Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-12
20 Maryland and Virginia
Companies, Including 10
From Baltimore, Answer
General Capital Alarm.
HIGH WIND ENDANGERS
BUSINESS DISTRICT
Wall and Three Floors Collapse,
Three Trapped on Fourth-Story
Ledge Hang by Fingers Until
Ssved-Two Injured, Capt.
Thomas Taken Ill.

With fee forming on theil
clothing as they worked in high
wind that blew sparks two blocks
away and threatened the business
district, the entire fire-fighting
force of Washington early this
morning conquered a 100000 fire
In the store of Dulin and Martin
1915 F street, after one wall and
three floors of the building had
collapsed, and three firemen had
been rescued from a fourth floor
ledge where they hung by their
nngertips, trapped by the flames
When every piece of apparatus
ln the city had been called out by
six alarms, calls for help were
broadcast to nearby Maryland and
Virginia, and 20 additional COM
panies, including 10 from Balti-
more, responded. They were
ordered to "fill in" at the vacant
fire houses of the Washington
companies, which were at the
blaze.
Capt. Frank Hellmuth of No. 2
engine company, one of the trio
rescued, is at Emergency Hospital
suffering from serious burns OF
his face and hands. Together
with Central Battalion Chief c.
w. Gill and Privates F.aM. Nc
Anallen and M. T. Coleman of No
engine, Capt. Hellmuth carried
q rope up to the fourth floor with
which it was planned to pull UP
b line Of hose.
Rescued by Ladder.
Battalion Chief Gill became separated
from the rest on the fourth floor, but
rs Capt Hellmuth and his men opened
D door leading to a packing room IN
which excelsior was burning they were
met by back fire" which drove them
back. The captain was burned as ne
attempted to get through the flames tc
the stairs. With the flames fast en-
veloping them, the three men climbed
through a window and held on to q
ktone ledge beneath it while No. Truck
Company quickly ran ladder up under
the direction of Sergt. S. w. Rufnel
and rescued them.
Pvt. Fitzhugh McCandlish, %, of 50I
Sixth street northeast, suffered lacera.
lions to the chin and hands while fight.
Ing the flames, and was treated al
Emergency, but later returned to tht
fire. Capt. Charles Thomas Of No. II
engine was taken i'll at the fire ane
sent home.
There were several narrow escape.
ks the rear wall of Dulin & Martin!
collapsed and portions of the roof ane
the four floors fell in.
AS the rear wall fell it brought dowr
kith it the roof and walls i'll the bacl
of Rizik Brothers fur store, 1918
street. Joseph RiZik, proprietor, whit
had been summoned by William M
Grimes. 200 Massachusetts, avenue, al
kmploye of a burglar alarm company
was standing with Grimes in his store
when the wall collapsed and raced from
The danger zone.
NdtCuUldh DtSCUtCAS DAaACs
The men say they had just walked
toward the front of the store from TIT
bne-story portion in the rear which wa
completely demolished. Rizik said 1t wa
impossible at present to give an eStlmat
of the damage to his store ana stock.
w, w. Hooks, assistant manager o
the Queen Quality Boot Shop at III;
+ street, was standing on balcony j
The rear of that store when the lou
floors of Dulin & Martin collapsed. ii
also ran, but the only damage to nj
store at the time was few broken rea
window panes from flying bricks.
The fire started from an unknown
cause on the second floor of Dulln I
Martin some time after midnight. Spe
cial Officer McDermott, who is employees
as night watchman by several mer
chants in the block, saw the flames iron
Thirteenth and @ street and turned i
the first alarm from there at 3:16. H
then rushed to the G street entranc
Of Dulin g. Martins and knocked o.
the door to attract the attention of tn
Watchman. who was on the first doo
and knew nothing of the blaze.
Deputy Fire Chief p. w. Nicholso
responded on the first alarm and sal
that from Eighth and F streets he coul
zee flames pouring from the uppe
floors of the blazing building. The
broke through the roof later.
Second Alarm in Three Minutes.
Chief Nicholson turned in Secon
alarm at 3:l9, to which Chief Enginee
George S. Watson responded and too
charge of the fight to prevent tn
spread of the flames. Successive alarm
were turned in every few minutes unit
at 3:37 the sixth had been pulled, sum
tnoning the 20 engines, IA trucks, bot
rescue squads and the water tower
every piece of apparatus in the cit
except the fire boat
Another alarm was turned in frol
Tenth and G streets at 1858 by pei
son who saw the fire and evidentl
failed to note the engines.
Just after that alarm Chief Watso
sent a call to Baltimore and two bal
talions, consisting of 10 companies, ur
der command of Battalion Chief Smit
and Deputy Battalion Chief Cab
started for Washington. Only nine {
the Baltimore companies arrived, how
ever, one of them breaking down ;
Laurel.
Chief Smith left Baltimore at o'clot
and arrived in Washington at 4:39. tt
frst Baltimore company did not g
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