The Washington herald., 1922-02-09
Valuable Records Burned
And Damage Placed
At $4,000.
employees LEAVE
BUILDING QUIETLY
Thousands Watch Blaze
On Roof-FOreman
Suffers Burns.

rlTe Wnlch broke out on the rooI
of the Treasury Building, followed
by an explosion which threw flames
into the photostat tower of the
government structure and imperiled
government structure and imperiled
$500 employees yesterday afternoon
at $3.50 o'clock
Accelerated by the explosion of a
ten-gallon kerosene tank in a tenn
porary frame structure on the roof
near the center OF the building, in
which the blaze originated, and a
high wind, the flames were soon
shooting into the air and spreading
rapidly to other sections of the roof
and the 40 by 80 foot tower at
tached to the building.
An alarm was sounded from the
photostat tower Immediately after
the blaze began. and employees of
the building were warned of the
fire as the alarm sounded instan-
taneously in the office of the cap
tain of the watch, and all sections
OF the four floors of the building.
No Signs of Panic.
As downtown companies were an
swering the first alarm. the $500
employees. mostly women, began
their exodus. without rushing or
showing signs Of panic the clerks
left the upper floors, and under di-
rection of members of the watch
force were guided from the crowded
basement floor in orderly fashion.
All elevators in the building were
quickly put into operation, al
though an hour before closing time.
WITHIN twenty minutes most of the
employees had left the building.
FIRE Chief Watson. who saw the
smoke pouring from the BUILDING
as the first alarm sounded in bis
Office. block away. rushed to the
Treasury Offices. He immediately
turned in a second and a third
alarm, bringing all fire companies
within a radius of two miles 70
the scene.
workmen Help FIremen.
While apparatus surrounded tho
building, ladders were directed
toward the roof to put the fire
hose within range OF the blaze
which was rapidly gaining head
way and spreading to all sections
of the frame temporary structures
in use for construction of the new
roof.
Within a few minutes hose from
the Fifteenth street and East Ex.
GCutive avenue sides had been car
ried over the abutting cornice OF
the roof and streams were turned
on the blazing construction store
house in the center of the ROOT
structure and the photostat tower
in which blue prints and drawing:
Of the architect are made.
Two Hundred Marines Aid Police
The workmen employed in con
struCtion work on the roof wert
forced to leave the blaze and assist
in dragging the heavy hose ovel
the cornice sides of the roof.
The smoke pouring from the
heart of the flames, which shot
thirty feet into the air, attracted
downtown crowds, and police re-
serves were ordered by Acting SUI
pcrintendent sullivan to maintain
fire lires along the east side o.
Fifteenth street. Crowds also as
sembled in the White House
grounds and on the roofs of down
ffremen fighting to save one of tho
governments oldest structures.
Six squads of Marines, who have
been guarding the arms delegates
\ we're rushed to the department
building from Potomac Park, under
command Of Maj. William F. Bev'
ans A Gordon was quickly strung
about the building to assist police
IN preserving fire lines and guard
ing the Treasury Offices from the
outside
Valuable Records Ruined.
pricaIess records and some orig
inaI plans for government build
ings, used by the fifty craftsmen
working in the photostat tower
were damaged or destroyed. The
damage, it is believed, will total
$4,000 The blaze broke through
the roof into the fourth floor di-
rectIy beneath the drafting rooms
in the tower. but was quickly ex-
tinguished Water ruined many OF
the records left behind in this
drafting rooms. and those on the
many tables in the division of con-
struction rooms Immediately be-
Meath the blaze on the roof. Water
aIss soaked through from the
fourth floor to the third. damaging
records and bopks in the office of
the ComptrolleN of the Treasury in
rooms sos and 307.
The nelBnI OF the DullolnS dnO
abutting cornice at the edge of the
roof handicapped firemen in carry
ing the hose TO the top. A hook
and ladder>frnck was driven up the
steps of the center entrance to the
building on the west side. and lad
ders extended to near the edge of
the roof from where lines were used
In pulling three hoses to the top.
Hinge Tower Useless.
The huge water tower. one Of the
first machines on the scene, proved
useless when the line Of the hose
water could not be centered on the
blaze. Hose ladders hoisted to the
edge of the roof. manned by two
fIremen each carried hose lines to
the top on the east side.
II was after O'Clock when the
seventh line was. put into play from
the east side. The FIRE had prac-
tTcally. been confined to the photo
stat tower by this time and was
under control
The blaze started. according to
Fire Marshal Leonard V. Seib, when
the rubber connecting hose between
n kerosene torch and supply tank