Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-21
CLUB HOUSE RUINED
The Metropolitan Building
Swept by Flames.
EARLY MORNING BLAZE
LOSS ESTIMATED FROM 100000 TO
$4,000.
Origin of Fire Unknown-Only Bare
Walls of Structure Mark
the Site.

the DIG.
Flames swept through the magnificently
furnished interior of the Metropolitan
Club house at 18th and ii streets before
daybreak this morning, causing a loss that
is variously Appropriated at from 100000
| to $135,0O0 After creating havoc inside the
structure the fire burst through the roof
and for time threatened other valuable
buildings in the immediate vicinity of the
club house Heroic work on the part of the
District fire fighters, it is stated, prevented
a more disastrous confiagration.
The fire was discovered a few minutes
before o'clock this morning by Martin j.
Deponai the aged Waterman, as he was
making his early morning rounds. In de-
scribing his experience to Star reporter
Deponai said:
II saw some smoke coming up the stairs
from the basement and hurried down to see
what was the matter. When 1 opened the
door near the freight elevator there was a
burst of dense smoke. 1t enveloped me,
and l was nearly suffocated. 1 scrambled
up stairs to the office floor, where l fell
and became uAcor1scious. When had par
TALLY recovered, aNfew moments later, the
house was filled with smoke. l ran into the
office and SMASHED the glass of the auto
matte fire alarm. 3 Then l went to the IL
brary on the second floor and broke another
| fire alarm there. IS Is.
There were onlH three other persons in
the house at the time, S. S. Grum, the
steward and two employees, who were
sleeping on the upper floors. They all es-
capped from the building without accident.
The changing gongsf of the fire department
as the engines and trucks arrived on the
scene and thes shouts of fire by several
persons, caused q scene of excitement IN
the neighborleod, and seantily-clad men
nd rushed ont into the lev MORN
ing air to discover the cause. By this time
dense volumes of smoke We're pouring from
the windows of the club house on the 18th
street side and fears were entertained
that the entire structure and its contents
were doomed.
Police Reserves Called Out
The patrol wagon from the third precinct
and Lieut. Doyle with the police reserves,
was quickly on the scene the fire ropes
were stretched and the policemen assisted
in the work of rescuing property in ad-
dition to their other duties.
Mr.. J. ]. Higgins of the Metropolitan
Club Office force was one of the early ar
rivals. He rendered efficient service in
forming rescuing parties. paying particular
attention to saving the valuable library on
the second floor. He was assisted by Jo-
Seph Cation and others.
Mr.. Merrill d. Knight the clubs mana
ger, upon HIS arrival directed Work OIL
the rescuers. AS sections of the plastering
fell with loud crashes 1t was reported that
Capt. Cassidy Cook had been seriously in
jured by The descending masses.
1t developed later, however, that while
Captain Cook had a narrow escape, he was
not injured. but in common with the other
members of the rescue parties was thor
oughly drenched by the downpour of water
from the top floor that floor on the 18th
street side having became a furnace of
fire.
Forty minutes after the alarms had been
turned in the interior of the building was
filed with dense clouds of smoke, through
which could be seen the red flames ascend
ing to the upper floors, where most of the
loss was occaSiOned.
After Watchman Deponai opened the
door leading to the room in the basement
in which the fire was discovered the flames
reached the freight elevator, a natural fiue
which carried them to the floors above.
Water Tower in Service,
Uron reaching the top floor, on which the
kitchen, store rooms and card rooms were
located, the blaze was communicated to the
roof and soon burned through, causing q
lurid light to overspread the neighborhood
and creating great alarm among the nearby
residents. AS soon as practicable the
water tower of the fire department reinforc-
ed the steamers and went to work on the H
street side of the club house. This resulted
in veritable deluge Of water, which de-
seconded the richly carpeted stairs in tor
rents or forced its way through the ceilings.
causing heavy rain of soot-blackened and
ashy water on the handsome and costly
DECORATIONS furniture and paintings In the
rooms below. ri
The flames soon reduced to a charred and
blackened mass sthe equipment of the
kitchen and store reoms, which were stu
ated at the uppegy terminus of the freight
elevator through which the flames had
made their way. lIhe blaze then extended
to the magnificently fitted card rooms on
the third floor Of the western extension to
the original building, and soon burned
through the higfpj arched5 ceilings to the
roof. the interior OF the card rooms being
a total loss.
The deluge OF water in the latter apart
ments ran through the floor and caused a
downpour of bkfckened water In the library
below with its rare collection of books,
valued it was, stated at from $4,000 to
$4,000 Beyond understanding the floor
and furniture of The library and damaging
some of the books on the upper shelves
the library itself Remained intact. the loss
being comparatively slight.
The rescuingsiparties succeeded in saving
a number of the rare and costly ornaments
Upon the arrival of Acting Fire Marshal
p. w. Nicholson he at once made an inves-
tigation to discover the cause of the con-
started in the basement near the freight
elevator shaft from a live electric light
wire. which came In contact with some of
the woodwork.
Contents of Wine Cellar Saved.
In the basement of the Metropolitan Club
house. where the fire originated, are the
barber shop. billiard rooms, storage rooms,
wine cellar and layatories. 1t was stated
that the wine cellar remained intact. the
contents being saved. On the first floor
were located the office. the loggia, reading
and lounging rooms. the back parlor and
reception room. The damage by fire to
masses of water descending from above
caused great loss, On tho first faoo,r tha