The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-01-17
Firebug Suspect Was
Hospital Patient

the apparatus llG1Q pCCu
to fight the other fires.
Volunteers Prove Worth
It was at the Pillsbury ware.
house that the volunteers got in
their best work. Because the other
fires had taken up all available
city apparatus, only the volunteer
companies remained to fight this
one. which turned out to be one
Of the biggest and most spectacular.
The companies from Brentwood, Mt.
Rainier. Rivefdale, and Hyattsville,
and one company from Potomac,
Va, fought this fire virtually alone
when it was at its height, and
managed to confine it to the hay
and straw filled brick structure.
Two volunteer firemen We're in
1ured at this fire, and one was re.
moved to Casualty Hospital. Paul
Beckett, of the Mt. Rainier company
was overcome by smoke while fight
ing the fire from the roof Of the
Northeast Auto Exchange, a one
story building adjoining. He was
taken to Casualty.
James Daugherty, of the Brent
wood fire department, received a
badly iacerated left leg. His injuries
were treated by the Washington
Gas Light Cofnpany's crew who
responded In their emergency
wagon to the alarm.
Spectators and city firemen alike
were loud in their praise OF the
work of the volunteers. They took
their stations at the fire plugs near
est the burning building like veter-
ans and soon had streams Of water
playing from three sides, the H
Street front, the alley in the rear,
and on First Street N. e. The fire
was pretty well checked and con-
fined to the Pillsbury Building by
the time No. engine was released
from the New York Avenue fire
and reached the scene.
Two Horses Die I'm FLAMES
The auto exchange next door
was damaged by water, but flames
did not reach the interior. Two
horses were buried to death in the
stable in the rear Of the ware.
house. but eight other horses in a
stable across the alley were led to
safety.
When the fire broke out in the
Mcdowell grain elevator, three
alarms brought what apparatus
that could be spared from other
fires and the Baltimore companies
that had taken station at No. IA
engine.
The Mcdowell plant blaze threat
ened to reach large proportions.
but the firemen managed at last to
confine 1t to the interior of this
structure.
At about 4:30 a. m, as some of the
fire engines and truck companies
were getting ready TO leave the Me
DoweH blaze, the fire which threat
ened the entire block from Four
teenth TO Thirteenth Streets and
Florida Avenue and w Street, broke
out. The flames ate their way
through the Lank woodworking
structure, and soon were shooting
through the roof. Local firemen
fought the blaze from all vantage
points, their efforts soon augmented
by aid from two Baltimore engines.
Hose lines had to be run a block on
either side of the fire on Fourteenth
Street, and a like distance east and
west, with all intervening fire plugs
in use.
AS dawn approached a heavy rain
began falling but failed to check the
flames at the Lank plant. For
tunately for the firemen and the
property adjacent to the fire, there
was no wind blowing and the con-
slant stream of water on the struc-
ture finally brought the blaze under
control.
Two more alarms were answered
by firemen during the morning The
fire at 206 Tenth st. N. w, blazed
out afresh after firemen believed
they had it under control.
A curtain fire in the Hungarian
Legation at 1924 Sixteenth st.
N. w. brought the fire department
to the cl1ancery.