The Washington times., 1916-04-24
CLERKS GET EXTRA
HOLIDAY AS RESULT
Of SOUTHERN FIRE
Five Hundred Men and Women
Sent Home While Temporary
:. Offices Are Found.


extra Easter holiday today. as a result
OF the nre that swept the three upper
noors OF the Southern railway building
~ Thirteenth street and Pennsylvania
avenue northwest, last night.
= After a careful examination OF the en-
tire building. Fire Marshal Nicholson
placed the total loss ut $1,000 He
places the damage to the building AT
sss 900 and to contents at s5s,oO0. This Is
fully covered by an insurance OF szll,V
on the contents and ySOO.oto on the
building.
. Shortly after 8 o'clock this morning.
nfsicers Of the company and It's en-
pioyes began to gather in the street in
front of tho building. ready for the
days work. The employees. hundreds Of
them young girls. were at a loss as to
what to do. Firemen had Just left the
building. and the lower Hors that were
not burned we're drenched. Every floor
was inches deep in water and the whole
building was a huge shower bath of
dirty water.
The throng of employees gathered In
the street In front of the building was
swelled by the curious. and all during
the early morning hours police reserves
VI u"' pes ss
seep pa tbs r one e'o"'' '""' pe''''
Temporary quarters for number OF
tho clerks have been obtained In the
Munsey building. where the Southern
railway already has permanent offices
for certain departments.
After the reporting hour the more
venturesome OF the clerks were per-
mitted to go into the building to look
after their desks or personal effects.
~. al 0afl IA
coat collars drawn tight and trousers
rolled up they dashed into the debris
Some Of them got in by way OF the
FIRE escape on Pennsylvania avenue.
while others tried the Stalrway tnrougn
tn .s, nam entr M,n ms stairway "a'
Some OF the yenturesome were cava-
liars who went 10 the rescue OF personal
,,nrnscr, ~ Sa,r young women employes
who watched their gsilants from the
sidevaIk not daring 10 brave the deluge
IN iight costumes ana fancy boots.
o,en,.i. hesore the ,xork,ng hour made
n nisar th.t The huiidine was untena BILE
a corr. NJ iaborers was nut nj WORK
mediately 10 clear out the water and
49, AMI.
J,at how seriously the work Of the
company Will be retarded 3D., by ne er nrei
Msnsser ~ Transnortstion Tayloe said
this morning that all Of the telegraph
wires were in operation In temporary
quarters nttea up ,, leoia'eS III 'ne
wes.ern oh ss liz, a.. sv. ,.r,.
Company ofncials expect 70 have TEN m
poiary auars, TIT Ut u aev e" eng thev az.
Iore tne enc % ne uey, ana nns,.
press tne NOPE .ns M me- tne onp ,,ors thsr
ness WI, not oe s "rd, nan hS,,dau '""i
There are more than VAIN ep h,;,,d.
nowever' whv worN III n,tnss whns,
ING ana IN Inv e,,r,,s.,on %,
oesks may De OUT oi 'o"'s''" 'o'
Arr.no;no Temnorarv Offices.
.s is.,, g.. ,.n,.
Arrangements are unoer way TOT pemi
pornry quarters. A NUMBER or realty
operators were on the Job early ofrerine
,n~.t,on. rsns,n. from Once rooms n
entirs buiIdines
,Snr,ng ,,,,,ch ~ IN. u,ornine the south
.,de ~ PeansvIyania avenue was block.
Su,lSins' TSousands who came &c
wnrt IN the downtown section stopped
~. ~ tna e,secr ~ the Games and NJ
SI.covsr What others had stopped for.
soue ~ the employes OF the compan,
az ny. Lnow that tha h,e red huiidins
S S.a nos Ssa nho swent bv names until thes
ao 81. .oena }h,s morning
fe"e"ou '"e 'Se 80
Waterman Finds Flames.
FIRE started on the fourth floor OF tn,
structure shortiy petore II O'CLOCK las
night 1t was discovered by one OF TIT
watchmen, who yelled Fire" from I
window.
Policeman Downs. Of the First pre-
cinct, heard him, and turned in al
alarm. Chief Wagner and Deputy Chic
Sullivan were on the scene with tn
first alarm. and a second, third. AM
f0Irth were sounded IN rapid succession at'r
This brought out all OF the apparatul
IN the city proper and tne ou,lyinl
companies moved 10 downtown Quarters