Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-07
FIRE IN LOCAL HOTEL
The National Damaged to Ex-
tent of SIS, 900.
THE KITCHEN A WRECK
Guests Aroused From Slumber Early
This Morning.
ALL DRIVEN TO SIDEWALK
The Blaze Starts on Fourth Floor in
Servants Quarters-No One
Injured.
ALL DRIVEN TO SIDEWALK

| Fire, which is supposed to have
found its origin in defective flue,
early this morning gutted much of
the rear, or c street side, of the Ma
tional Hotel. There were one or
two narrow escapes, but no one
was seriously injured, and one or
two guests of the house who were
overcome by smoke quickly recov-
cred upon reaching the open air.
All the scenes SO often described
in connection with hotel fires were
a part of this blaze, and the firemen
and policemen shared in score of
scenes approaching tragedies and
fully as many comedies as men, wo-
men and children hurried in all de-
| grees of deshabille to the hotel cor
ridors and to the sidewalks. A
rough estimate made by Chief En-
gineer William T. Belt of the fire
| department soon after the fire had
been brought under control placed
the loss at about 5000,
| Shortly after 1 o'clock this morning a
J section of the fire department was called
| out in response to an alarm from the box
| at the corner of 9Th and C streets north
west for fire in the rear of the National
I Hotel, and for a time the blaze threatened
| to assume such serious proportions that
second, third and fourth alarm was sound
ed in quick succession. Eight engine COM
paliies. the reserves from as many police
precincts, half a dozen truck companies
| and two chemical engines were on the
scene within fifteen minutes after the fire
started, with Chief Belt and Major Sylves-
| ter in command of their respective depart
ments.
There were 165 guests in the hotel when
the fire started, and all escaped without
injury. Several were taken from the fire
escapes and three women, found in peril
Gus situation On one of the rear fire es-
capes were rescued by Robert Proctor,
night watchman in the mail bag repair
shop. One of them was overcome by smoke,
but soon recovered on being carried to
place of safety. At o'clock Chief Belt
made a revised statement concerning the
| loss saying it might run to $4,000.
Among the guests of the hotel who were
driven out by the fire were Senator NAL
| lory of Florida and Representatives Fin
| ley of South Carolina. Lamb of Virginia
and Buckman of Minnesota.
Discovery Made by Servant.
Victoria Green, a domestic employed in
! the hotel was probably the first to dis
cover the fire, her attention being first
attracted to the danger by smoke coming
under the door of her room on the fourth
domestic, and together they aroused the
housekeeper, Mrs. Daniels. general
alarm promptly spread through the hotel
in response to the screams of the women.
As well as they were able to tell the serv-
ants said the fire first made its appearance
| in a room where the colored paint clean
ers sleep, but none Of these employees were
there when the blaze started Chief Belt
| expressed the belief that the fire origin
ated from a defective -f1ue.
Ten minutes after Chief Belt reached the
scene of the fire he was surprised to see a
blaze break out in the kitchen. 1t then
appeared to him that nothing could save
| the hotel building from total destruction,
and he also feared the flames might pass
| to the plant of the Havenner Baking Com
pany. The northwest wind carried the
blaze toward the plant of the baking COM
pany, and Chief Belt had one company
direct Its efforts to the protection of that
building. The f1remen succeeded in their
efforts and only the rear portion of the
MOTEL building was damaged.
Guests Aroused.
When the servants ran into the hotel Of
nee and the night clerk was apprised of
the threatening nature of the fire a squad
OF volunteers, recruited from the streets
Were dispatched through the corridors
knocking on every door as they passed
The 165 guests, thus rudey aroused from
their siumbers, stood not upon ceremony in
reaching places of safety, and scenes, vary
tO Mt al,, I,di
crous, were incident to the general rush to
the corridors and even to the streets about
the hotel. Men. clad in bath robes, ulsters
and lndiScriminate costumes, Wed with each
other in racing down the steps, and the wo-
men guests. several of them hurrying their
children ahead of them, were in the rush.
ing procession.
Rumors of Thefts.
In the excitement several guests had left
their rooms in haste, taking nothing with
them. They expressed the fear that their
valuables would be lost, and this was
probably responsible for a rumor that ma
rauders were taking advantage of the op-
portunity to make a rich haul. Sergeant
Headley, of the bicycle police, was among
the first to realize the danger from thieves,
and he called squad of police to accom-
pany him in a tour of the corridors. Soon
after Major Sylvester reached the hotel
and he took personal charge of the work of
his men.
One of the corps of travelling men. all
guests at the hotel, was in the van of
those hurrying TO safety, but he was
prompt to discover that there was no dam
ger, and he took the quickest means to pre-
vent a panic by sitting down at the piano
in the parlor and playing a lively air.
During the excitement a little boy APP
peared on the street In front OF the hotel
half dressed and crying. He said his
mother had tainted in one of the rooms on
the top floor. Just about the time when
rescue party was being organized his
mother, Mrs. G. r. Kitchef. appeared on
the scene and there was family reunion
upon the street.
Breakfast at the hotel this morning will
probably be a hollow mockery, because the
kitchen was one of the worst wrecked
portions of the house. -
The first alarm was sounded at about
1:15 o'clock. and by 2 O'Clock the fire was
under control. Half an hour later the
firemen were busy sweeping and baiiing out
water IN order to prevent further damage