The Washington herald., 1920-12-14
BIG HOSPITAL FIRE
STIRS OPPOSITION
TO UNSAFE WARDS
Walter Reed Officers Urge
That Army Abandon
Fire Traps.

Awakened to the possibility OF
blazes in temporary army hospital
buildings more disastrous than that
which costa life and did $4,000
property damage at Walter Reed on
Sunday. Congress. the Public Health
Service and Walter Reed officers
yesterday opened a campaign for
abandonment of frame firelraps al
wards for physically and mentally
stricken men in uniform.
An investigating board headed by
Maj. l.. w. Webb, jr.. executive
officer at Walter Reed, reported
findings that the fire was of in
cendiary origin and recommended
to Col. Glennon, commandant, that
the wards destroyed be not re-
placed except by fireproof struc-
lures"
\ Cites Other Cases.
Surgeon General Cumming, U. S.
Public Health Service, cited the
Walter Reed conflagration and
other recent fires in frame post
buildings as demonstrating "the
great danger from fire shown by
many outbreaks that, are constantly
occurring, but that are prevented
from becoming disastrous by the
vigilance and hard work of the hos
pitai personnel and patients"
Most Of them" says Gen. Cum
mings statement in reference to
army hospitals and those turned
over to his service, "are of wood,
flimsily built, and burn like tinder,
Many are cold. for they are hard to
neat in winter; are insanitary,
largely because of their location and
the haste with which. they were
constructed under pressure of war;
and are dreary, a fact which PLAYS
an important part in the cure of
many patients. Some of them have
been owned by the soyernment for
years" ---rS
Laws to BE Pressed.
Legislation providing for the erec-
tion of permanent fireproof build
ings at all the hospitals which IL is
the intention of the War Department
to retain will be pressed at this
session of Congress.
Coincident with this movement are
Indications that there will be an
investigation by members of Con-
gress to determine what policy
guided officers of the Army Medical
Corps in keeping psychopathic cases
especially those where the derange-
ment was pronounced, in wooden
barracks.
Victim Blamed.
According to Maj. wcbbs report
the fire which destroyed two psyche
pathic wards at Walter Reed. was
started by Alzin Messenger. sergeant
or the Seventh Coast Artillery, who
lost his life in the flames. Messen-
ger was searched twice for matches
on Saturday when admitted to the
Institution. Testimony of other pa
ttents showed that Messenger set
fire to a chair cushion in his room.
They declared he was laughing "as
II in satisfaction over his work" 1t
is further shown that Messenger
was once got out of the blazing
building but that he re-entered.
Positive identification was made
by consultation of Messengers
medical chart. showing several miss
ing teeth and absence of the verni-
form appendix from an operation.
A group Of medical officers a med
ical detachment, several women Of
ffcers OF the nurse corps, and student
nurses are highly commended for
their bravery and efficiency in the
fire. The investigating board found
that all orders were carried out
promptly and that al patients were
removed with dispatch. All patients
have been accounted for.