Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-23
IN DANGER AT FIRE
Two Men Narrowly Escape
Death at a Minor Blaze.
ARE OVERCOME BY SMOKE
Caught in Small Room, With Only
Exit a Trap Door.
COULD NOT CLIMB LADDER
Martin Wiegand and Thomas Kra-
mer Unconscious When Rescued.
Both VIII Recover.
ARE OVERCOME BY SMOKE
COULD NOT CLIMB LADDER

Two persons narrowly escaped death in
slight blaze at the woodworking plant
of Martin Wiegand, 451 Maryland avenue
southwest, early this morning. Mr..
Wiegand and Thomas Kramer, the latter
fireman at the plant. were overcome by
smoke, but were rescued.
Mr.. Wiegand revived about half an
hour after being removed from the place.
while Kramer did not recover from the
effects of the gases and smoke until
several hours after he had reached
the Emergency Hospital
About o'clock this morning a watch
man named Collins detected the odor of
smoke In the building while he was max
Ing his rounds. He made an investiga-
ton and discovered the shavings room
filled with smoke and a slight blaze be-
meath the shavings. He awakened Mr..
Wiegand, who resides next door. Accom-
panied by his son. Edward Wiegand. the
proprietor. partly dressed. went to the
mill. About that time Kramer, who was
going to work. also arrived
Entered From the Roof.
When Mr.. Wiegand saw the blaze in the
shavings room he secured hose and at
tempted to extinguish 1t. A faucet con-
Meeting water pipes about the side walls
of the room was also turned on and wa
ter was thrown into the room. Kramer
suggested to Mr.. Wiegand that he would
go upon the roof and enter the room
through the trap door above, the only
opening to the room except a shute to
the furnace. where the shavings are
burned.
kramer and the elder Mr.. Wiexand
amount of smoke in the place Mr. VIE
gand advised Kramer not to enter the
room. but the went down. Mr.. Wiegand
followed him.
The two men proceeded to jam the
shavings down into the chute. After a
short time Kramer began to feel the ef-
fects OF the smoke and started up the
ladder to the roof. AS he reached the
second round he was overcome and fell
into Mr.. Wiegands arms. Mr. Wiegand
then held his face against the wall, down
which the water was running. in an ef-
fort to revive him. but during this time
the proprietor himself was overcome and
fell to the floor Of the place.
Young Wiegand. who was downstairs
holding the hose and throwing water into
the place, became alarmed at his fathers
and kramer's absence. and went to the
roof with George Watts, the engineer,
saw Wiegand and Kramer lying face
downward on the shavings. A rope was
procured and placed about Mr. Vie
gand. who was hauled to the roof. Kra-
mer was quickly rescued.
Damage Was Not Large.
In the meantime a telephone message
was sent to No. engine company. which
arrived. in charge Of Capt Brown, and
within a short time extinguished the
blaze without much damage
Dr. Miilard Thompson, 4S4 Maryland
avenue. was called and climbed to the
roof of the mill. where he attended the
two men. Mr.. Wiegand responded SLOW
ly to the medical attention. but Kramer
did not get any better. and DR.. Thomp-
son advised that he be removed to the
hospital 1t was stated at the hospital
later in the day that kramer was get
ting along nicely.
Mr.. Wiegand says he cannot account
for the fire. He said that after the fire
about a year ago, which destroyed the
mill, he had erected brick building, and
that the shavings room. where the other
fire and that Of today started, had been
constructed Of concrete. with but a small
trap door in the roof and a small OPEN
ing in the bottom, to allow the shavings
to enter the furnace. where they are
burned