Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-15
TOURISTS INJURED
AND SUSTA|NLOS
IN FIRE AT CAMP
Clothing of Several Burned at
Night-0rigin of Blaze
Unknown.
Z
TWO BUNGALOWS RAZED
AND OTHERS DAMAGED
One Man Carried to Safety at Po-
tomsc Park-Inquiry Is
Under Way.

Work OF clearing away the debris al
a spectacular $500 fire which occurred
last night in the Washington tourist
camp in Potomac Park, injuring three
persons, leaving two families without
clothing and completely destroying two
bungalows and damaging four others
was oegun today. Inc blaze, officials
said. was caused by defective oil stove
IN one of the cabins.
U. w. Chaplain, travelling salesman
from Middleton, Mass, who with his
wife occupied cabin next to the one
In which the fire started, was wander
ing about the camp partly clad this
morning nursing badly cut hand suf-
tered when he broke the glass window
IN MS sedan automobile in an effort to
move the car to safety. His wife sprair-
ed her ankle carrying two children to
safety. -
Fire Spreads Rapidly.
I'VE saved most of our things" Chap
lain said. but we we're forced to wan
DER about In our night clothes for some
time before finally getting some blan-
kets: / never saw buildings burn 50
quickly or blaze spread more rapidly"
j. D. Williams of Cleveland. Ohio, in
whose cabin the FIRE originated. was Ia
the community house listening to the
radio when the blaze started. Some one
ran into the Office and notified W. w.
Branson, night manager. that a cabin
was on nre. Branson spread the alarm
and the $50 occupants of the so bum
galows were soon scurrying around
hal 1aalA
Maj. William Critchey. a banker of
Brooklyn. N. Y, carried his wife and
two children to safety and was injured
trying to save his clothes and other eff
fects. They lost everything but the
Clothes they had on. Mai. Critchcy and
his family were on their way to Florida.
Man Carried to Safety.
William Sloan of River Forest. Ill.
who was confined to his bed in a bun.
galow. was carried to safety by uniden-
tined rescuers as the flames from the
cottage next door were licking at the
walls of his cabin.
Francis w. Hicks Of Pinehurst, N. c.,
broke open the door of the blazing cot
tage. and after seeing that he could not
check the flames, ran for a chemical
nand extinguisher and. called for help
Eugene Layheld. an employee of the
camp called the, Fire Department
Engine Company No. IS and Truck
Company No. responded, and when
Lieut.. S. z. Colvin arrived he tele-
phoned second call for equipment
This brought out No. is Engine Com
pany and Central Battalion Chief L. L.
Woodland. Mai. Henry G. Pratt. SUPER
lntendent Of police and police reserves.
But through it all. B. G. Ireson of
Kmgsport, Tenn. calmly reposed In
sound slumber, curled UP In the back
of his parked machine not far from the
excitement and registered surprise
when told this morning that there had
been fire in the camp.
Omc1als at the Tourist Camp reported
to police this morning the loss of 500
from the Administration Building. Ac-
cording to information given police, the
money was thought to have been stolen
from the ONCE on the camp grounds
some time during the excitement caused
by the fire last night. Headquarters de-
tectives are investigating the reported
theft.