The Washington herald., 1911-03-18
Blazer Was Lighted.

SAS LASllltu ana DlO"lng 4
SreenLSh blaze against the woodwork,
which had already become lighted. O'Dea
stamped frantically at the fire in an at
tempt to extinguish it, but his effort
proved to BE- of no avail. Meantime word
was sent to Policeman Sweeney. who
hastHned TO the police telephone box at
Seventh street and Florida avenue, and
notified No. engine company
BY this time the smoke had increased
twofold, and a dense black cloud was as
cending from the building. Workmen in
the park, seeing signs of fire. ran at full
speed to the scene, and the emergency
water buckets were produced. FranticaUy
turning the water spiEots the men held
the buckets under the spouts. but the
wafer failed to run. 1t was later learned
the connections had been turned off dur
ing the process Of repairs
few minutes after the alarm. No. :
engine company appeared on the scene.
and Immediately connected with the pIug
BY this time the fire had gained great
h"adway. and. realizing that the wood
work would burn like tinder a second
alarm was sent in. This brought Deputy
Chief c. J. Sullivan. He took charge of
the situation until the arrival Of Chief
Wagner. who had been in Now York. but
who arrived in time to direct the battle
which followed
Before the arrival of the apparatus
which responded to the second alarm
the flames leaped to the main portion
Of the structure, and, famed bv a
strong southwest wind. began to lap the
pillars in the grand stand. In five MIN
utes there was a seething mass Of flame.
which licked the adjoining stands
Two lines of hose were rushed by No
: engine company through the main en-
trance to the park, but the flames were
being swept by the stiff breeze in a
nOrthCry course. and the streams
were of little avail. The fire soon reach
ed the north stand. and a few minutes
later the storehouse in the lumber yard
was envelOped.
More than half of the City's fire ap-
paratus arrived on record time when
the second alarm was rung. and a bat
tie began between the fire and water
for supremacy. Flames leaped from the
baseball structures. and, famed by the
wind. Tapped the piles of wood and the
building Of the lumber company Freed
mems Hospital was a short distance
north of the EisinGer Company's prop
erty, and the firemen, directed by Chief
Wagner, played several lines of hose on
the wood heaps in an endeavor to head
O4 Tic lldLIltS-
Too Few Fire Plugs.
The fact that there are few fire plugs
in the vicinity of the fire placed the fire
men at a disadvantage. The blaze was
however, dfter the destruction
of the grand stand and most Of the
pavilion stands, a great majority of the
lumber stored in the vicinity by the
Eisinger Bros, and several buildings
occupied by the firm which had pre-
viously been a part of Freedmen's Hos
pital. The clubhouse was saved.
1t is understood that only recently the
of the baseball club had
a contract to a local firm for
the construction of certain fireproof roof
ing in connection with the grand stand.
When seen last night, Chief Wagner
said that so far as his reports showed
the fire had started from the blazer left
by workman.
This is about all I know" he said,
land 1 do not believe anything else will
be learned. This information was given
to me by Chief Sullivan"