The Washington herald., 1920-12-13
Inmates of u. S. Army
Hospital Burned in.
Morning Blaze.
INSANE PATIENTS
RUSH TO SAFETY
Flimsy Wood Structures
Burn Fiercely Before
Fire Is Subdued.

Several OtueTS SuhcTtu HiiHoT IN
juries on hands and arms in a fire
which completely destroyed two
frame structures of the Walter
Reed General Army Hospital group
and partially damaged two others
shortly after IL o'clock yesterday
morning.
=, The dead man was last night
identified as Alzis Messenger, a SER
ygeant of the Seventh Coast Artillery
of Panama. who was admitted to the
hospital less than twenty-four
ours before his death. He was
nrned badly and suffered from
hook before succumbing to his in
hries- Scare last night failed to
ocate his record book and his en-
1istment point is unknown. =
Inquiry Into Fires Causes.
The cause of the fire was the sub
ject of investigation last night by
a special board appointed by the
commanding officer. Col. ]. B. Glen
nan Investigation has thus far es-
tablished that the blaze originatec
in the room occupied by Messenger.
In Ward 43, known as the psyche
pathic ward, where soldiers suffer-
ing from mental disorders were
housed Officials were unable to say
whether the shell-shocked patient
purposely started the fire to. satisfy
an insane whim-
The frae construction of the de-
stroyed buildings was due to re-
fusal by Congress to make sufi-
clent appropriation for more sub
stantial ones. although the danger
had frequently been called to the
attention OF the authorities. 80
seventfi-five patients were quar-
tered In wards 43 and a., the two
buildings wrecked Thoughs many
sought frantically to escape unafd-
ed, in some cases <injuring them
selves in their haste, Immediate res
cue work was started by nurses
andaattendants in the buildings, and
"buddies" in adjoining wards help
ed their companions to safety.
Money Loss Put ut $4,000.
Loss of the buildings and slight
damages to wards Al and ~ VISA es-
timated by Maj. L. W. Webb, 1r.,
executive offfcer of the post, at S20,-
000- The ward for the insane con-
tanned a series OF special baths
where patients were given special
treatment, and it is possible that
the loss of this extra apparatus
may bring the total loss up to
$4,000
Ebert Williams, 19 years old, of
oneona. Ala, a patient in the de-
tention ward. who was to have been
discharged in time to visit his
mother over the Christmas HOLIDAYS.
was injured in forcing his way
through the wire netting placed
over the windows of his section to
prevent the escape of those who
might seek liberty during tempo
rary mental disorder.
shock Danger Soon Passes.
Fear that tho excitement would
tend to rob patients of the gains
they have made under the hospi-
tails treatment was last night dis
credited by Maj. Webb, who declar-
ed the patients had. suffered only
temporarily from the excitement,
and would not be affected to an
extent to delay their recoveries
Fed on dry wood of the hastily
constructed wartime structures.
the blaze at one time threatened to
sweep the adjoining wards, but the
work of the hospital fire corps and
soldiers in other buildings checked
the flames until the arrival of ap-
paratus from the city.
Upon the arrival of No. % En-
gine Company Acting Chief Buscher
quickly saw that the names were
eating their way through the struc-
ture and Immediately sent in a Sec
ond alarm, bringing three additional
nre companiesN and two truck COM
panies to the scene.
Post Firemen In Action.
The fire department of the post
was In action when the first COM
pany Of the District apparatus ar
rived and patients in the ward had
already been brought from the blaz-
ing structure by members of the
post department and soldiers at
tached to the hospital.
With the sounding of the firel
alarm at the post. soldiers hurried to
the scene and unmindfuI of the leap
ing flames dashed into the burning
structures and escorted the patients
in those wards to safety
Nelson Brown. a civilian member
of the Hospital Fire Department,
was burned about the face and
hands DIN effecting the rescue of in
mates.
81 Soldiers Wander HelplessIy. /
While the fire was raging, one
of the unbalanced inmates who had
been brought safely from the burn
ing building was walking around
aimlessly asking for his mother,
while only a short distance away
a small group OF patients were
kneeling in prayer.
The post fire department and the |
local companies that responded to |
the two alarms had the flames under |
control when the fire apparatus re-
spending to the third alarm arrived. |
The three alarms brought out |
thirteen companies of apparatus, but |
only nine Companies were put into ,
service.
Mind Makes Work DfmeuIt.
AS The soft ground surrounding
the burning structure absorbed the
volume of water being thrown on
the blaze the heavy apparatus was
to remain a distance
away from the buildings because ofl
the mud. Long lines of hose bad to '