Evening star., 1934-03-12
BY q STAFF Correspondent Of The Star.

BY STAFF Correspondent Of The Star.
~ liver SPRING, Md, March r.
Fire of mysterious origin
swept through the Rock Creek
~ Riding Club shortly before
noon yesterday and destroyed
the historic structure, erected in 1854
and since used as a dairy barn by
two cabinet members, as billet by
Confederate troops during the Civil
War, and more recently as a riding
academy patroniZed by many promi-
nent Washingtonians.
twenty-five horses quartered in the
stable were liberated by employees be-
fore the flames reached their stalls
and they scampered wildly over
Maryland roads and the streets of
nearby Washington, causing conster-
nation among several hundred Sun
day afternoon motorists before they
were finally rounded up late last night
by squads of police called out to halt
the stampede.
While the horses were saved, the
building was completely razed and
virtually all OF the saddles, brides
and other equipment was consumed
by the flames William Todd. man
ager of the establishment. estimated
the damage to be approximately
100000.
Discovered Just Before Noon.
The fire was discovered at 11:45
am. in the hay loft and ragged for
four hours, battling the efforts of the
Silver Spring Volunteer Fire Depart
ment, who were handicapped by the
lack Of water Lines of hose more
than half a mile in length were
stretched to nearby creeks and plugs
for water.
Fireman George Miller suffered
frozen hands, while Fireman Oliver
Hardesty suffered foot wound when
he stepped upon a nail on an up
turned board and both required
medical treatment.
Attendants at the stable rushed
into the stalls when the fire was dis
covered and led all of the horses into
the open before the fire reached the
section of the building in which they
were quartered.
Turned loose in the open. the
horses raced across fields to the
East-West Highway and scattered.
number galloping down Sixteenth
street past number OF foreign en-
bassies and six of the animals turning
down Connecticut avenue and tlelng
up traffic at Chevy Chase Circle.
Traffic Brought to Halt.
Hundreds of motorists were halted
for more than half an hour as the
six horses galloped around the circle,
chasing frightened pedestrians from
the sidewalks and dashing in and out
of automobiles. Finally they galloped
of down a side street and came to a
halt in Rock Creek Park.
Mounted police rounded up the six
horses shortly afterward and later
turned those which had been parad-
ing up and down in front Of the en-
bassies back to the East-West High
way, where they we're captured.
Todd took the horses to the Shore
ham Saddle Club, from where the
Rock Creek Riding Club will conduct
its activities until preparations are
completed for transferring them to
the new academy that has been con-
structed on the East-West Highway
by John Gheen.
Cat Treads Martyrs Path.
During the fire, which Todd says
may have been started from an over
heated stove pipe which ran up
through the hayloft, two goats kept
at the school as pets were turned
loose, while third was taken from
the burning building by Capt Dick
Nowlin of the local Fire Department.
A heroic mother cat who raced from
the building, only to turn back to
rescue her baby kittens, perished with
her litter.
The building occupied by the Sad
die Club was erected in 1854 by Fran
els P. Blair, a member of President
Jackson's cabinet, and later editor
of the Washington Globe. 1t was part
of Blair Mill, on Blair road, and later
was converted into dairy. Its op-
Grafton as a dairy was continued by
Blair's son, Montgomery Blair, Post
master General under Lincoln, when
he came into ownership of section
of the 1,000-acre estate.
The home built by the elder Blair
has remained in the family contin-
uously and is now occupied by former
United States Senator Blair Lee and
his son, Maj. E. Brooke Lee. one of
Maryland's foremost Democratic
leaders.
During the Civil War the stable
burned yesterday was used by the
troops of Gen. Jubal Early when the
Confederate cavalry leader made his
famous raid on Washington. Early
occupied the Blair home and the
horses of his troop were picketed over
the estate.