Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-08
FIRE RAzES GAlT -
GRAIN WAREHOUSE
Flames, Believed of Incendiary
Origin, Cause Loss of
Nearly 100000.
FOUR MEN ARE INJURED IN
FIGHTING STUBBORN BLAZE
Five Alarms Bring Twenty-Three
Companies to 1st and D Streets
Northwest Last Night.

ava VA "Sct 4<1cG ~ AZ At
Fire which is believed to have been Of
incendiary origin caused the practical
destruction of the -four and feed ware
house of w. NJ. Gait & Co, 1st and u
streets northwest, last night. with a loss
which its owners believe will reach near
ly 100000. The magnitude Of the fire
made 1t necessary to turn In five alarms
between $40 and 1925 o'clock last night,
and the fire was still burning today. In
all. sixteen engine companies, six truck
companies and the water tower respond
ed to the numerous alarms.
During the battle with the stubborn
blaze Capt. George III. Reynolds of No.
) engine company fractured several ribs
in fall from a ladder while directing
his men. Capt. George L. Helff of No.
engine company fell through the sky
light of building adjoining the burn
ing warehouse, breaking his right leg,
Prfvates Frank S. Reed of No. truck
| company and Charles Harper of No
engine company were made i'll by smoke
and exertion. All were taken to
Casualty Hospital for treatment Miss
Elizabeth Brund, who was ill at her
home. 112 ID street. adjoining a part of
| the burning building, was carried from
her house to the home of a friend near
| by.
r. L. Gait BIames Incendrary.
R. L. Gait, one of the principal owners
of the establishment, declared today that
| he was satisfied the fire was the work Of
an incendiary, though. he stated. he was
at loss to know why any one should
wish the destruction of the warehouse
i and its valuable contents of -four, feed.
grain and hay.
1 So far no one among the several who
claim to have first discovered the blaze
in the building has been found who OBJ
served any suspicious-appearing person
| in the vicinity of the place either imme-
| diately before or after the fire was dis
| covered. Miss Caroline Davis. who lives
at Ill d street northwest, is believed to
be one of the first to notice TIVE fire.
Il was seated at my front window.
she told a Star reporter. when saw
small blaze near a window of the build
ing. Two men came along in front OF
my house about that time, one OF them
crossing the street and looking at the
fire. The other remained on the north
side of the street. His friend returned.
Joined him and they continued on their
way
preston that they had anything TO do
with starting the fire.
Bucket Brigade inefficient.
Miss Davis procured buckets of water.
Miss Jennie Ulshine, a roomer. assisting.
and the water was sent across the street
1t did not check the progress Of the fire.
however; and the two were unable to do
| anything more to assist those fighting the
conhagration.
R. L. Mohler. superintendent for the
Calf Company, reached the structure
| about the time the fire was discovered.
He called number of employees to op-
| crate tire-extinguishers, and 1t was
| thought they would. be able to cope with
| the fire. 1t soon developed that the serv-
| ices of the fire department were needed,
and an alarm sounded from box Il sum
moned four engine companies, two truck
companies and the water tower.
Firemen who responded to the first
alarm and worked under the directions OF
| Deputy Chief Andrew J. Sullivan and
Battalion Chief Charles b. Proctor felt
| reasonably certain they would be able to
extinguish the fire without calling for
| additional help.
Several times 1t appeared as IL the last
| spark had been extinguished, but shortly
before o'clock 1t was seen that the fire
had spread to another part of the build
ing.
The immense quantities of hay and
flour in the structure were doomed. the
| firemen thought, and they also feared
that the blaze would get away from the
| big building, cross the alley to the even
| larger structure along Indiana avenue
and probably be communicated to dwell
| ings. Feeling the need of additional com
panies. one of the officials sent in a sec
! ond alarm
Special Alarm Is Sent In.
| Chief Wagner responded to the second
alarm. but before he reached the burning
structure a third alarm had been sound
ed, and shortly after his arrival he
sounded a fourth alarm. Twenty-one
companies were then in the vicinity Of
| the fire, and a special alarm sent In at
1925 o'clock summoned two additional
companies, bringing the total to sixteen
engine companies. six truck companies
and the water tower. Battalion Chief
James Keliher responded to the fourth
alarm.
| Last nights fire was the third time in
| twenty-seven years that the local fire de-
| partment had been called to fight a lire
1 in that particular building. An engineer
| in the building was killed by the burst
| ing Of a boiler during the progress OF
one of the fires.
| Chief Wagner today said last nights
| fire was one of the most stubborn he has
| ever seen. and Mr.. Gait, speaking to a
| star reporter, said he thought the chief
was right
Mr. Gait said. land | want to say good
| word for the firemen. | remained about
| the burning building throughout the
| night and l want to say that fully APP
| preciate the good work done by the fire.
| men.
..Jhc men worked hard and faithfully
| throughout the long hours of the night.
and ii was a good piece of work in keep
| ing the fire in the one building.
Alley Proved Aid to Firemen. .
public alley running east and west
through the block proved of great AS
sistance to the firemen. The alley sepa-
rates the two buildings of the firm and
II is stated, the most valuable portion OF
the stock was in the building that was
saved from everything but slight water
damage.
The tin roof of the burning structure
became heated, making it impossible for
i the men to go on it. 1t also was real
ized that there was danger of the roof
falling at any time, and Chief Wagner
would not endanger the lives of his men,
II was not a great while before the fire
burned holes through the tin. burned
away the timbers and caused the roof to
collapse, taking part of the north wall
with 1t.
Much of the debris dropped in the alley
and hindered the firemen. Streams of
water were directed from the tops Of
neighboring houses and from the roof OF