Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-10-13
70 Cars Burned
AsGasolineLodd
Spills in Crash
Cutters Run With Fire
After Truck CoIIides
With Streetcor

Eight hundred gallons Of flaming
gasoline, spilled from a fuel truck
that overturned after coliding with
a streetcar, made the intersection
Of New Jersey and Massachusetts,
avenues NV. an inferno yesterday
afternoon.
A score or more parked automo-
biles were damaged. many of them
beyond repair, as the cutters ran
with liquid fire, and two alarms were
sounded when 1t seemed that the
first apparatus would be unable to
cope with the blaze.
Billowing clouds of oily smoke
that hung over the area made 1t
appear from a distance that the
fire was of major proportions. but
actually the flames were quickly
brought under control, with no one
reported seriously hurt.
The narrowest escape was that
of Alton Altizer, rs. of 1910 South
Randolph street, Arlington, Va, who
was driving the Inflated truck, be-
longing to- the Washington Petro-
leum Co. The trucks 1500-gallon
tank was slightly more than half
full.
Driver Kicked Out Glass.
The driver kicked out a door
glass, squirmed free and ran to q
safe distance just before the con-
tents Of the tank burst into flames
with a loud "pouff." He got of
with bruised knee.
The flaming gasoline flooded
the intersection and flowed along
the curbs at rapid rate as sec
ond alarm was turned in. Eighteen
automobiles parked along G street,
between First and North Capitol,
caught fire and we're ruined.
Several other machines left at
the curb on Massachusetts, avenue
went the same way. but number
of motorists owed the salvation Of
their cars to two motorcycle police
men. The officers, passing the scene
Just as the accident occurred. used
their pistol butts to break the win
dows of half dozen or more parked
.,
the vehicles to safety.
Streetcar Riders Lucky"
While the fire fighters went about
the job Of hopping up the fiery
gasoline, Gordon of 100 policemen
was thrown around the area at.
fected to keep spectators from press.
ing too close. To add to the con-
fusion, traf1c became jammed for
blocks around.
! The truck, police were told, was
moving north along First street and
had Just entered the intersection
OF the two avenues. The streetcar,
operated by l.. A. Holtzclaw, was
proceeding down New Jersey ave-
nue. and was turning left into Massa.
chusetts when the collision oc.
cured. The front of the streetcar
was damaged slightly, but none Of
the passengers was believed in
jured.
The impact threw the truck on
its side against the east curb Of
New Jersey avenue. Firemen said
the fact that the truck was knocked
clear Of the streetcar was lucky"
lnasmuch as those on the streetcar
might otherwise have been trapped
by the flames.
Deputy Fire Chief Thomas STAN
ton last night said the conf1agra-
ton was the worst of this type ever
recorded here. Chief Stanton said
about IL engine and hose COM
panies were engaged in the fire. No
estimate as to total damage was
available last night.
Autos Destroyed.
Police said automobiles listed as
belonging to the following persons
were destroyed by the spreading fire:
Robert A. Simon, 1926 Nineteenth
street NE; Walter Lee, l0l5 First
street NV; Arthur A. Hawkins. 728
B street Sc; Bruno Olivet, II Sew
enth street Sc: Charles F. Tar.
water, 7025 Eastern avenue, Tako-
ma Park, Md: Arthur Hogan. e23
Potomac avenue Sc; Evelyn Rice.
Berwyn. Md; Charles House. 1919
Twenty-sixth street NV; William
B. Day, l24 Fifty-third street NE:
Alfred v. Johnson, Is G street NV:
John H. Brown, 2021 Flagler place
NV: Marion E. Fisher, 1887 K
street NV: Simon A. McLane. 1127
Eighth street NE, and John r. Nc.
Cawley, Kensington, Md.
Police and spectators broke the
windows of number of other auto
mobiles parked and locked nearby
and pushed them to safety.