Evening star., 1923-04-23

from Washington. Mount Rainier.
Cottage City. Riverda!e. Hyattsville
, and other communities In upper
Prince Georges county to the scene.
Engine company No - OF Washing
ton. IN command OF Lieut.. &. T. Nc
Kay. called into action by Deputy
| Fire Chief William 4. Gray of the
; Riverdale volunteer fire department..
rendered valiant service.
The company first went To E@rwyn
Heights, but the fire there haVing
, been partially subdued- Lieut.. Nc KAY
. and his men, being informed that the
flames were menacing homes in the
vicinity OF 1.anham. rushed their ap-
baratus over the Washingto ton Annap
oils Defense highway and were soon
engaged. with the fire departments
! from Mount Rainier. Cottage city,
Hyt.ttsNille aud Riverdale; in pre-
venting the destruction of a number
OF homes in that vicinity.
The fire burned steadii. all Sat
urday night, and, famed by stiff
southwest wind. increased in volume
as morning broke. For n time the
property Of Miss Moilih Browning in
East Riverdale was seriously threat
ened. but heroic efforts on the part
of neighbors saved her home and
outbaildingsa The barn on the premises
of Mrs. SchOfie!d also was menaced.
From East Rfverdale the fire trav-
eled rapidly to a point mile north
east of Rerwyn Heights where sparks
ignited the home OF Thomas J. Mur-
ply. which was burned TO the ground
with ali its contents. Realizing the
seriousness of the situation assist
ance was summoned from Washing
ton and the arrival Of these tiremen
saved the homes OF Police Capt. Charles
IT. Peck and w. II. Sciironl located near
the property of Mr.. Murphy.
About 2 O'Clock in the afternoon
Ha from y
northwest and. soon a seething mass
of flames and dense smoke was
sweeping through the wood and fields
In the direction of the Washington
Annapolis defense highway.
All Help Summoned.
Chief John Gum Of the Riverdale
fire department and his deputy. Will
companies. including one from Wash
ington, to the vicinity of the Inde
pendent Ice Companys farm. near
Lanham on the defense highway.
fire fighters and curiosity seekers
were soon rushing madly over the
highway to the scene OF the con-
fagratlon. The fire companies from
Mount Rainier. Cottage City. Hyatts-
vile and Riverdale attempted to
check the flames raging in the woods
before reaching the defense highway,
and their efforts proved only partly
SuCC eSSful.
Al a point near the home OF Will
liam r. Gasson about a mile from
Landover the flames leaped across
the highway. and for a while 1T look
ed as though Mr.. Glasson's home and
those of several neighbors were
doomed. Lieut.. Mckay and his force
quickly managed to divert the course
of the flames away from the build
ings.
The fire appeared to grow in in
tensity and swept on through the
woods in the direction OF Landover,
thickly settled neighborhood. Prac-
tically the entire fighting force
which by this time had reached prob
ably 500 men, hastened 10 ,tse Land
over vicinity, where large spaces
were burned ahead OF the onrushin2
flames. This move prevented the de-
struction OF much property at Land
over and. incidentally. checked and
brought under control the biggest
forest fire that has ever occurred in
Prince Georges county.
1t is estimated that the fire swept
over several thousand acres Aside
from the destruction of the Murphy
home, it is believed that the damage
was confined to the burning Of hun
dreds of cords of f1rewood II is not
believed that growing timber was
seriously DANA ged. because Of the
rapidity with which the flames trav-
eled,