Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-24
HEROIC F|REMEN
CLOSE TO DEATH
IN BLAZING RUIN
Seven Sent to Hospital After
Hours Under Debris of
Fallen Wall.
TWO DESTRUCTIVE FIRES
IN BUSINESS SECTION
Flames Extinguished Only After
Losses Aggregating $4,000
Have Resulted.
THREE ALARMS FOR EACH
Every Company in City Except Nine
Called to Save Property on 7th
and D Streets From
Destruction.
THREE ALARMS FOR EACH

Two raging fires few blocks
apart in the downtown section of
the city early this morning caused
injuries to seven firemen and a
child, furnished an opportunity
for series of thrilling rescues,
did damage estimated at nearly
$4,000 and aroused almost the
entire city by bringing all but nine
OF the thirty-six fire companies
OF the District of Columbia clang-
ing through the streets to the
scenes of the fires.
The first fire, which broke out
shortly after 1 o'clock, almost de-
stroyed the American Five and
Ten Cent Store, at 3I4-3IS 9TH
street Just as this FIRE was being
gotten under control blaze was
discovered in the iron and wire
works Of Fred G.. Gichner at 1914
1916 D street, which quickly as
sumed alarming proportions. Both
were three-alarm fires.
Buried Under Tons of Debris.
Flames which feaped high in the air at
10Th ares lighted up the downtown sec
zion of the city during the early hours Q.
A. rrorning and brought hundreds oi
x,eonle from their beds. Mounted poii0o
1o,ned SQUADS of bicycle and lool pohee
10 handle the huge crowds.
p,nned for more than two hours DC
neatb tons of debris from three noofs q
the fiye and ten cent store nre' hSe ~
men from No. engine company were n |
most given up for dead. ana were nla"s
r.scued nv Fire Chief wagner anu
-. ~ half frantic comrades only aiter
heroic endeavors. That they are sun
alive is considered remarkable -.
e,ut and bruised in many places Du.
80 fatally injured, the five firemen
.,sre freed one by one from the tiInoei
which bore them down ana nurrieu
Emergency Hospital. More tnan one naa
even Ip hope OF being saved All W.
.rI,. drouned by water from their own
hoss line. and their chief danger Is now
from pneumonia The men are
List of the Injured.
Frank Hellmuth. thirty-two years DID,
private, No. 6 engine company, OF III oth
street northeast badly crushed anu
bruised.
Cornelius I.anahan, thirty-two years
old assistant driver No. engine COM
pany of 5OT X street northeast, bruised
and cut about body.
William A. Schwerdtferger, thirty years
old private No. engine company, OF
loco Virginia avenue southwest, cut ana
bruised
Clayton Birch. twenty-five years old.
private. No. o engine company. of %
Todd place northeast, shock and
bruises.
Frank NJ Dyer. private, No. en-
gine company of SCI South Carolina
avenue southeast. shock and bruises
Two other tiremen We're badly cut
while on a ladder in the front OF the
burning building when some glass anu
other debris fell on them. They are:
Thomas Buckley lieutenant No. en-
zine company, of So4 Az street south
west, cut and bruised.
Marshall b. Long. private, No. IA en-
CINE company, of 10 Sth street south
west. cut and bruised
Caught by Falling Wall.
Pushing their way into the blazing
building from the 7th street side the
I'VE men of No. engine company led
by Private Hellmuth, made their way
10 within twenty-five feet of alley
in the rear Then the four-story building
water soaked to the core, suddenly col
lapsed, bringing thousands of pounds OF
debris on their heads.
BY chance the little group of men with
their hose were within few feet of
side wall when the crash came This
chance saved their lives.
The falling beams formed a slanting
shed over their heads and kept them
from being crushed to instant death.
There was no fire directly near them.
but from the nozzle of the hose press
ing against the back of Fireman Dyer.
water poured in steady stream.
threatening them with drowning.
For more than an hour the terrible
plight OF the imprisoned firemen was
unknown to their comrades Their alb
scnce was unnoticed. In other parts of
the building the fight against the
names was going on But slowly the
tons of debris pressed down from
above and the water rose from below.
IN the words of Fireman Dyer
I'VE thought were done for.
MI were conscious and realized their
danger. They within few feet
of each other, and soon began calling
for help. But all around them was
blazing. roaring furnace. and their
frantic shouts went unhear 1t seemed
as though their trap was TO be their
deathbed-
Chief Wagner Leads Rescuers.
Then Chief Wagner. who had rushed to
rhe fire the second alarm. noticed the
hose line reaching into the building and
kicking it with his foot. realized that
water was pouring through it, lie asked
what company the line belonged TO. and
was told ii was No 6s. Then he had
Capt. Lanahan of No. 8. who had been
Continued on Second Page)