Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-15
BLAZE At FAIRFAX
MENACES HISTORIC
COURT STRUCTURE
Garage Damage Of SIS, 900
Estimated-Records Lost
in Mayors Office.
ROW OF FRAME BUILDINGS
SAVED BY GREAT EFFORTS
Nearby Towns Send Apparatus to
Fight Blaze-Smoke Affects
Fire Officials.

Fire starting in the ONCE of Mayor
Thomas P. Chapman, on the second
floor Of the Fairfax Garage, directly
across the street from the historic
courthouse at Fairfax, Va, last night
badly damaged the garage structure
and threatened on several occasions to
lay waste the nearby row of frame
buildings housing the offices of many
attorneys.
Assistant Chief Robert Williams of
the Fairfax Fire Department was over
come by smoke upon entering the
building soon after the arrival of his
department, but he quickly rallied and
Handicapped by the lack of water.
volunteer firemen from Clarendon,
Cherrydale, Ballston, Vienna, Potomac,
Alexandria. Falls Church. Mclean and
No. S Engine Company of the District
of Columbia Fire Department, under
command of Lieut.. r. E. Oden, battled
for more than two hours in a successful
Damage Placed at S55,00O.
The damage was estimated at s55.-
600 by w. w. Beattie, proprietor of
the garage. who set the value Of the
building at $4,000 and his stock of
cars and accessories at approximately
$4,000. The building and stock were
partially covered by Insurance.
The blaze was first discovered by
Mayor Chapman at 1880 pm. AS he
passed the building and gazed up into
his office window he saw the dull red
reflection of the fire. Racing to a
nearby telephone. Chapman placed a
call for all Fairfax and Arlington
County FIRE companies. and later called
No. Engine Company Of Alexandria
and No. 5 Engine Company from this
city.
The Fairfax firemen, under the COM
mand of Chief A. H. williams, were
the first upon the scene, and were
joined a few moments later by the
Falls Church department. A 1000
foot relay was quickly formed to
Courthouse Branch. the nearest supply
Of water, and one line was soon play
ing upon the blaze, which had gained
great Roadway.
Attracts Great Crowd.
Thousands Of persons. attracted to
| the scene by the blaze, which lighted
up the heavens for miles, joined in
the work of saving the new cars stored
in the garage. Ten used cars. which
could not be moved before the flames
| reached them. were destroyed
A second stream of water was soon
turned upon the blaze. while the
chemical tanks of all of the engines
responding were emptied in the fight
to save the nearby buildings.
All of the town records of Fairfax
and the State automobile license rec
ords. which were kept in Mayor Chap
mans ONCE, were destroyed, as well as
the $1,000 law library and insurance
records Of Richard B. Farr, attorney
and insurance agent, who had Offices
on the same floor.
The blaze leaped to the roof Of the
nearby ONCE of John Rust, attorney,
several times, but was quickly extin-
guished by firemen.
Fearing that the gasoline tanks
the garage might explode, the i'm
mense crowd that viewed the fire hung
cautiously in the background until
after the fire had nearly burned itself
out. A huge oil drum. exploding. sent
the spectators scurrying for shelter on
one occasion. but they soon returned
to their former places.
The garage, the oldest commercial
structure and the third oldest build
ing In Fairfax, was erected in 1888 by
Recon Wilson, the grandfather of Com
monvealths Attorney Wilson Farr of
Fairfax County. It was first operated
as hotel, and during the Civil War
was used as dwelling. The building
was later converted into apartments
and then was turned into a garage.
soon after becoming the property of the
late Lanius H. Young. 1t is now owned
by the widow.
Telephone and electric light service
was disrupted in the business section
of Fairfax by the burning of wires sus-
pended from poles near the garage.
but linesmen were sent to the scene
soon after the fire was extinguished
and service was expected to be restored
moments ri1v