Evening star., 1920-10-17
FLAMES DESTROY
PLANES ANDPLANT
At BOILING FIELD
Million Dollar Blaze Is Most
Destructive Capital Has
Had in Decade.
FUEL AT AIR STATION ~
MENACE TO FlREMEN
Thirteen Seaplanes, Two Hangars
and Other Property Consumed.
Volunteer Brigade Formed.

Thirteen seaplanes. two hangers
and virtually all other property at
Boiling Field. the great naval air
station on the banks Of the Potomac
river. were completely destroyed yes-
terday afternoon by a fire the total
damage of which is estimated at ST.
100000.
The fire. which was the most spec
tacular and destructive in Washing
ton in a decade. is believed to have been
started by defective wiring. Capt. T.
T. Craven. chief of the naval air serv-
ice. last night ordered an investiga-
tion to ascertain the direct cause. The
station at Boiling Field is used fos
experimental purposes
Near Gasoline Stores.
With the seaplanes and hangan
the flames totally wiped out the sta
tion's heating plant, machine shop
and unassembled parts Of half dozen
planes. They also threatened the de-
struction of property for acres
around. Lives of fremen and em.
were endangered when the fire swift
ly ate its way around quantities os
high test gasoline stored on the
grounds.
The fire broke out about 4:30
o'clock in the upper portion of one
Of the large hangers, and spread
rapidly to all infiammable material on
the station. 1t was fully two hours
before the firemen got the flames un-
der control
Soon after the blaze started it was
discovered by w. NJ. Barge. chief
electrician, who spread the alarm.
While awaiting the arrival OF ap-
paratus from the city. employees OF
the stattoa were organised Into a
fre brigade and fought the nsznes.
eDecfaeu1nf Appearance.
When the IRE broke out, flames and
great clouds Of smoke shot into the
sky and were easily discernable in all
parts of the city. In half an hour
most Of Southeast Washington, Ana
costa, where the air station is To-
Gated. and part of Congress Heights
was covered with low-lying clouds Of
dense smoke.
Vast quantities of gasoline stored
in the buildings and on the grounds
made it dangerous for the firemen to
get near the burning structures. The
firehghters. consequently. were forced
to fight the ever-spreading flames
from a distance, and no attempt was
made to enter the buildings. regarded
at that time as veritable deathtraps.
Soon after the flames were discov-
cred in one OF the hangers and long
before the arrival of Washington's
motor fire apparatus. two horse
drawn fire engines reached the
scene. Flames then were extending
high enough in the air to attract the
attention Of persons all over the city.
Feared fer War College.
Many persons who gathered on
street corners and on house tops i'm
mediately expressed the opinion that
the Army War College. in the vicinity
of Boiling Field. was afire. Others.
however, believed that either a river
steamer or St Elizabeth's Government
Hospital for the Insane at Congress
Heights was burning.
Heroic efforts were made by the
employees at the air station to save
as much property as possible. Sew
eral men at the telephone exchange
at tho station remained on duty. max
ing every effort to summon all as
sistance possible. They succeeded
only in getting the aid Of the navy
yard fire apparatus and one Wash.
ington engine company when the hre
melted the telephone wires and severed
connections with all outside terri-
tory.
Reaches Electric Plant.
After destroying the hangers and
planes the flames spread to the cleo
trio plant. putting the lighting sys-
TEN out Of commission. Practically
all the food stored near this plant for
the 180 men on the station was burn
ed into ashes.
Among the planes destroyed were
three Mss. all Curtiss machines;
three HS-2s. one HS-1.-o Liberty r.
one Curtiss r, one German junker.
JL-s; one Lowering monoplane. one
Paul Smith (French). three MRS and
one aeromarine.
Three land, planes parked outside
the hangers were saved from de-
struction when they were moved far
from the burning structures. One sea-
plane on the waters edge was prac-
tically ruined by the fire. It was on
this plane that wireless apparatus
enabled men OF the air station to
keep in constant communication with
the world series base ball games.
When the fire was at its height
the firefighters experienced great diff
ficulty in preventing the flames from
destroying a new. hangar under con-
struction. This hangar is more thar
half completed.
The two hangers destroyed were OF
metal and frame construction. They
were about 10 feet long anA ~
feet wide
After the last spark OF the fire had
been extinguished. naval men sta
toned on the reservation kept close
watch on the few buildings and
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