Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-26
CAUSE OF BOILING
FIELD FIRE SOUGHT
Board Named to Investigate
$4,000 Blaze at Army
Air Station.

L
Air Corps officers at Boiling Field ano
the other by inspectors of the Fire De-
| partment--were In progress today te
determine. If possible, the cause Of the
disastrous fire at the air base last night
which destroyed property and equip
| ment valued at approximately Sio,ooo'
The operations office and Its new al
dition. consisting OF pilots, rest room
lavatory, locker space for nylng equip
ment and quarters for enlisted clerks
regarded as the pride of Boiling Field.
was DESTROYED. while hangar No. S
around which the operations huildins
was built In an Il" shape fashion, was
badly damaged.
The fire ink. which has pursued the
fiimsv structures at the field for several
wears. bv a strange coincidence got
second opportunity to wreak destruc..
ton to the property which was saved
from the fire that heavily damaged the
supply warehouse of the post SeNeral
weeks ago. What had been saved from
this confiagration was checked and m
ventoried and with great diifcultS
moved into hangar 5. The last OF TINS
equipment was stored in the hangar
Tuesday.
Boyle Discovers Fire.
The metal sheeting of the hangar
covered with a tar composition. proved
excellent fuel for the roaring frame
structure adjoining il and the north
portion was DESTROYED. together with a
large amount of parts for airplane en-
gines and planes No planes were in
this hangar at the time. however.
Private John r. Boyle discovered the
fire in the operations Office shortly be-
fore 10 O'Clock while walking MS sentry
post. He sounded the alarm by frins
his revolver into the air three times
This report attracted the attention oil
Lieut.. Peter Skanse. officer OF the day,
who was on a a round of inspection. and
he ordered the city flre department
alarm sounded.
At first the fire seemed 10 be minor
in character. its location having been
determined in the space between the
ceiling of the operations building and
the roof. and close 10 the heating plant
As the District firemen arrived the flre
spread with intensity and was aided by
a high wind.
Realizing there was thousands OF dol
lars worth of flying equipment. lncluo-
ing parachutes, in eighty large wooden
lockers within the blazing building
Capt. e. G. Reinartz. flight surgeon
and two enlisted men whom he pressed
into service rushed into the room In an
effort to save some OF the equipment
The tall lockers are divided into two
sections. one for holding flying suits
and the lower to accommodate the
parachutes assigned TO the locker-hoid-
ers.
Using three master keys. Capt. Rein
artz and the two men rushed from
locker to locker. opening the lower d.
visions and dashing out through the
fire and smoke with the 'chutes, which
are valued at $3.50 each. They contin-
ned this operation until 81 parachutes
we're piled up on the ground outside
and By this time the fire became SO
intense that 1t was impossible 10 gel
back into the locker room.
Mai Howard c. Davidson, who re-
Gently took over command of the post
would not hazard an opinion as TO the
cause of the fire. We will investigate
every probable cause before reaching
a decision" Mai. Davidson explained
but I will say I feel that the matter
of defective electric wiring can be
dropped from consideration. as IT was
recently installed in approved tubing
Fire inspectors agreed with MAI ia
wilson on this point.
Activities Are Curtailed.
With the entire operations section IN
ruins, activities of the field. although
somewhat curtailed. were forced 10 g
on and a temporary operations once
was established In a small frame struc-
ture In front OF hangar 7. Lieut..
Cordr Homer C. Wick, commanding
the naval air station. called on Maj.
Davidson this morning and placed n
the Army's ,isposal all the Nays fly
ing equipment needed TO carry on nee
essary flying activities. Maj. Davidson
accepted this offer pending receipt OF
flying equipment from Wright Field
DAYTON. Ohio, which has been request
ed TO forward a supply.
The operations organization OF the
post had been developed into one OF
the most efficient OF its type In the
Air Corps through system estan-
lished as a result % years OF expert
ence In handling air trafic. To carry
out this system efficiently much paper
work and housekeeping was involved
and most OF these documents were
consumed in the Are.
Oficers at the field, as result o'
the numerous fires at the post. while
not In a position IN recommend pre-
vent!ve measures. saw hte only posi-
bility Of precluding future heavy losses
in the construction OF modern, IRE
proof hangers and administration
buildings.
Investigators Named.
The remodeled and extended opera
tons ONCE was completed short time
ago At a cost OF about 81. 1000 and was
the newes. structure on the field.
The board appointed by MAJ. David
son 70 investigate the cause Of the firf
Is composed Of MAJ. II. r, Lonaacre
Capt Christian SchparZwaelder. Capt
Re.nartz and Lieut. Frederick Schauss