the furnace is located. 1t is
the belief of some Of the men connected
with the establishment that lighted match
VI Si6oi Oioppcu lLIOuSH tue STdliUS start
ed the confagration. The damage to the
building will not amount to much but the
stock was damaged to the amount of sew
eral thousand dollars by the smoke.
Estimated Values.
The property is owned by Washington 3.
Williams but Is now in the hands of
Charles Linkins. trustee in bankruptcy.
Mr.. Linkins was present during the prog
ress of the fire and said the building and
lot had recently been valued at about $780,.
600, partially insured. 1t has recently been
rented by The Hub Furniture Company,
whose stock is said to have been worth
about 100000.
Total damage by the fire. smoke and
water Is estimated to be about 5000. The
damage to the building Is confined princi-
pally to the basement and the first floor.
Smoke, however, has penetrated every por-
ton of the building. as well as the struc-
lures on each side, and there 1t Is impos-
sible to make an accurate estimate.
Chief Belt assumed personal charge of the
f1re-fghting soon after the blaze COM
menced. Three alarms were sent in, bring
Ing eight engine companies, three hook and
ladder companies and the water tower to
the scene. Everything but the water tower
was put into use, the latter being held
ready on E street in case the flames spread
to the upper part of the building.
Great difficulty was experienced by the
firemen on account Of the close quarters in
which they were forced to work in the base
ment
Adjacent Buildings.
The building next that in which the fire
originated on E street is owned by Mr..
Polkinhorn and is used as warehouse by
S. Kann, Sons e. Co. and by private par
ties. Considerable smoke entered here
and the owner was in readiness to have
the contents removed at any moment. But
the fire did not spread outside Of the cor
ner building.
Percy c. Low, who helped to rescue
woman from the upper story, and who was
cut about the wrist by broken glass, had
and ~ remained to aid in the fire-fghting
Manager Felheimer of the Hub Furniture
Company was absent at the time the fire
mediately.
1t was necessary for the firemen to cut
through the flooring of the ground floor in
paper and woodwork were ablaze.
At the time The Stars report closed the
fire was under control. though smoke was
still pouring In thick clouds from the base
ment and from every window to the roof.
Many firemen were nearly smothered while
working In the smoke in the basement and
1t was necessary to relieve them as often
as possible.
Give Police Trouble.
Almost every man in the crowd about
the building seemed anxious to constitute
himself fireman and give orders. Trou-
BILE was experienced by the police In keep
ing back the excited spectators. and this,
1t is claimed, was due to the failure of,the
telephone to work when an effort was made
to summon extra policemen. Because of
the condition of the telephone service Maj
Sylvester sent a complaint to the District
Commissioners this afternoon.
When the fire was discovered word was
sent to No. IA engine company on Sth
street and an alarm was turned in from
box 124. One after another the companies
came along and three chiefs were upon
the scene. Assistant Fire Marshal Nichol-
son was also performing active service be-
fore making an effort to fix the amount of
damage. Three alarms were sounded as 1t
was feared the blaze would spread to other
structures. The several streams of water
soon had the desired effect, however, and
1t was not long before some of the FIRE
companies were able to start back to their
quarters.
Defends the Department.
Chief Belt says his firemen did a splen-
did piece of work and suffered consider
ably while fighting the fire. He says there
was no delay on the part of the fire de-
partment; that the time seemed longer
than 1t otherwise would because No. IA
engine company went to the scene in re-
Spouse to local alarm. and was at work