Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-04-24

a score of hotel workers busy with
sQuilgees pushing 1t down the ele-
vator shafts. where it helped fill the
basement with water to a great
depth.
Great piles Of clothing in the lobby
and in Peacock Alley gave the place
the appearance of a camp. The be-
longings of Brig. Con and Mrs. S W.
yer were piled in the F street en-
trance to the hotel. but a White
removed them.
Within a short time after the fire.
men arrived many of the guests
either returned to their rooms went
into the dining room or stood by and
watched the efforts Of the freight
ers. Many of them had left valuables
in their rooms in their haste to get
out. but Inspector Grant and a num-
Der OF his men went through the
rooms. hurriedly abandoned. took
charge of the valuables and carried
them to police headquarters. after
The Gridiron Club had held a ban
quet in the big hall where the fire
originated. but a few hours before.
and during the entire time the blaze
was raging the official flag of the
s eu cornep of ,he bu G me-
However. it was later knocked down
by the fremen to prevent its fall
ing. During the course of the blaze
slate, cornices and other small ma
terial fell from the top of the build
ing. making the work of the firemen
dangerous.
Origin Undetermined.
Neither fire officials nor hotel Off.
GERS have yet been able to determine
the origin of the fire, and it prob.
ably never will be known.
awakened Vice Presiden. Coolidge,
who lives in the hotel. He awaken
ed Mrs. Coolidge when he saw the
engines stop near the building. but
did not realize that the fire was in
the hotel. He did not learn Of It
Mrs. Coolidge was sent to the home
Of Edward T. Clark. his secretary,
but he remained at the hotel through
out the fire Brig. Gen: and Mrs.
Sawyer were awakened by hotel at
care of at the White House.
Other prominent guests in the hotel
included: Brig. Gen. Charles q.
Dawes, director Of the budget; Gen.
T. Coleman du Pont. sena,or from
the hotel: Senators McNary, Oregon,
and Rawson, Iowa; Represen at,ves
Hustled and Snyder. of New York; c.
c. McChord. chairman OF the Inter-
state Commerce Commission; John L.
Adams. Of Iowa, chairman of the
republican national committee; Mrs
George Maynard Minor, president
general of the Daughters Of the
Am erican Revolution; John Philip
Sousa, Olga Petrova, Adolph Zukor.
Judge Robert w. Bingham. publisher
Of the Louisville, KY. Courier-Jour.
nal: Arthur b. Krock, publisher Of
the Louisville. KY. Times: Harry
Chandler, publisher og the Los An
ge.es Times, and Edward A. Dickson.
publisher of the Los Angeles Express.
The New willard was built In 1901
on the site Of the famous Wizards.
where, from before civil war days.
many of the nations prominent peo-
Pile had been entertained. 1t was
opened by the Willard family Of vir-
ginia and the present structure is the
property of Joseph Z. willard OF
Richmond, former ambassador to
spain. The building is leased and
operated by the Capital Hotel Com
pany. which recently took 1t over and
which operates number Of hotels In
New York and other cities.
The New Willard has had as It's
guests many foreign dignitaries, IN
Guiding Marshal Foeh. Marshal Joffre,
Cen. Dias and members Of the French
and Belgian delegations to the arms
conference.