The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-11-28
Loss OF slS,OOO !:
CAUSED BY FIRE
ON PA. AVENUE
Smoke Pouring Into Ho-
tel Drives 40 Guests
Into Street.
WATCHMAN SAVED
Four Alarms Necessary TO
Cope With Rapid Spread
OF Blaze.

Fire completely quilted the inte-
rior Of two buildings occupied BY
the Charles II Baum q Son. furni-
ture dealers, sos-1o-i2 Pennsyl-
vania avenu. northwest. early yes.
terday morning, causing damage es-
timsted at s125.ooo.
The blaze. supposed to have
started from spontaneous combus-
tion on the first floor. was break
ing through the roof OF the four
story structure at sl2 Pennsylvania
avenue when IL was FIRST noticed at
$3.50 o'clock in the morning by Jo-
seph Freeman. 623 NJ street north
west. passing in motorcsr. He
turned in an alarm at Ninth street
and Pennsylvania avenue.
smoke Drives Hotel Guests.
Alarms were quietly spread In
neishboring buildings and forty
guests in the Hotel Arsrat. sos
Pennsylvania avenue, were forced
10 make a hasty retreat from the
building in which smoke was begin
ming to pour when fremen arrived
Fire Chief Watson turned IN three
additional alarms shortly after his
arrival. bringing practically all fire.
fighting apparatus in the District
to the scene.
Gaining a big Roadway before
fremen arrived the blaze swept the
west building OF the company and
soon spread into the adjoining
structure on the east.
Entire RIock Threatened. 80
The flames shot high into the air
and spread threAteningly toward
adjoining structures. For a time
all buildings in the block appeared
doomed. More than 1000 spects-
tors crowded police lines. despite
the early hour. and police reserves
were called from the First. Second
and Sixth precincts to control ths
throng. The flames were check ID
within an hour. however. and con-
fined to the two buildings, both 81
which were Quilted from the front
on the avenue 20 c street Street
car traffic along the avenue was de-
lsyed for almost three hours.
William T. Nelson. IS years old.
Waterman at the Washington safe
Deposit Company. s14 Pennsylvania
avenue. who was locked In fhe
building. was released by fremep
shortly after the first alarm was
sounded
The plant Of Grifith Shoe Repsir-
ing Company, occupying the first
floor OF eos Pennsylvania avenue.
was completely demolished.
owned by Gstti Estate.
The building at sOs-lO PennsyI-
vsnia avenue. occupied by the fur
niture company, is owned by the
Gatti estate OF Washington. while
the building at s12 Pennsylvania
avenue occupied by the same COM
pany is owned by the Kinsley es-
tate OF San Francisco. Cal. Accord
ing to the occupant. both buildings
are insured. The furnishings Of the
two buildings, the damage TO whic~
is said by Charles Baum. manager
OF the furniture company. TO be ap-
proximately $4,000. Is insured for
about two-thirds Of It's value. Botn
adjoining structures are insured To
the extent OF the damage.
The Quilted building on the, lower
side OF the avenue Is commonly
known as the old Independent Ic.
Company. II was built by that com
pany more than forty years ago
ana WAS occupied until 1880, wheh
the company dissolved. The build
ing then became a part of the Cat
ii estate and was rented by the
late Charles II. Baum. The struc-
ture at e12 Pennsylvania avenue
was built about forty years ago by
Anthony Buckly and occupied by
him for the manufacturing OF cas-
kets and other funeral psrspher-
10 49, -.
| furniture company in 1886.