Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-15
FIREIN BERNARD FLATS
AGGREGATE OF LOSSES ESTIMAT-
ED TO BE ABOUT 1880.
Some Of the Occupants Practically
Homeless-Windows Broken by
Explosion-Fires Elsewhere.

The Bernard Flats. at the corner of 11th
and East Capitol streets. were damaged
by fire yesterday afternoon, and the oc-
cupants of the several floors sustained
considerable loss. larkely from the effects
of the water with which the firemen neces-
sarily deluged the building.
Frank E. Pyne and his wife went to
Baltimore yesterday to view the ruins, and
upon their return last night they were
surprised to find that their home in the
flats had been visited by fire during their
absence and that it had rendered them
practically houseless. There had been an
explosion in the building and the windows
had been blown out.
The fire was discovered shortly after 3
O. clock in the afternoon, and big crowd
OF spectators soon gathered on the side
walk and remained there in the rain and
Snow until nearly dark. There was but
little to see. as the blaze could hardly be
dscerned from the street. Bernard Walls,
tho owner of the building. and who con-
ducts a grocery store on the first floor,
was in his fiat when the fire started. No
time was lost by the firemen in reaching
the building after the alarm had been
sounded and ladders were soon run to
the top of the four-story structure from
tho outside and a hose line was carried
through the main entrance to the building
The fremen soon found that the blaze
had followed the shaft of the dumb waiter
that used by the several occupants of
the building. 1t was evident that the fire
had started several minutes before 1t was
discovered, for the rope which held the
small elevator had been severed and al
lowed the car to drop to the bottom. There
was some waste paper on the elevator, and
this carried the blaze to the bottom or the
shaft.
An Explosion Occurs.
The upper portion of the building was
filled with smoke and the heat in that part
Of the structure was intense. There was
no escape for the hot air and gases. and
the result was that explosion occurred.
The explosion was severe enough TO break
the glass from most of the windows of the
fats on the third floor. Assistant Foreman
Vernstein and Private Groves OF no; en-.
CINE company were thrown from their rect
and badly shaken up. Pictures were Jared
from the walls, and large amount or
plastering was scattered about the hoors.
Fragments Of glass from the windows
were showered upon the heads of some OF
the members Of Truck A company, and the
frightened spectators were forced away
from the building.
The blaze gave the fremen some trouble
when it reached the air chamber between
the roof and the ceiling of the top moor: IL
was seen to be utterly impossible for them
to extingush the blaze with the hand
pumps. and flooding had to be resorted to
in order to save the building from being
totally ruined. AS stated considerable
damage was done by the water. Miss Ev-
elyn Anderson, who was SICK. had TO De
carried from the building.
Mr.. w. L. Miller. who had participated
in the bowling tournament at Cleveland
and had won prize, returned to the cry
burned building about the time the fremen
had finished their work. Representative
Brownlow of Tennessee occupied room In
the building, and he was about the prem
Uses during the progress of the fire. The
second floor was occupied by Mr.. Walls
and his wife, Mrs L. r. Anderson and her
two daughters and Representative Brown
low. On the next floor the families OF w.
S. McGinniss and Mrs. E. NJ Miller resided,
and the apartments on the top floor were
occupied by the families Of Charles L.
Thorne and Frank Pyne.
Estimates of Losses.
The drug store of John c. Haley and the
grocery establishment of Mr.. Walls were
on the ground floor. Their stocks were
slightly damaged by water. Occupants of
the upper floors estimated their loss at
$40 to 500 each, while the damage to the
building amounts to between $500 and
$1,000.
The origin of the fire is not definitely
known. 1t was thought by some of the oc-
cupants Of the building that a lighted
match thrown on the dumb waiter caused
the waste paper to blaze, while some Of
the hremen were inclined to believe that
electric light wires caused the trouble. Sew
eral times the fremen had trouble with the
live wires, but none Of them was injured.
The building and the contents Of the stores
were insured.
Fright for Hotel Occupants.
Fire threatened the destruction of the
Brunswick Hotel, 22O B street northwest,
last night about o'clock. A lighted cigar
thrown upon the floor set fire to some waste
paper and started a blaze. The blaze
alarmed the occupants of the hotel and a
message was sent to No. engine company
requesting assistance. The fire company
responded. but the blaze had been extin-
guished before the arrival Of the f1remen.
The loss caused by the fire was very small.
Two hours later another hotel fire &C.
Cured. This time the Florence Hotel and
dining room, 476 Pennsylvania avenue, was
the scene of the confagration. The fire
started in the kitchen. and so great was
the excitement that pedestrians turned In
alarms from three boxes When the en-
gines reached the hotel there was lively
-