Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-01-10
more fire PLUGS
lat HOSPITAL LIKELY
Walter Reed Authorities to
Confer With D. C. Officials
on Bettering System.

At the request of the rules COM
mittee of the House. following con-
ferences on the Mcleod resolution
asking an investigation of the fatal
fire at Walter Reed Hospital. the
District authorities and the authori-
ties at the hospital will confer at once
Plugs and fire alarm boxes. So that
the 1.400 war heroes may be given
maximum protection in their infiam-
mable brracks.
Col. j. D. Glennan Of the Medical
Corps. commander at Walter Reed.
morning on their tnyitation.. He told
the committee that he e1pects re-
port from the construction quarter
mast9r on how the infianable bar
racks can be made more safe, and
sa that these recommendations will
sured the committee that the officers
in charge at Walter Reed are ready
to cooperate with the District au-
thorities. and that during the last
few days special survey has been
made on which he expected to con-
mfssioners
Rendy to Take Up Plans.
At the close of the hearing today
Chairman Campbell said that the
House committee will notify the
District Commissioners that the hos
p1tal organization is ready to take
up Immediately any suggestions in
regard to improved fire protection
The committee went on record as
stating what we want is results" -.
ana Is confident that conferences be-
tween the Commissioners and Col.
Giennon viii! bring about the desired
results.
Emphasis was laid by Chairman
Campbell. by Representative Pou of
North Carolina, Representative Smell
OF New York. Representative Fess of
ONO and other members of the COM
mittee that Congress is eager to do
anything in its power to afford the
utmost protection to the war heroes.
Representative Pou said that he shad
received kilograms from American
Legion posts showing that a propa-
gahoa tS & had been started in support of
the Mcleod resolution. He laid con-
siderable stress on the fact that the
members of Congress are unanimous
~ eager to- do all that they can for
the war victims. and that this re-
nects the unanimous opinion of every
American. He said he was answer
ing these kilograms with such an
assurance and saying that any
American Legion officer was Welcome
to visit Walter Reed Hospital and
make any constructive recommenda-
tions.
Col. Glennon. in his testimony. denied
that there was any delay on the mart
of the hospital authorities in turning
in the alarm for the fatal fire on De-
cember II. He said that about 100
Ded-rldden patients We're already in
ward II the main building, and that
all the other patients are able to take
care of themselves in case of a fire
The big brick barracks building, he
said. would have to be rerhodeled in
order to house any of the patients
there. There is no plumbing above
the first floor, he said.
In reply to questions he explained
that the wooden buildings had been
built only one story, so that the pa
tient could get out much more easily.
and he believed that they were really
safer there than on the second floor
of. the brick building
Col. Glennon emphasized that the
quartermaster report will ,probab bly
advise the removal of all paper board
partitions and replacing them with
plaster boards. making the building
of slower combustion. He explained
that the buildings are very infiam-
mable and that they have grown more
so with the use of steam heat. which
has made the light construction al
most tinder-like.
Col. Glennon said that there was 10
reason why all the patients could NOT
be quickly removed from the wooden
buildings in case of fire. He explain-
ed that at the fire on December 12 if
was thought that all patients mad
been removed. The insane man who
started the fire in another Patterns
Col. Glennon also said that the nest
maintained a well drilled and efficient
department which Is capable of han
ding a fire in it's initial stages.