The Washington times., 1913-05-19
SCORE OF F|REMEN
HAVE NARROW ESCAPE
Escaping Gas 0vercomes TWen-
ty Members of Department
in Fighting Blaze.
tContinued from First Page.)

CONTINUED from First Page.)
ridors, while Drs. George j. Boyce. Ben
5amin Newhouse, Arthur N Zinkham,
and r. R. Rafter, worked over the men,
several Of whom were In a serious con-
dition The pulmotor was probable re-
sponsible for saving several lives. The
hocpital has only one pulmotor. and a
second one had TO be borrowed from the
gas company.
Victims Of Gas.
Besides Chief Wagner the men treated
At Emergency Hospital were:
No. 9 Engine Company-Capt. ]. ].
Hanlon, thirty-nine years old, Of 1345
Florida avenue northwest: Private ]. P.
Farrell, twenty-nine, of 9l9 Ninth street
southeast; Private T. P. Lyons. thirty
one, of lbs Fourth street northeast;
Private ]. w. Covington, forty-three. OF
liz E street southeast; Private William
Asne; sh,rtyfSgr of 1slO First tHTes street
twenty-five. of 213sa H street northwest.
No. Engine Company--Private Ernest
Howard, forty-three. Of 21 K street
northeast; Private c. c. Mckay. thirty
six, of 7e2 Morton street northwest
No. Engine Company-Capt. w. F.
Lanahan, forty-six, of 6l2 street
southwest: Private William Scherbt-
fegan. twenty-five of 1000 Virginia ave-
No. i Engine Company-Private P. r.
Steinman. fhirty-four, of AS r street
northwest: Private J. A. Smith, twenty
eight, of 1853 Third street northwest.
No. Engine Company-Lieut. George
w. Smith, thirty-two, of "a s street
northwest.
All Out Of Danger Today.
Captain Lanahan, Lieutenant Smith,
and Privates Howard, Farrell and Stein
man were in the most serious condition.
and Father Smyth. Of st. Patrick's
Catholic Church, was summoned to
give them absolution.. This morning all
were said to be ous of danger.
Fire Marshal Nicholson said that en-
accurate estimate of the loss could Ioc
be given until everything had been gone
over carefully. The only pace where
the fire got out of the bassrnen was
the office of the American Express
Company. The floor fell through. car
rying with ii two big safes.
]. E. Latimer, librarian of the Sur
vey. attempted to make his way to the
OFFICES on the third floor. but was
nearly overcome by smoke, and had TO
be assisted to the street. Metal fire
doors kept the blaze from reaching
other parts of the basement, where val
these doors probably prevented the
flames from reaching the elevator
shaft. Had the fire found its way to
the. shaft, Chief wagner believes the
Failure of an employe of the gas COM
pany to properly cut off the flow OF
gas from a stop cock" is given by
members of the Fire Department as
the reason for twenty men being over
come, fifteen of whom had to be taken
to hospitals. 1t was supposed the gas
had been cut off when they entered
the basement
fire in the front of the cellar they ex-
tinguished what proved to be big gas
flame The deadly fumes caught them
before they could get out and one by
one they fell unconscious. Heroic work
on the part of other members OF the
department who carried them to the
streetsaved their lives.
Praise For Firemen.
Director George Otis Smith. Of the
Geological Survey. freely expressed IT
as his belief that the Survey was saved
from destruction solely through the
valiant work of the District Fire De-
partment and through the fact that
fireproof doors leading from the base
ment TO the hall on the main floor Of
the building had been recently erected.
This was done upon the recommenda-
ton of Chief Wagner. of the Fire De-
partment, and Fire Marshal Nicholson.
The statement made in Director
Smiths annual report of last year
pltduiUS Win congress Tor new Sur
vey building was we'll borne out by the
record OF yesterdays fire. In this he
said: "A fire once started in this large
amount Of irflammable material would
result in quick buckling of the unpro-
tected iron beams and the consequent
collapse of the floors would make the
fire hard TO fight
The only difference in the stubborn
fire of yesterday was that. in the floor
of the American Express Company's Of
ice, there were not even unprotected
iron floor beams, so that the flames
quickly consumed the floor and added to
the magnitude of the fire.
Mr.. Smith said:
The Geological Survey has exhausted
every means of fire prevention in its
present office, and its members consider
Themselves fortunate that the men of
the Washington Fire Department are
willing to. plunge into the risks of
Survey building fire, usually an annual
performance"