Evening star., 1918-01-14
ARMY STORES LOST
IN 100000 FIRE
Storehouse at Washington
Barracks Practically De-
stroyed This Morning.
FOOD SUPPLY is BURNED

Fire OF undetermined origin gutted
the second floor of brick storehouse OF
the quartermaster department at Wash
ington barracks, foot 'of AZ street
southwest. today. destroying large quan
titles of food and other Army supphes
before it wes extinguished.
War Department officials estimated
months supply of food was in the burned
building, and they estimated the loss 10
building and contents in the neighbor-
hood of 100000, based on preliminary
reports from the barracks commander.
In constant danger from the possible
explosion of small arms ammunition,
said to have been stored on the ground
floor, Fire Chief Frank j. Wagner, Win
more than a hundred of his men, at.
tackled the fire from all four sides OF
the building and succeeded in connnins
it to the second floor. where 1t started.
The infiammable nature of the supplies
stored in the building is reported oy .ns
nremen to have given the blaze soou
start before it was discovered.
1t was few minutes before CLOCK
when soldiers struggling through the
grounds, saw smoke coming from the
upper windows of the storehouse Two
lieutenants of engineers who were pass
available and rushed into the building.
The heat was SO intense that they
were forced out and sounded the pri-
vate alarm in the arsenal grounds. AS
soon as Chief Wagner arrived he sound
Cd a second alarm.
When the first f1remen reached the
scene the top of the building was en-
veioped in smoke, but no fire was vfsi-
through the windows. however, flames
burst from every window in the north
end Of the second floor of tee building.
which is about $50 feet long. Through
the windows a solid mass of flames
could be seen. cracking as they con-
sumed boxes of supplies.
When the flames burst from the win
dows Chief Wagner ordered third and
fourth alarms sounded, bringing a
total OF twelve engine companies.
hve trucks and the freboat to the
scene.
Crowd Watches Burning Building.
The burning building was only few
hundred feet inside the iron fence
around the arsenal, and several hun
dred persons gathered along the wall
OF the Washington Railway and Elec-
trio Company barn across the street.
Hardly had the first engines arrived
before a military guard was posted
to patrol the exterior of the grounds.
allowing no one but f1remen and police
near the gates.
A4 soon as the report was received
that small arms ammunition was stored
On the lower hoor. Maj. Pullman and
C11t Williams Of the fourth precinct
droVe tho crowd from the arsenal gates
back to M 1u4 so.ukBeets as precau-
taqp A&Ainst an explosion.
EKfew minutes after the crowd had
been driven back one muff1ed detona-
tion. not louder than the report of a
pistol. was heard and the fremen and
scores of soldiers who were helping
them, refreated hundred feet or more
from the building No further reports
were heard. however. and the firemen
resumed their positions near the build
ing. At IL o'clock the fire was COM
pletely under control.
The building in which the fire occurred
has spacious parking surrounding it,
which made 1t easy for the firemen to
keep the blaze from spreading The
building is a two-story brick and was
used as gymnasium for the men sta
toned at the post until the rush of war
preparations necessitated it's use as a
storehouse
The fact that the burning building con-
tanned most of the posts food supply
did not worry the soldiers stationed
there, for it was pointed out that the
day in the morning. Soldiers at the post
removed large quantities of the stores
from the burning building and stacked
them on the parking opposite the stuc-
fure. where they were guarded by others
OF the command. Immediate steps to
replace the food destroyed also were
taken by the War Department, and Of
fcials there stated the fire would not
cause soldier in Washington to lose a
meal Government buildings at 18th
and e streets southwest are to be used
as storehouses pending repair of the
damaged structure.
Maj. Pullman and Inspector Grant,
chief of detectives, were among the
= lc In
started an investigation to determine
the origin of the fire Fire Marshal
Nicholson Joined in the investigation.
Agents from the Department of Justice
Of the blaze.
Some of the more sensational specta- :
tors, among them soldiers at the post.
limited at spies. but Maj. Pullman said
notning dennite had been learned as to
now the nre started. 1t was the opinion
OF the police and firemen that the fire
was not the work of an incendiary.
Offer Military Cooperation.
Gen. Abbott. commander of the bar-
racks, conferred with Maj. Pullman and
Inspector Grant and assured them that
tho military would cooperate with the
civil authorities in an investiea tion Of
the fre and do all they could to deter
mine its origin. Early reports to the
War Department indicated the Are
started from an interior source. and
evidence Of incendiarism was Iackina
Maj. Pullman said he heard A sup
gestfon that the fire probably was
caused by sparks from a cigar or Gig
arctic, one of the causes assigned for
the fire in the same building last Thurs
day. where mattresses and pillows were
burned.
Soldiers had just returned from the
first morning drill when the alarm Of
fire was sounded. Very few of them
were clad In proper clothing for sen
try duty, not wearing their overcoats.
but they hurried to their posts. and
most of them did their two hours triclx
of duty without being supplied over
coats. They entered no complaint.
however.
Called to Another Fire.
Shortly after the sounding of the sec
ond alarm from the arsenal the depart
ment received a call from box I23, for
q fire in a room on the second floor of