Evening star., 1918-01-22

the ruins OF the hre.
Two men missing, whose bodies are
thought to be under the smoldering de-
bris, and two fremen, employed at the
plant, severely burned is the human toll
of a fire in the planning mill of Thomas
w. Smith, 1st and Francis streets south
east. about 9 O'Clock this morning.
Thaddeus Kicker, fifty-five. of 665 r
street northeast and a son of his were
supposed to have been at work in the
Smith mill this morning printing win
dow frames. At 1 o'clock this after
noon they had not reported back to NJ.
F. Hobson, contract painter. in the rear
of 72O goth street, by whom they are
employed.
At Hobson's it was said the two men
were to report at the mill at S:3O o CLOCK
this morning. One of Mr.. Hobsons en-
ployes telephoned to the Kicker nome
been heard of them there It was said,
however, that they had left this morn
ing to go to the mill.
It was suggested at Hobson's that the
father and son may have been slightly
injured and went to some hospital for
treatment.
The fire wrecked a two-story brick
building The firemen are both colored
One of them. Washington Shanklin, TWEEN
ty-eight years old, of 13 M street south
west, received cuts and bruises about his
face. hands and body. The other, Arthur
Farmer. thirty-three years old. of S13 A
street southeast, had his right leg broken
and was cut, bruised and burned Boen
are at Casualty Hospital. They were hur-
ried there by DR.. George II. Rawson, MEM
ber of the hospital staff, as soon as they
were rescued, from the burning building
Search for Missing Men.
The search for the two painters was
stopped because the ruins were too hot to
approach. Both the men at the hospital
are seriously burned, but their wounds are
not necessarily fatal
When the fire was extinguished it
was found that the roof had been
blown off as a result of an explosion
of accumulated gases and the side
walls of the structure had collapsed.
leaving two large boilers and smoke
stacks apparently not damaged.
Shanklin and Farmer were in the
structure handling shavings when the
fire started, and the explosion quickly
followed. 1t is said that Shanklin was
passing shavings to Farmer. who was
passing them to the furnace to be de-
stroyed, and it is believed that when
the furnace door was opened the back
draft sent the fame from the furnace
and ignited the gas that had accumu-
lated.
The report was heard some distance
away. and nearby residents thought the
explosion was in the navy yard. not far
away. Navy yard property was in no
danger. it is stated, as the District sew
age pumping station is between the
government reservation and the lumber
mill.
An alarm of fire was sent in from
box 531, which brought Battalion Chief
Proctor and several companies Of fire.
men to the scene. Firemen soon had
the fire under control and it was not
long before it was extinguished.
The battalion chief and all the COM
panies, with the exception of No. 18
engine company, returned to quarters.
No. is, the first company due. remain
ing until the last spark had been extin-
guished and participating in search
for the men who could be accounted for.
Damage to the building. machinery and
stock is estimated at $4,000. The loss
is covered by insurance.