Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-20
FIRE LOSS, $4,000
O'DonneI's Drug Store in
Georgetown Damaged.
RUNNING OF CARS DELAYED
Rockville Line Unable to Maintain
Schedule Because of Blaze.
GASOLINE TANK EXPLODES
Loss of 500 Sustained by Terminal
Taxicab Company-Fire
in Apartment.
RUNNING OF CARS DELAYED
GASOLINE TANK EXPLODES

Fire which started in the furnace room
did about $1,000 damage to ODonnelrs
drug store. Wisconsin avenue and NJ
street northwest, early this morning
I The fire extended from the cellar to the
top OF the elevator shaft and through the
roof and necessitated the sending i'm of
| two alarms.
when the smoke had cleared away and
an examination was made of the prem
ises by Fire Marshal Nicholson and the
owner OF the drug store the damage was
estimated at about $1,000 to the building
and between $4,000 and $4,000 to the
STOCK DIR. William O'Donnell said he
carried an insurance of $4,000 and he
| thought the policy was probably large
enough to cover the damage.
About five minutes before o'clock
Benjamin Campbell and two companions
emerged from a lunchroom on Wisconsin
avenue and saw the glare of the flames
on the windows of the Potomac Savings
naIK building on the northwest corner
or wisconsin avenue and NJ street
Ihey first thought the fire was in the
bank building until looking south on
wisconsin avenue they saw the blaze
Snootlng from the coal chute on the
Wisconsin avenue side of the drug store.
Running into the quarters Of No . en-
g1ne company. on NJ street near Wiscon-
SIN avenue, Campbell aroused the firemen
ana when Capt. G. f. Kreamer looked out
the door and saw the blaze he sent in an
alarm.
Second Alarm Sounded.
Eight minutes later a second alarm was
sounded. Chief Wagner entered his au-
tomoolle and reached the fire ahead of
the second alarm companies. The blaze
mad then reached the top of the building.
Firemen were fearful Of an explosion
In the east end of the cellar and first
moor. where paints and oils were car
rled IN stock. Dut quick work on part of
the hre-tghtins force prevented it.
1t was comparatively easy matter
TOT the f1remen to check the progress of
the flames In the upper portion of the
building. but in the cellar, where the
nre started. the task was difficult one
and the hremen worked i'm water and
smoke until the water got so deep that
they were driven out.
The fire attacked the rafters in the
cellar and because Of the deep water it
was impossible for the firemen to reach
1t. Holes were made in the thick ce-
ment flooring and firemen did their
best to reach the flames through the
openings. When the floor showed signs
of sagging the f1remen were warned to
be careful as it was feared that the
joists might burn through and cause
the floor to drop. There was water in
When the flames in the upper portion
OF the building had been extinguished
the hremen pumped the water from the
cellar and were then able to reach the
burning rafterS.
While the entire stock was damaged by
smoke. much of 1t was not damaged by
water The glass showcases were not
damaged and very few bottles We're swept
from the shelves.
The building In which the fire occurred
was erected about three years ago. AS
soon as the insurance is adjusted, it is
announced the building will be repaired
and remOdeled.
Car Line Affected by Fire.
Commuters for whom the Rockville
electric line is the only means of getting
into the city had a hard time this morn
ing. and scores living in Rockville and
that part of Montgomery county along
the line were between half an hour and
an hour getting to work. Service at
both ends OF the line was crippled,
and the Rockville cars crept in as
far as the District line transferred
their passengers there and crept back,
while the Georgetown and Tenleytown
cars single tracked between Georgetown
and the old car barns at the top Of the
hill on Wisconsin avenue
The fire at O'Donnells drug store. at
32d and NJ streets northwest, was re-
sponsible for the tie-up at the city end
of the line. while the installation of new
machinery at the transformer station at
MOntrose. about half way to Rockville,
efTectually put the through cars on the
upper end of the route out of business.
The Rockville car which should have
reached Georgetown at 7:3O o'clock this
morning never came into the city at all,
but crawled along at a snairs pace
reached the District line barns a few
, minutes before O'Clock and transferred
passengers there. The car due in
District line barns at $40 o'clock and
stopped there. while other cars were
equally late. CitybOund cars were COM
PEELED to stop at the old barns and wait
for the outbound cars only one track
could be used between the Georgetown
terminus of the line and the old barns
wher. a cross-over connects the in and
outbound tracks. The disarrangement Of
the schedule continued the greater part
of the morning.
Damage From Overheated Stove.
| avenue northwest. shortly before ) O. clock
! did about so damage. The place is oc-
cupied by Frank Andrews and owned by
Christian Heurfch.
gasoline tank on an automobile own
| ed by the Terminal Taxicab Company
exploded about O'Clock yesterday after
| noon while the machine was in front of
| 1I12 II street northwest. The gasoline
caught fire and caused about 500 damage
| to the machine.
| Fire Of unknown origin did about 81
damage shortly before 10 o'clock last
| night at the home Of Ethel Mitchell, 26lS
18th street northwest.
| No. II engine company went to the AL
lenhurst apartment house: 18th street and
Columbia road northwest. about half an