Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-03-11
APART MENT FIRE
DRIVES MANY OUT
Gas Masks Used in Thrilling
ReScues in Cathedral
Mansions Blaze.

Fire, starting in the meter room
on the first floor of the central build
ing of Cathedral Mansions, 5000 Con
necticut avenue, said to be the largest
Apartment structure in the world, sent
great clouds OF smoke through me
darkened corridors and apartments
last night, driving the more than 100
occupants to The street and necessnal-
ing some thrilling rescue work.
The blaze, which started shorty
after Z O'Clock, was confined 10 tile
apartment Immediately above Nhe
meter room. and iiremeE said TINS was
made possible only BY the NepfooI
const -,ction of the building
Street car and motor trafflc along
the M ich -traveled thorou9hiare was
!nterrup ted for more than two hours
by the fire, while several street cars
and numerous automobiles were
trapped IN the vicinity by the quick
work of iremen in laying hose lines
across t. street. Three alarms We're
turned a. for the apartment piaZe
and the difficulties of the rlfe Depart
ment were increased by the sounding
of several alarms for small fires at
the same time, bringing out practical
" all file apparatus in the city.
lights Go Of.
The eAcape OF the apartment occu-
pants fl I'M the smoke ard tunes ana
the worA of the firemen was seriously
hampered by the burning of the cleo
trio wires in the meter room. when
immediately threw the bu4idlnS lnto
total d3 fkness.
Respe lding to the first telephone
alarm Fent in by Oliver Z. Hazard,
manager of the building for his
father, c. d. Hazard, owner. Acting
Battalion Chief a. s. Haieht or NO.
i engine company Immediately sent
in a "b.ll'' alarm. quickly followed by
q secor.f, and Chief Watson, on arriv-
ing at the scene, lost no time i'll send
ing a third alarm. The three alarms
brought nine engine companies and
three truck companies To the scene.
The alarm sent through the build
ing when the blaze was discovered and
the changing of the fire apparatus out
side save many of the occupants sufh-
cient warning to leave the building
without having to resort to fre eS-
capes or ladders to escape the smoke.
Othecs waited for firemen to raise lad
ders to their apartment windows.
Firemen Use Gas Masks.
Probably the most spectacular incl
dent of the fire was the appearance of
DIR. A. d. Weakley and his wife, occu-
pants of fourth-tioor apartment, at
the window of a vacant top-f1oor apart
ment AS DR.. Weakley waved a towel
from the window to attract the atten-
ton of firemen on the street. a Star re-
porter hurriedly called attention of
the firemen to their predicament. Be-
fore firemen were able to get ladder
up to the window, however, two fire
men, wearing gas masks, made their
way to the vacant apartment in which
the couple were waiting at the win
dow. They assisted Mrs. Weakley to
the street, while her husband was able
TO make his way through the smoke
by using the towel to prevent Suffoca-
ton.
While the ladder was being run up
to the window spectators in the street
were shouting themselves hoarSe to
DIR. and Mrs. Weakley to keep their
heads out of the window to avoid
breathing the smoke. Mrs. Weakley,
once safely on the street, expressed
disappointment at having missed the
thrill of being carried down the ladder.
Saves Family.
Another exciting experience was
that of G. Elmore Cropiey, occupant
of a southeast corner apartment on
father, c. f. Cropley, a cripple, to a
lower apartment, where he was out
of the smoke, and then returned and
assisted his mother and aunt to the
same apartment. While making the
trip down the stairway the son slipped
and slightly injured himself.
George c. Suter carried his mother
from the third floor to the ground.
Numerous occupants of the other
buildings of the apartment house
Joined the crowds in the streets to
watch the work of the firemen.
Several Doors Battered.
After the blaze had been extin-
guished and the smoke had sufficient
ly cleared from the building to per-
init occupants to return to their
apartments, Lieut.. Sullivan Of the
fourteenth police precinct ordered a
detail of two men to remain in the
building throughout the night to pre-
vent possible looting of several apart
ments, the doors of which had been
battered down by the firemen in their
work.
The first floor apartment through
which the fire burned was occupied
by William c. Ritter, professor of
zoology at the University of Cali
Sornia and president of Science Serv-
Zee. His was the only apartment
damaged by fire.
OTlRlI! OI the IRE mas not DeeIl u6Il-
Yitely determined, but Capt. Haight,
one Of the first firemen on the scene.
expressed the belief that it was
caused b. -hort-circuited wires in the
meter room.
Truck Hits Auto.
Commissioner Frederick A. Fenning,
Mai. Edwin B. Hesse and practically
every official of the Police Department
were at the fire. Fire Marshall Seib
estimated the damage at 81 500. He
said there was waste paper on the
Gecr Of the meter room, and suggested
she possibility OF a lighted match or
cigarette having been dropped there.
A collision between No. % engine
and the automobile of Frederick
Bryant, Cherrydale, Va, occurred at
Pennsylvania avenue and Twenty
second street while the engine was on
sts way to the fire. Paul Ballinger,
who holds the world record for get
ting an apparatus out of quarters.
was driving the engine. Bryant was
charged with failing to make way for
the fire apparatus. His case will be
heard in Traffic Court tonight.
FRUIT JUICE AND FAST