Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-04-21
THIRD FIRE VISITS
THEE. B. ADAMS CO.
Fire Marshal Nicholson Starts
Investigation Into
Cause of Blaze.

For the third time irfseven months
the establishment OF the z. 3. Adams
Company. dealers in croclSery and hotel
supplies at 6l4-16 Pennsylvania ave-
nue., was damaged by fire today. At !.
o'clock this afternoon the fire was dis
covered. and by 2:3O o'clock the dam
age which it had caused appeared to
have been greater than what resulted
in the two previous fires.
The two previous fires occurred Sep
tember "A and February II last
The fire was one of the most spectac-
ular that has occurred in this city in
years. The dense cloud of smoke
which rose above the building was seen
for miles. Thousands of persons were
attracted to the scene.
1t vas understood that the fire start
ed on the Missouri avenue side of the
establishment, but the flames shot
through the building so quickly that
nothing definite as to it's source could
lie learned. Flames We're at their
worst when the engines which an
swcred the second alarm arrived and
were rolling through the top floor of
the building. where the fircmen under
stood Il large quantity of willow ware
furniture was stored.
Flames Spread Rapidly.
At first the fire appeared to be !,
small one for il WAS several minutes
from the time the first alarm was
sounded that smoke began to come
from the windows of the building. The
flames spread rapidly, however, and
before long the entire structure was
cnvclupcd in smoke.
A second alarm WAS sounded and
practically all of the downtown fire
engines were rushed to the scene.
Before some Of them had had time
to get into service it WAS seen that
still further apparatus was needed aud
third alarm was sounded. This
brought to the fire all the apparatus
except that stationed i'll the outlying
sections of the city.
BY 2:15 o'clock the flames had gained
considerable headway and the fire had
spread into the establishment of the
National Casket Company, at 6l: Penn
SylVanla avenue.
Chief Wagner in Command.
Chief Wagner took personal command
Of the situation, surrounding the entire
block with fire apparatus, and placing
large companies Of fire fighters on the
roofs of the adjoining buildings, while
the water tower was used to attack
the flames from the Pennsylvania ave
nue. side, supplemented by several lines
of hose run up on ladders.
Fire Marshal Nicholson started an in
vestigation as to the causes of the fire
as soon rs he arrived, but the upper part
of the building was entirely in flames and
he could find no one who knew anything
about it.
Fireman Injured.
Karl Weston. a member of No. "a
engine company. who was serving with
No. ) engine company temporarily. was
knock ed down a flight of steps i'll the
Adams building by the buckling of one
of the hose and was severely cut
about the head. His comrades carried
him from the building. An ambulance
was summoned and the injured man
was rushed to Emergency Hospital.
The heat from the fire was SO great
in the front of the building that the
fremen could not approach it there
with the hose lines. 1t was necessary
to run a ladder to the roof of the ad-
joining building and then to send a
number of fircmen there for the pur-
pose of ramming Il hole in the wall
of the third story of the burning bald
ing Several lines of hose were played
on the fire through this hole.
A hat belonging to a fireman was
found inside the burning building, and
no claimant for il was found. This
gave rise to the rumor that one Of the
men had been badly hurt.