Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-04-24
3 FAMILIES FLEE
FOREST GLEN FIRE
Block Containing Post Office
and Store Practically
Wrecked.

sSSbNSSe
Aroused from sleep shortly after
midnight this morning by revolver
shots. eight families living in the
business block of the Forest Glen
Trading Company at Forest Glen.
Nd. owned by Harry Wardman,
barely escaped with their lives from
fire which nearly destroyed the
property, causing $4,000 damage.
A revolver in the post Office in the
west end of the concrete business
block was set off by the heat APP
parently the fire started between the
post Office. c. NJ. Miles is the Forest
Glen postmaster. The explosion woke
up the families. all of whom were in
the block. and they fed to the street
in their night clothes.
Five hundred gallons of kerosene.
stored behind the store. exploded.
throwing up a gigantic flame. This
occurred Just before 2 o'clock this
piosion of gasoline stored in an un-
dergTound tank owned by II. H.
Bopst. Bopst lost all his personal
belongings. The heat of the flames
cut through the main telegraph wires
between Washington and Cumber-
land and Pittsburgh, interrupting
telegraph communication with those
points for several hours. Linemen
were, at work today repairing the
break. although service was resumed
early this morning by rerouttng mes
sages through Baltimore.
Origi. fin Basement.
The fire is believed to have started
n
basement beneath the grocery and
post Office. The location on the west
end of the ruined structure today is a
smoldering mass of twisted concrete
and steel. with little left to mark the
place where several families lived.
Four children, ranging in age from
one year to twelve years, all i'll, one
seriously with measles, were res
cued from the burning building by
their parents. Mrs. Lavinia Davis.
eighty-four years of age. who lived
alone on the ground floor of the
by Postmaster Miles. She pleaded to
remain. but was taken from the
building by force.
At the Office of Harry Wardman
today it was said the building was
insured for $4,000. The structure is
estimated to have been worth about
$4,000.
None of the families, who lost most
of their personal belongings. had in
surance, it was stated. They are:
H H. Bopst, wife and child; C. M
Miles, Forest Glen postmaster. wife
and child; Mrs Lavinia Davis: Al
bert Kramer. wife and child. and two
visiting families. with three sick
children; Isreal Linhart. wife and
two children, and L. A. Sherman and
wife. Mr.. Sherman Is associate for
ester of the forest service of the De-
partment Of Agriculture. r.
Scientific Instruments Lost.
Mr.. Bopst, whose chemical research
laboratory, containing a collection OF
valuable scientific Instruments, is a
total loss, said he was reading a
newspaper in his rooms on the second
floor on the west end of the building
when he became aware of a wave
few seconds he heard the shots.
Arousing his wife and child, he led
them down the stairs, and aroused
yas many other sleeping residents as
he could. Mr.. Linhart and his fam
lily, who were on the ground floor
tie trouble, while the Kramer family
and their visitors and the Miles fam
lily had to fight their way through
binding smoke.
To the fact that the building was
substantially constructed OF stone
and concrete and was but two stories
high several Of the persons undoubt-
edIy owe their lives. They were able
to reach the ground with comparative
ease, although smoke filled the hall
ways and landings.
The post Office today is functioning
in the Forest Glen station OF the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad. which
runs within q few feet of the burn
ed building. directly past the point
est intensity. Mr.. Miles said all the
stamps and government property is
locked in the safe and can be re-
claimed unless the safe is ruined.
Aid From silver SPRING.
Survivors today declared the great
est credit is due the Silver Spring
volunteer fire department, which was
at the scene of the fire within ten
minutes after a telephone call had
been put in, although most OF the
firemen had retired for the night
There are no hydrants at Forest Glen
and the members of the Silver Spring
department pumped water from q
stream which runs back of the ruined
building and succeeded in saving from
total destruction the entire west end
of the block. although water dam
aged the interior to me'extent. The
Rockville apparatus answered a call
later and pumped water from an
abandoned quarry.
No. 20 engine of the Washington
| fire department answered a call for
| help, but was unable to find water tl
| pump on the flames and returned te
| the city,.
| nEATH CTATNS RISHnp