The Washington herald., 1908-07-07

/ in the city was in use Had a fire
! broken out at any point IN the District
while the livery stable FIRE was burning
az its height only one engine, the one
/ in Brookland. would have been available.
as at the height Of the blaze it would
: have been impossible 10 spare any OF the
/ engines al work.
/ Chief Belt. who was IN charge OF the
| fires, spoke forcibly Of the need Of more
/ apparatus and the need Of high pressure
! in The downtown section.
The fire in Haines' store was discovered
\ by two boys. who ran 10 Truck G's house.
| in Eighth street. a few doors away. and
notified Private ODonneu ODonneu
called 10 his mates and ran 70 the corner.
/ He could see the flames in the basement.
] He ran back 70 the truck house and told
his captain Of the IRE and an alarm was
sounded
Battalion Chief Henry responded on the
/ first alarm. and Immediately turned in a
second alarm. The flames were in the
basement Of the store, which was packed
with dry goods. stored in large cases.
Nearly all OF the goods was infiammable.
and the blaze spread from the southeast
lend Of the cellar and covered the whole
place.
Flames Shot Upward.
BY the time the dremen got their lines
!of hose out the flames had burned
through the floor on the street level. and
smoke filled the whole building. Tongues
Of flame shot up through the holes and
Threatened the entire structure.
Eleven engines and four truck COM
panies We're on the scene. and more than
twenty streams of water were turned into
the flaming cellar Within fifteen min-
lUtes the danger Of the fire spreading
to the three upper floors was over, and
the fremen directed their efforts 10 con-
fning and smothering the FIRE in the base.
ment
Reserves from the Fifth. Sixth, Ninth,
and Fourth precincts responded 10 the
second alarm. and did duty in keeping
the immense crowd within 100 yards OF
the burning structure
Earlier I'm the evening police OF the
Fifth precinct arrested two boys who
were found roaming about the store. Ths
boys eight and nine years old. were
taken TO the station-house and put
through a rigid cross-examination. They
, admitted they had gone into the store &c
steal bathing suits. but on account Of
their ages they were permitted 70 &c
home with their parents. The police and
/, W. s. Isham. manager Of the store, in.
! cline 10 the idea that the boys may have
dropped lighted matches while prowllne
about the store. which smoldered until
late evening. and then broke into flames.
Mr.. Isham said the stock stored IN the
| basement was valued at more than $1,000.
All Of this is a total loss from fire and
water. The water and smoke damaged
all Of the stock On the first. second. and
third floors of the building more or less,
making the amount Of loss almost $4,000.
Nr Isham said the cash drawer on the
first floor had been opened and some
small change taken. He thought the
youngsters in the store might be account.
able for this. The police are investi-
eating.
Alarm from Fifth and ID Streets.
The fire at Eighth and D streets was
hardly under control when an alarm was
sounded from the box at Fifth and d
streets. A second. third. and fourth
alarm coming from Sixth and c streets
quickly followed.
Chief Belt hurried to the scene. leaving
Battalion Chief Henry in charge Of the
fire in the southeast
The fire In c street was discovered
about $3.50 o'clock by a stable hand. Tho
flames were in the hay loft, in the east
side Of the front The negro told J. A.
Jones. one Of the prOprietOrs, that fire
was raging in the loft. Jones yelled
Fire" and made a dash for the second
floor 10 rescue a number Of horses sta
Continued on Page 2, Column {.
y | Summer SpecialS-Artistic Designs and
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