Evening star., 1925-01-11

buckled the frames, collapsed the
walls and probably killed or injured
many firemen
Smoke Battles Firemen.
1mpenetrable smoke filled Eighth
street and ID street while the fire was
at its height, making 1T exceedingly
difficult for the fremen to maneuver
through the maze of hose and ap-
paratus which cluttered the streets
and the sidewalks. Time and time
again the groups of newspapermen
and officials within the we'll guarded
fire lines, were driven away by the
great gusts of smoke and fame.
Automobiles parked in the vicinity
of the burning building also made 1t
difficult for the fremen to worm
their way through the narrow spaces
between the cars. These obStruc-
tions, however, were later removed
by crowds of volunteers, composed
or soldiers, marines and taxi drivers,
recruited by Lieut.. F. S. Thompson
of Fort Humphreys, Va. All the
cars on Eighth street between c and
d and on d street between Seventh
and Eighth were pushed out Of the
fire zone.
The rain and the sprays of water
from the hose which poured tons
of water on the flaming building
saved many of these machines from
being ignited by the torrent of
sparks, which at times resembled a
pyrotechnical display
Whole Block Threatened.
The flames at their zenith threat
ened the whole block and two of the
leading commercial houses of the city
Next door to the warehouse, the
Potomac Electric Power Company's
substation. containing three dyna-
mos and serving a large portion of
the downtown section of the city,
made preparations to abandon their
machinery. The load" was switch d
over TO the other substations imme-
diately, with the result that complete
darkness in that section of the city
was prevented. A thick fire wall and
quick action by the frefighters, how
ever, confined the contiagation to the
warehouse.
Immediately upon closing down
their station the electric company
employees directed their activities to
arranging powerful searchlights in
an effort to pierce the dense pillows
of black smoke that at times COM
pletely enveloped the blazing build
ing, sitting the firemen and blind
ing them. Five or six large search
lights were placed on the top of
Bro. s store ana IN OIner
advantageous positions.
Fire Truck AbInze.
Time after time the firemen were
forced to back from the building by
falling bricks and stone and seeth-
ing flames that shot out unexpect-
edly. The ladder truck of No. l COM
pany caught fire and began to blaze
1t was quickly rushed out of action
on to the sidewalk, where it partly
fell through an elevator opening in
the pavement Other trucks and en-
gines were run up on the pavement
in order properly to throw the
streams of water on the confiagra-
ton.
Scores of powerful streams were
directed against the blazing building,
The water tower was a failure. 1t
had not been in operation 10 minutes
before the connecting pipe burst and
put it out of commission. No at
tempts Were made to get IL in action
again, as in the opinion of the fire
men the stream it threw was insig-
nificant, compared with the bullet
like streams from mounted hoselines
As soon as the firemen directed
their energies in a particular direc-
tion, sheets of fame burst with
roar in other parts of the building.
vented the men from entering the
building. despite the fact that a num-
Der of them were equipped with gas
masks. Several of the men who had
to get close to the blazing structure
were made i'll by inhaling smoke and
gasses.
Handicap after handicap developed
as parked automobiles blocked the
movement of the firemen in every di-
rection. The windows of the cars
had to be smashed before they could
be removed. Falling glass, pieces of
iron from the fire escapes and the
metal cornices of the building were
a constant menace to the men en-
gagged in their work.
Ice Bursts Hose.
Several pieces of hose burst as they
were dragged over the hard, ley re-
mains of the recent snowstorms that
later melted in the water falling hot
from the fire and added to the rush
ing stream that in places made the
streets look like small, angry rivers.
For the first time flood lights"
operated by rescue squad No. 1 of the
fire department, were used. Stand
ing at the corner of Eighth and D
streets, the truck with two large
food lights illuminated a consider
able portion of the building and
helped materially in keeping check
on the weakening walls of the struc-
ture. The new lights were made
by the fire department out of spare
parts.
Detected by Worker.
According to E. H. Foster, the
bookkeeper, who was working late
nv, tn ha oolr ir,e- he
fire started on the first floor, among
some packing straw and excelsior.
Detecting smoke, Foster ran into the
packing room, located in the north
west corner of the first floor, and saw
the flames eating their way rapidly
toward the second floor. He dashed
into the street and into Engine Com
pany No. IA with the initial alarm.
BY the time the enginemen reached
the corner, a distance of perhaps 100
feet, the entire front of the first and
on Eighth and D streets ran to aid
Foster, who was piling papers and
books into a safe. Most of the acz
counts of the company were thus,
probably saved. Foster lives in Del
Ray, Va.
Crowds on their way downtown to
shop and visit various places of
amusement forgot their original des
tination and made the work of the
first fire companies harder by jam
ming Eighth and D streets at the
intersection. The first few police
men on their beats found themselves
unable to cope with the situation and
rang headquarters for aid. Marines
who were in Washington on leave
were sworn in and pushed the crowds
back.
Wide Area Cut on.
Fifteen minutes after the blaze
started, the police had established
fire lines, and experienced little trou-
hle In kaeping hack the curious