The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-04-08
Roofs All Leak.
.,fcontinued from First Page)

and second floors had a chance OF es-
cane. others who had not been a"ahen-
ed by Walters yells were cauPht II.
their rooms and. had 1t NOT peeL La
nroba bly have been suffocated IN Inc
smoke which filed the building.
The Firemen Arrive.
In response to the alarm, Trucks u ana
a. together with engine companies NOS
3 IA. and S, arrived upon the scene IN
a few minutes, and lest no time In get
ting into action. Capt. Charles r.
Beers. of truck D, is on leave, ana
Private Steele had command. His COM
many was the first on the scene, ana
when he saw the men and women at the
windows ready to leap to the ground, ne
shouted to them to remain where they
were and then gave orders Tor lauders
to be run up to them.
more pitiful scene than MRS ficE,
man holding her sixteen noi n,,t ~
a second floor window, to get his little
mouth out of range of the dense smoke
could scarcely be imaoined- She scream
ed for assistance and shouted- Save
me, Save my child9' Her screams
caused the firemen to work swiftly.
Saves Mother and Child.
Captain Steele jumped upon the shak-
ing ladder, which had not yet been
placed against the window, and bounded
I'D two and three rounds at a time.
While he was scaling the shaking lad
der. the men at the foot Of 1t pulled it
over TO the window. When Steele reach
ed It he held out his hands TO the frantic
woman. Hugging her 5ab~ close with
her right hand she reached out her
left for Steele's shoulder, and then
stepped into his arm. CIutchng his neck
like a drowning person, she was carried
TO the ground. She suffered some from
the smoke. but the crying baby was only
frightened.
Mr. Hickman got On the ladder as
soon as room was made by the fireman
who was descending with his wife He
did not get all the way down by him
self however as he was affected by
the sitting smoke. and benumbed by the
cold. and il was necessary for Private
Mcpherson to assist him.
Down From Third Floor.
The flames had not reached the third
floor when a ladder was thrown against
the window there. Captain Steele, after
placing Mrs Hickman and baby on the
ground, went 10 the third floor and
climbed in the window, at which a num-
Der of screaming men and women stood
He instructed them to be calm, and told
them they were in no immediate danger
if they kept cool.
Miss A. E. Miller and Miss Doherty
were placed on the ladder, and as they
felt their ways down TO the ground
Captain Steele and Mcpherson guided
their footsteps and warned them to be
careful.
John Doherty and Dennis Haggerty
who were on the third floor, were able
TO go down the ladder by themselves
Miss Emilia Nix climbed part of the
way down the ladder by herself. and was
assisted the remaining distance by
Steele.
Fighting the Fire.
While the rescuers were at work the
members Of the other truck company
and the engine commands were busy
lighting the FIRE, which had gained some
headway With six streams of water
the firemen sought to subdue the flames
but the fire continued to sweep up the
dumb waiter shaft, which was burned
away in short order. Because OF the
Inaccessible place n which the flames
were raging fercest, the firemen expe.
riencej some difficulty in getting at the
lire.
Each company took a separate spot
after the flames in the basement had
hem extinguished. and the tirenen had
worked as long as they could in the
house. which was a yeritable furnace
they ran hose up the ladders on the out.
side and climbed into the smoke-fiIled
rooms on the second and third floors
where they played their streams upon
the burning furniture and woodwork for
upwards Of an hour.
After much hard work under adverse
J conditions the fire was gotten unde,
control IL WAS necessary TO cut ava,
ceiling and joists, az the flames had
visited almost all parts of the building