Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-24
ACADEMY OF MUSIC
DAMAGED BY FIRE
Early Morning Blaze Causes
Loss of About $4,000.
CONFINED TO THE THEATER
Hard and Effective Work Of Depart
ment Members.
TOTAL OF S ALARMS SOUNDED
Removal of Hundreds of Horses
From Nearby Stables-Lincoln Hall
Confagration Recalled.
TOTAL OF S ALARMS SOUNDED

Fire this morning caused the al
most total destruction of the Acad
envy of Music, 9th and D streets,
the damage to the building and
contents aggregating about $1,000
With the exception of the property
of the Secrets of the Police" COM
pany, playing an engagement at
the theater this week, the loss is
covered by insurance. A. ]. Pol
lock, manager of the company men
toned, saws its loss is about SIS 900.
Prof. Manassas Stiehl. proprietor of the
Spencerian Business College. his wife and
father had to be carried from the building
by the police Occupants of houses on D
and 9th streets near the theater were awak-
ened and advised to leave their homes, as
the firemen at first feared they would be
unable to keep the blaze within tie four
walls of the building. Men, women and
children left their homes in the cold and
made their way to the houses of friends,
most of them crossing the streets, as they
feared the whole block might be consumed.
BY hard and effective work the firemen
succeeded in combining the flames to the
building but they were unable to save the
theater from being Quilted.
The only serious casualty that happened
In connection with the fire was the loss of
the two horses of the hose wagon of No. 20
engine company The wagon was proceed
ing from the Tenleytown house to relieve
No 3 engine company in Georgetown. When
n -f-
reached the vehicle collided with street
car, the horses being so badly injured that
they had to be shot. Driver Warren es-
eaned iniury Nobody on the street car was
injured.
Discovered About 5 O'CLOCK.
1t was just five minutes before o'clock
when Special Policeman William Young
who entered the building to send in his B
o'clock call. discovered the fire. There was
no Waterman in the building. 1t is stated
and the special officer had been in the
habit of entering and sending in calls each
hour In order to reach the call box 1t
was necessary for him to unlock the front
door of the building. Just as he opened
the door volume of smoke rushed out, 1t
being so dense that it almost blinded him.
The officer made an effort to turn In an
alarm from the box inside the building, but
he was unable to do so on account OF the
smoke. and II became necessary for him to
run TO the street and sound an alarm from
box 10 Being located in the business sec
ton the first alarm brought out larger
number of companies than would an alarm
from a box in the outlying districts Act
ing Chief Wagner lost no time in reaching
the scene, and second alarm was prompt
" turned in. Five alarms in all we're
panies, five trucks one water tower and
three chiefs.
The sounding of the five alarms also re-
suited in the police reserves from the diff
ferent precincts. about forty in all, being
hurried TO 9th and streets. They were
kept busy handling the spectators so that
the work of the firemen would not be re-
tarded by the Onlookers. Despite the early
hour of the start of the fire it was only
short while before an immense crowd had
assembled.
Lincoln Hall Blaze Recalled.
In the early morning gathering were per-
sons who had witnessed the destruction of
Lincoln Hall on the same site more than
twenty years ago. They recalled that the
weather on the former occasion was even
colder than IL was this morning. AS ii was
the temperature was sufficiently low today
for the water to form ice as it fell
upon the building or upon the clothing Of
the firemen. The ice retarded the work of
the fremen 20 some extent. Inside the
building ice formed upon the floors and
stairways. making it exceedingly difficult
for the fircnen TO make any Roadway NOV
ing from pace to place. Notwithstanding
the unfavorabIe conditions the firemen ac-
complishcd what was regarded unusu-
ally good work. and they were commended
by merchants and property owners In the
vicinity of 9th and ID streets and the spec
tators generally Acting Chief Wagner.
his several assistants and Fire Marshal
Nicholson were the recipients OF congratu-
latons. So eager were men to csngratu-
late them upon their good work that they
stopped the officials while the fire was i'm
progress in order to do so.
Major Sylvester and the police reserves
were much In evidence during the fire. and
they, too, were praised for their good work
Sergt. Lehman and Policeman b. Ii. John
son OF the first precinct were the first blue
coats to reach the scene. The former was
near 10th and ID streets, and the latter was
not far from the Academy building when
the blaze started Johnson reached there
before the arrival of the firemen, and real
izing the danger Prof. Stiehl. his wife and
father were in. he hurried 10 the third
floor of the building and aroused them.
1.-The building is burning the policeman
shouted. after he had broken in the door,
"and you'd better get out ira hurry"
Broke Open Door.
When he reached the door leading 10 the
rooms occupied by the Spencerian Business
College he raped on the door. but receiving
NO response and realizing what delay might
mean. he broke open the door and awakened
the three occupants. Then he returned to
the sidewalk to ascertain II he could be OF