Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-04-24
NOIABLES FLEE AS FIRE
WRECKS TOP OF WILLARD
Bathrooms and Roof Destroyed in $250,000
Blaze-Whole Hotel Drenched-Guests
Leave Quietly and No One Is Hurt.

Scores Of guests at the New Willard
Hotel, many Of national and inter-
national prominence. were called hur-
riedly from their rooms shortly before
o'clock yesterday morning, when a
fire. originating In the large ballroom,
soon turned the tenth floor of the
structure into a roaring, seething
furnace. There was no panic. no con-
fusion, attributable largely to the
fact that the fire was on the top floor.
leaving the lower floors. where the
guest rooms are, free from smoke and
flames.
The fire was confined to the top floor
and roof, but considerable damage
was done to rooms and equipment
throughout the building by leaking
Of thousands OF gallons OF water
which 1t was necessary for the Are
men to pour into the structure In
order to overcome the fast spreading
flames. Both bathrooms on the top
floor were completely destroyed.
Except for the ballroom the hotel is
functioning as though nothing had
the willard, viii begin today the
work of appraising the damage. al
though it has been roughly placed at
between $3.50. 900 and 100000. lmme-
date steps will be taken to begin the
rebuilding Of the bathrooms and the
roof into one Of the finest IN the city.
Practically all of the guests were
returned to their rooms last night. 1t
was necessary. however. to make
complete changes in the seventh
eighth and ninth floors. as these were
water-soaked. In fact. many OF the
guests returned to their rooms while
the blaze was at its height. as at no
time was there any danger from fire
on the lower floors after the fire COM
panies had begun throwing water on
the flames.
Meetings to he Elsewhere.
Several meetings which were SEIZED
uled to be held in the bathrooms this
week have been taken care OF else
where. These include the Lions Club
and the Opthalmologists' Society.
The former will hold it's dinner to-
night At the Washington Hotel and
the latter will conduct its meetings
a, the Memorial Continental Hall.
The Are was discovered at $3.50
o'clock yesterday morning by Police
man w. W. Caldwell. He said that he
Just pulled" the police box at 18th
street and Pennsylvania avenue, and
started to walk UP the Avenue. While
crossing 14th street he saw heavy
smoke coming out of the windows on
the top floor of the hotel Just north
OF a middle point of the building. He
innme diately sent In an alarm from
the box at lith street and Pennsyi.
yania avenue, and then ran into the
hotel to notify the night clerk. VINO
inm ediately ordered all Of the guests
aroused by telephone and sent bell
bows around knocking on the doors.
Detectives Waldron and sweeney
were among the first to arrive from
police headquarters, just across the
street, and they assisted in the work
of Retting out the guests, as did the
reserves Of the first and other police
nrecincts as rapidly as they arrived
INSPECTOR Of Detectives Grant later
arrived, and with the assistance OF
netectives vermilion and Mullen kept
a close watch on the rooms which
had been hurriedly left to prevent
any possibility of pilfering.
The hundreds of curious who gath
cred at that time in the mornlne
were treated to the spectacular, IN the
Are itself and in the work OF the
firemen in getting hose lines to the
seat OF the flames. The height Of the
building made this. = difficult 5ot