Evening star., 1939-03-17
Cleaners Effacinq
Traces Of 2-AIarm
Blaze al Carlton
Boiling Grease in
Kitchen OverfIows
To Sturt Fire

Carpenters and cleaners today
were effacing traces of a two-alarm
fire which caused several thousand
dollars damage to the Carlton
Hotel yesterday afternoon and forced
scores of guests to flee their rooms
through smoke-filled corridors.
The fire marshal's Office said the
blaze started few minutes after
O'Clock when container of boiling
grease overfowed in the kitchen.
Employees unsuccessfully sought 10
check the flames with chemical ex-
tinguishers while an alarm was
turned in. The second alarm fol-
lowed at 5:21 pm.
The large quantity of apparatus
responding to the two alarms
blocked busy Sixteenth and K
streets NV. at the height of the
rush hour, and thousands of spec
tators gathered on streets and side
walks while smoke billowed from the
lower windows of the hotel.
Only an approximate estimate OF
the damage was available today.
The fire was confined to a part OF
the kitchen and basement and an
ONCE behind the clerks desk on the
lobby floor. Carpenters this morn
ing partitioned off temporary Office
IN one end of the lobby for use until
repairs are effected.
Employees Respond.
Telephone operators, bellboys and
other employees responded to the
emergency and helped to clear the
rooms on the upper floors while
f1remen fought the flames. The fire
spread under the office floor and
upward through wiring conduits
some OF which firemen opened with
axes through the walls.
Flremen and employees rolled back
the huge Oriental rugs in the lobby
While half a dozen hose lines were
carried in from the streets.
Pvt. Frank j. Balik, 36, of No. /
Engine Co. was overcome in a
smoke-filled stairway leading into
the Kitchen and fell down the steps
He was taken to Emergency Hos
pltal, where his condition was de-
scribed as not serious.
A number of guests were dressing
for dinner when the fire occupied,
and hurried to the lobby with such
wraps as they could pull about them
IN haste. The telephone operators
remained on duty, despite the smoke,
1t was said, until other employees
pulled them from their posts.
Meanwhile, firemen helped a wom-
an employe down a ladder from a
second-1oor window at rear of the
hotel. Other ladders were raised,
but not needed.
The fire in the electric wire con-
duits cut off the lights temporarily
IN parts Of the hotel. Repair work
began before the last firemen left
about 8 o'clock, and guests were
served as usual last night in the din
ing room and night club. This morn
Ing only few visible traces of the
flre remained. and the hotel had its
usual quota of guests.
Picketing at the hotel, one of 13
at which a strike of walters and
other employees is in progress-was
temporarily interrupted by the press
OF spectators and flremen and re-
sumed when sidewalks were cleared
The management said the fire in no
way was connected with the strike
Secretary of State Hull, a per-
manent resident at the hotel. and
Mrs. Hull were out of the city when
the fire occurred.
Shortly after the fire was brought
under control, the cocktail lounge
flled with guests who asked a re-
quest number of the orchestra
Keep the Home Fires Burning,
The orchestra obliged.