Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-13
F|REMEN ON GUARD
. AT RUINS OF BLAZE
Walls Condemned, but Men
ace of Embers Makes RaZ-
ing Hazardous Task.

khose stores they saved, Washington
Bremen last night stood guard over
khe smoldering ruins of Dulin &,
Martins, 1915 F street, while engineers
bf the department studied the problem
bf tearing down the rear and east walls
hf the store that still stood unsupported,
B menace to adjoining buildings.
Up until last midnight. No. 16 En-
zine Company. working under the oil
Fection of Central Battalion Chief j.
Darlington, pumped water out OF the
basement of the building and OCCASION
ally threw line on portions Of the en-
bers that gave. signs OF breaking Out
anew.
It was these evidences that there is
ktill some fire u1akay the walls that must
Be pulled down that has caused en-
eineers of thu 0mDartment to postpone,
as too dar4eruAA the task OF leVelllng
Them This operation probably Will De
deferred until tomorrow, although there
is a possibility that it will be begun to-
day. it was said last night.
Walls Are Condemned.
Rotb the building inspectors office
And Fire Department engineers nave
Condemned the walls. Building IN
Enector John w. Oehmann yesterday
Eeouested that they be torn down as
koon as possible.
Inst what method will be used nao
not been decided last night. Ropes may
be used and the walls pulled GOWN
Dynamite has been considered, ana the
feasibility of taking the walls down In
sAsments has been suggested. Ii IL Is
hecided to use dynamite the bullolng
inspectors office will conduct the oper-
alton, otherwise the Fire Department
will undertake it, according 10 an
houncementS last night.
whatever method is used, an effort
will be made to throw the walls toward
hhe inside so as not to injure sur
rounding buildings. The entire prob
lem is further complicated by the fact
that firemen consider it impossible to
run ladders up the walls because OF
hanger of their collapsing.
Conscious that the prompt and ell
cient work of the Fire Department
probably saved the business district
from a widespread confiagration, the
Merchants and Manufacturers Associa-
tion yesterday promptly expressed
gratitude in a letter to Commissioner
Proctor L. Dougherty.
Friendship Commended.
Citing the high wind and severe cold
weather which made the work of the
niremen even more difficult the asSocia-
tion, through its president, Maj. Gen.
Anton Stephan, commended "the Won
derful work as truly remarkable piece
Of Friendship" -t
Capt Frank Hellmuth of the No. 2
engine, the only Seriously-hurt victim
of the flames, remained in Emergency
Hospital last night. Although still suf-
fering from the burns on his face and
hands he was reported as progressing
satisfactorily.
All day yesterday Nos. 2, 6, IA and 16
engine companies and Nos. and 4
trucks took turns standing guard"
over the building and pumping out the
water. The tons of water that were
thrown on the flames before the blaze
was brought under control flooded the
the block. Even Brownley'S candy
store, across the street at 1905 G street,
was flooded in the basement and fire.
men were called upon to pump it out.
A special detail of police was thrown
about the building last night and ropes
were stretched across the sidewalk in
front Of the q street entrance to keep
persons away from the dangerous walls.
Automobiles were not permitted to park
near 6ltLl6r CulIdIlCS.
Waterman Discovered Blaze.
With police on guard at the F street
entrance was A. N. Goodman, night
Waterman of Dulin & Martin, who last
night discovered the blaze. Goodman
said he made a tour of the building
about 2:30 and saw no evidence of fire.
Shortly after 3 o'clock, while hopping
I'D the first floor, he saw the reflection
- CSC hut
Jumping in the freight elevator he rode
to the third floor where heavy pillows
of smoke blinded him. Cropping, he
hit the burglar alarm, which also set
of a fire alarm, and hurried back TO
the first floor.
He was met by firemen and repre-
sSentatives of the burglar alarm COM
ipany and threw open all three doors
on G street, eliminating necessity for
the fremen to force their way in.
It was only few minutes later that
Capt. Hellmuth. who had gone to the
fourth floor with two men from his
company, received his injuries. When
he opened a window back draft was
caused which led to an explosion and
surrounded the trio with flames. Climb
ing to narrow stone ledge outside the
window, the captain and his COM
panionS, PvtS. F. M. McAnallen and
NJ. r. Coleman. were rescued when
No. 3 truck swiftly ran up ladder to
them, while members of the rescue
squad held life net beneath.
All Apparatus Summoned.
Every piece Of apparatus in the city
was summoned to the scene by six
alarms. When another alarm came In
from Tenth and G streets calls for help
were sent to nearby Maryland and Vir-
ginia. Ten engines were dispatched
from Baltimore and volunteer COM
panies from nearer communities hur-
ried to Washington. All were sent tC
I'LL in at stations vacated by the Capt.
tai companies at the downtown blaze.
Record of the Fire Department shows
that none of the out-of-toWn companie
had to answer an alarm. After TIVE
hours of fighting the Dulin & Martir
fire was pronounced under control a
$50. At Gal chimney fire was re
ported at 1912 Rhode Island avenu
northeast, which was eXtinguiShed b,
two local companies that had returned
to their houses. No other alarms Wer
sounded until afternoon.
Firemen were without a clue as to TIL
cause Of the big blaze. It was pointed
out last night that as the fire started OF
the third floor, which later collapsed, al
evidence as to origin had been de
Stroyed, and an investigation Woul
probably be useless.
@sss,;.