Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-03

| Ills UGllC1s
p. H. Collins, who lives on the first
floor with his brother, J. B. Collins
discovered the flames coming up the
stairs from the cellar to the first fool
at about 2:45 o'clock. He said colored
man on the first floor banged on the
doors to awaken the tenants while he
ran to the mail boxes at the front Of
the building and began ringing the bells
| Of all the apartments.
| The first fire alarm was turned in by
Mrs. Tudor Mask, 121 Chaplin street
| when she heard screams and saw flames
| in the apartment house next door. HeI
| husband climbed to the roof of his
home, where he helped rescue tbs
Castle baby and Mrs. Castle. Mr.
| Mask, who was celebrating a birthday
was preparing for bed when the fire
was discovered. Although the Mask
| residence later was nearly filled with
smoke, the occupants remained in the
building, and aided many OF the Denver
and Hillside Apartments occupants, who
went in the home to get warm, many
Of them scantily clad.
The rapid spread of the fire was
attributed to the melting of gas con-
| nections at the meters in the cellar
which forced the flames up through
Flames Follow Stairway.
The fire followed the stairsteps, cut
ting of any possible means of escape
there. BY the time the firemen arrived
flames were shooting through the roof
The firemen had the fire under control
about an hour later, but not before
the rear part of the building and
eaten their way forward to a number
of apartments between the stairway
and the front of the structure.
Battalion Chief A. c. Buscher of No.
Truck Company, one of the first on
the scene. said he saw flames shooting
through the roof of the building as the
truck started down the hill on Four
tenth street several blocks above
Chaplin street.
Chief Buscher said his men immedi-
flee down the fire escapes. Some of
them tried to grab up a few belong
ings before they fed, while others were
forced to hasten from the building as
fast as they could, clothed in whatever
articles they could grab up in their
rooms. Some were In night clothes,
with a coat or blanket thrown around
them, and some were without shoes or
stockings.
There were rs persons in the %
apartments in the structure. Appar-
emily not an apartment escaped dam
age, either from flames, smoke or water
Two bachelor apartments on the ground
floor, some feet below the first floor
proper, were the least damaged.
Awakened by Barking Dog.
Various occupants of the Denver
Apartments related how they were
awakened and made their escape from
the burning building.
j. Y. Smith, So years old. an in
spector for the STRENGTHENING Depart
his dog, Boston bull. He smelled
smoke and, rushing out into the hall,
found 1t filed with smoke. He and
Mrs. Smith then made their way down
the back fire escape with the dog.
Mr.. Carson, the owner of the build
ing, was awakened by cries of fire. He
hurried out of the building. with his
wife and two children, Gilmer. 4. and
Doris, years old, and returned to
the building to awaken tenants. It
was while on the trip back into the
building that he carried Mrs. Fisher
to the fire escape.
Mrs. G. E. Harris, who lived on the
second floor Of the Denver. Apartments,
with her son, Richard w. Harris. and
q roomer, j. Smith,. . policeman, was
awakened when her room filled with
smoke. She awakened her. son, who
pulled her over to the window and
carried her down the fire escape.
A police dog was rescued from the
building by Fireman P. w. Graves OF
No. Engine Company, who found the
dog sitting in water and apparently
afraid to move.
Work of Eirenaen Praised.
George c. VENTED, manager Of prop
critics for the American Realty Co.,
which owns the Hillside Apartment
Building, at 14l5 Chaplin street, praised
the speedy work of the hremen in saw
ing the latter building from flames.
Although the fire ate its way through
part of the wall. apparently little dam
age was done to the building. Dense
smoke, however, made 1t necessary foI
the tenants to leave hastily, many Oh
them only partly clothed.
Persons residing in the surroundlnt
neighbCrhood were quick to RESPOND ane
give whatever aid they could towart
temporarily housing the tenants.
Mrs. Anna Daniels, 1407 ChapiI
street, an employee Of the Chesapeake
Potomac Telephone Co., said she wa
awakened by reflections from flames ant
declared: IT never heard such scream
ing" She dressed and went out ant
! led many of the apartment buildint
occupants to her home. Various others
did likewise.
A report that man was seen heeint
from the Denver Apartments before th'
fire was discovered. was proved falls
later, when 1t was learned that he wa
an occupant of the hillside Apartment
and had left to catch an early morning
| train. Samuel Madert. q taxicap driver
| residing at 3541 Tenth street, told pc
| lice he Lad taken a passenger from th'
| Hillside Apartments to Union Station
| Just before the fire started.
Mr. Carson said he was unable to sa!
what is the extent of the damage to thu
building A check was being made b.
| officials of the Fire Department to de
| termine how the fire started.
| The firemen were able to get the. fir,
under control in comparatively quicl
order despite the fact that they yer
somewhat hampered at first by auto
mobiles parked along Chaplin street,
narrow thoroughfare.
While flremen at 8 O'Clock this morn
ing still played streams of water Oh
the building many of the occupant
| climbed the fire escapes to their apart
ments and brought down what belong
ings they needed for immediate use.
Policeman G. H. Chrisman Of No.
precinct made his way to the fourtl
floor while the flames were roarin
through the building and recovered So
in cash and jewelry left In her apart
ment by woman occupant.