Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-17
talDanageIs
Estimated at
100000.
BLAZES RAGE
AT SAME TIME
Conflagrations Are
Held Work of
Incendiary.

Dazed by an an-night series Of majc.
confagrations Of incendiary stamp, re-
quiring the assistance Of outside fire
companies from as far away as Balti-
more. the National Capital was crop
ing today TO take stock o. the dozen
Of injured and of the widespread prop
erty damage.
To the dying discord Of hoviin2
sirens and roaring flames In sundry
parts Of the city, exhausted fire and
police officials checked over a steadily
mounting toll list reaped by five mul-
tiple alarm fires and half a dozen
smaller ones
The unidentified pyromaniac, who
went about his work Of destruction with
methodical cunning n the Northwest
and Northeast sections Of the city, left
seething trail Of blazing stores and
warehouses. with a toll of 30 or more
slightly injured fremen and industrial
property losses totaling approximately
sl00. 900.
As the amazing regularity Of the
dread alarms was broken with the
coming Of new day. police took into
custody John J. Fisher, %. Of 716 Rox-
boro place. suspected Of being impli-
Gated In the reign Of incer6iarizn-
He admitted visiting several of the
fires. but declared he was lust Q spec
tator. A warrant charging Fisher with
arson ass issued this afternoon by As
sistant District Attorney Ralph Given.
Most Disastrous Blares.
The five most disastrous fires, into
smoldering ruins Of which water stiIl
vas being poured today. follow:
Woolworths fve-and-tsn-cert store,
s2S Pennsylvania avenue: 1--WE alarms:
great damage: about a dozen 6remsn
injured or affected by smoke.
Produce row." 200-2lo Tenth street:
three alarms: large poultry and feed
losses: many fremen given 6rss-aii
or hospital treatment
Pllsbury coal and feed warehouse.
S4-SS II street northeaSs: four alarms:
$50. 600 stock loss; no estimate Of build
ing damage
Mcdowell grain warehouse. Q street
1tA0 I<AAA4tu1 k14aIS k1CltEsSAS&s tL1[e<
alarms. damage not estimated.
Iank Woodwork Co.'S plant. rear Of
l34l w street; four alarms: sSs.oo0 20
s90, 900 loss
AL OF the above fires were declared %
be Of incendiary origin BY Fire Chief
Watson and Police Chief HeSSe on re-
ceips OF preliminary reports from Fire
Marshal Seib and other investigators.
In addition 70 these there was n
scattering during the night o. lesser
fires, several Of which also we're hrsn6s[.
as incendiayy,
Woolwerth Biaze Starts FIRST.
The woolwcr,h IRE was the irss
major assignment Of wha, turned cut
10 be the most hectic night in TIE his
tory Of the local Fire Department.
While this ccrragratson was St its
height with all available apparatus cGt
In response 10 the rapid succession os
alarms spectators discovered flames
leaping high from the produce build
tngS At the northweS, corner os Tsn.h
and c streets The ceSrIraed and pant
ING crengnters split their forces - cczs,-
bat the new outbreak and while still
battling against the spreading asnaes ..
the SsccGd 1rr. q third call for ss6
New York avenue
shortly cefore = c'cAccS this rsorr,irS
the grim trail of the fire Gersoa )s,rar-
ed "a Northeast Washington. where tAc
pillScQry coGtiagragsoa called for a new
ecncen,ra.;or os the apparatus a.yeaSsy
on duty DOWNTOWN
Ccuviaced ;fow thai the rapid saves
SION ~ stubborn fires WAS tAe wcSS NJ
q fire maniac, and fearful gslS. A S<as,-
anusiicn os his activities wputS threat
en- the safety O. the entire city, Chsef
WATSON 1elephcaes sc EasgisssegS AZ
arsent request for assistance
kNsetN 80 minutes later sAe 6gSs cg
the BALTIMORE volunteers. AsaCseS ev
DEPUTY Chief Hl2ykssart, ScrsScAeS INTO
Washington frOsn the BALTIMORE PIKE,
.MsoweSs - minutes later ey 10 egsSGse
eS,tNgNA0SeS
IL MAS the SeccGS tine IN the sana.S
M sAe CSpssal Thar Ral:IsseSe aye.ssn
As0 eSNsse - TIE aid c1 the NAL Sss-
SGossnt-thc nrSs o<cASscga e~sisS -
tS,', 19rn,S the sreat Patent os.sss 6rs..
SnssI SorShArt rrcralisd that ~, NxS A
private when the WASnhsSsca rsre Ne
esrtneat went ~ Baltimore DARING rAs
SreaE cse NJ February :, lS<s
IN we Meaas1nNeA all S2tsNsaS ycAsn%
teer rre companies fsca VsgSMsa ans
MafS'aad had reSsN>,sCir>a IL the aIS>rAl
stM aSSiSiai,Se, The NuA.M,sxar SNAs,,.,a,
nssS were ASSIGNED ~ crehNssSeS vaeasea
eS washington epStaeS and tracks ana
tAey alSo rendereI valuable hsNs in
aaelis'S several NJ the elsseS
ksaxe Eeaaa sa SsSeeS1
FISHER MAS ARRESTED M sascssaAss<,s
sNgasSaed eN citizens whA discovered
me ssse At the NeyNsweN grain waYS~
aelsSS, Eeknsxtoa paacNe and - SsrSes
northeast, and Who gave Il yNNlsS~ me ,
lsteIsSe a0nseey NJ = ns<NtNgsSs Mn il
asSeg~d to have sepSNNaSAe<a rSnsSsay
lAseS, isle N&th CAessc2 SsySsR. AS Ne
Mas turning in tAS alarm
When arrested ey ANsAr CNxsse Csts<N,v
SssAce W, lnneeesgS, ~ sse avSe VIZ ~
MS ls>aue sarsN sAIS nsSgnSssS AsS sNNAs
ann hN were ecNegVa Wtsh \ sayEy sab.
>sanSS tNteStIve Charles Weseg. MN
,s,Atras'a his car te1ssaa \ NASASe NJ sAe
tISntsaN,a ea psaSe I. CSSsApln ~