Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-07-10
BLAZE ENDANGERS
15FRATERN|TY MEN
Sigma Chi Members Flee as
Flames, Believed of Incen-
diary Origin, Sweep House.

Fifteen members Of Sigma Chi Fra
ternity narrowly escaped with their
lives early yesterday morning when a
fire believed to have been of incendiary
origin converted their local chapter
house at 1912 N street into blazing
cauldron and forced them to leap from
windows, climb across narrow Lodges to
adjoining houses and scale down fire
mems ladders to safety.
Uriah Hobbs, as, of the first block
Todd place northeast, was arrested
shortly after firemen and police dis
covered evidence of incendiarism in the
house. Hobbs formerly conducted a
small garage business in building at
was dispossessed Saturday afternoon
for failure to pay his rent.
Fire Marshal Calvin G. LAUDER and
detectives of the second precinct were
to question him today. He is held for
investigation.
Three Are Injured.
Three of the fraternity members,
trapped on the fourth floor of the burn
ing structure, we're injured. Harley J.
Hallett, jr.. IS. son of Lieut.. Col. Harley
j. Hallett of Fort HUMPHREYS, Va, was
burned on the right hand and the face
as he ran down the blazing stairway
from the fourth to the third floor. John
Thaxter, 20, of Waukeegan. Ill, was
burned on the left hand, face and chest
when he opened his bed room door into
the hallway before turning back into
the room to escape out window and
across the roof of an adjoining build
ing, and Ray Hamburger. %. Of San
dusky, Ohio, was cut about the legs as
he jumped from window to the sec
ond story roof IS feet below, stumbled
and stepped into a skylight.
All three were treated at Emergency
Hospital and later released. None was
believed seriously hurt.
After his perilous flight down the
burning stairway, Hallett found himself
blocked on the third floor as flames
from the lower stories swept up the
Railways. fed by sprinkled gasoline
from two cans later discovered on the
first and second floors.
Hallett turned into a nearby room
occupied by Worth Turner of Little
Rock, Ark, and as he opened the door,
blast of thick smoke and flame blew
in after him. The two men were forced
to climb out the window and hang to
the sill, suspended 80 feet above brick
patio Panied by his scared hand, Hal
lett was slowly losing his grip, wit
nesses of the conflagration said, when
firemen hoisted ladder and brought
him and his companion down.
Only the fact that one Of the men
in the house, Charles Miller, George
Washington University student en-
ployed at the Bureau of Standards, was
awakened by a noise in the hall was
responsible for routing the sleeping
occupants before the flames had eaten
their way through the closed bed room
doors.
Miller said he woke up at about
am. and was about to reach for
cigarette when he heard some one run
ming down the hall and stairs. A mo-
ment later the front door slammed.
He opened the door of his third-floor
room and saw flames climbing up from
the second-story landing Suddenly the
blaze hit gasoline soaked spot and
burst toward him. He jumped back
into the room, closed the door and be-
gan to kick and beat on it and yell
fire"
When he heard some of the others
stirring in the house, he ran to the
window and called. A passerby turned
in the fire alarm. A few seconds later
colored houseboy ran from his base
ment quarters and pulled the second
alarm.
Closed Doors To Bed Rooms.
BY the time all the persons in the
house had been aroused, the entire first
and second floors were a mass of flames.
Fortunately whoever started the fire
had closed all the bed room doors to
avoid being seen before the gasoline
was lighted. This prevented the blaze
from entering, the bed rooms, drawn
by the draught from open windows,
and enabled most of the men to remain
in safety until helped out by f1remen.
The heat was so intense in the closed
rooms, nevertheless. that in one of them
shaving brush on bureau was badly
singed, although no flame ever reached
it.
Almost the entire first floor and the
Railways of all the other stories were
damaged by the flames. A grand piano,
| living room set and other furnishings
of the library were demolished. Silver
| trophies in the room melted, an auto
graphed picture of former Secretary Of
War Patrick j. Hurley. who was a
member of this chapter when he at
tended George Washington University,
was burned Off the wall, and fraternity
record books we're destroyed
Damage to the house and furnishings
was estimated at $4,000 or $4,000. The
| building is owned by the Robert Farm
| ham Memorial Association, alumni or
ganization Of Epsilon Chapter, George
| Washington University, Of Sigma Chi
| National Fraternity. Most Of the men,
hers were sleeping at the house last
| night, but plans are being made to
house them elsewhere during the Sum-
mer.