Evening star., 1919-02-27
VAN W|CK[E STOCK
DESTROYED BY FIRE
DuIin & Martin and Topham
Stores Also Damaged
Early This Morning.
FIREMAN GHEEN HURT

Twelve engine and six truck COM
panies responded to a three alarm fire
in the building of the Van Wickle
Piano Company, 1917 T street. about
o'clock this morning. Practically every
piano and other musical inAtrument,
farritnre, and ether property in the
building were destroyed. Water and.
smoke damaged the stock or housefuie
rishings of the firm of Duiin & Martin
Company, 1915, and leather goods in
the building of Washington Topham,
1919 F street.
Fire Marshal Watson examined the
burned building and nearby struc-
lures and reported there would be no
salvage from the piano company's
stock. The latest inventory of the
stock, he was informed, showed to-
tai value of $4,000. and the firm car
ried insurance Of $4,000. Damage to
the building, he stated, amounted to
$4,000, and this loss is fully covered
by insurance.
Smoke and water damage to the
stock of Duiin & Martin Company was
estimated at between $4,000 and $1,000,
and to the Topham stock between
81 900 and $4,000. both losses being
fully covered by insurance. A plate
glass window at the store of Rizik
Bros. 1913 F street, was broken by
ladder.
Fireman Gheen Hurt.
John r. Gheen. member of No. 3
truck company, fell through a break
In the glass marquee over the en-
trance to the piano company's build
ing and was seriously injured. Gheen,
who served as a first lieutenant in the
Army and was appointed to a position
in the fire department less than two
months ago, was taken to Emergency
Hospital
piano company's building, beneath the
office, where the furnace was located
and firemen thought 1t possibly was
caused by the furnace becoming over
heated 1t evidently had been burning
some time when No. 16 engine COM
an alarm sounded from box 142. reach
ed the building. having burned
through the first floor.
Flames Ascend Elevator Shaft.
Soon the fire reached the elevator
shaft and burned through to the roof
and the blaze reached high enough
above the structure to be seen many
miles distant. Fearing the fire would
reach other structures and get beyond
control of the several companies that
answered the first alarm, second
alarm, quickly followed by third,
brought more companies to the scene
| Frank J. Wagner. chief engineer of
the department, was on the ground
sounded He directed the firefighting
force and paid, much attention to the
work of preventing the flames from
spreading to adjacent structures.
Soon after his arrival he became con-
WINGED that nothing could save the
stock in the piano company's store
Building Flooded From Tower.
Flooding of the building was done
by the water tower and engine COM
panies, the tower remaining in opera
ton about one hour. The large
amount of water required to extin-
puish the fire caused the flooding of
the cellar of. the ruined building. and
when the water reached depth of
| five feet and started seeping through
| the walls into the other buildings
| Chief Wagner had an engine COM
pany pump it out.
Street car traffic was not inter-
rupted to any great extent, the fire
| starting at time when only owl cars
were in operation. Street railway
| company employees soon appeared and
| bridged the tracks, enabling the
| carrying of hose lines overhead and
| permitting the operation of the cars.
| Commissioner Pleased With Work.
! IT was not until long after o'clock
/ that Chief Wagner and most OF his
| men left the scene. Hot coffee was
| served members of the fire and police
| departuents. Commissioner Brown
| low visited the scene on his way to
7 the District building, and seemed
| nleased with what the fire depart
| ment had accomplished.