Evening star., 1940-04-01

Mclean, who also works at the
Veterans Administration Bureau
and who lives on the first floor; Mrs.
Myrtle PETER, on the first floor, and
Mabel TAFT, on the second floor.
None of these women had time
to change from their night clothes
and most of their belongings were
ruined.
Ernest V. Rezzagi and his wife,
Alice, were able to get down the
front stairs from the third floor.
They carried their canary, but lost
everything else. Mr.. Rezzaghi is
employed at Emile's beauty salon.
The smoke nearly choked us be-
fore we got out" he said. I'VE were
lucky"
Edwin Schubert and his wife,
Frieda, went out OF the window of
their first-f1oor apartment. Mr..
Schubert had time to get dressed,
then change into his best suit be-
fore making his escape. He is a
Veterans Administration employe.
The scene outside the building
was described by Rex Daniels of
2l4 o street, Social Security
Board employe.
There was the most terrible con-
fusion. I live right next door and
I rushed out as soon as l saw the
fire. One man asked me to hold his
baby. He started back to try to find
his wife and policemen had to hold
him to keep him from rushing right
INTO the fire
Il gave him the baby back after
a time, but he had not found his
wife. Later, someone else handed
me another baby to hold. The fire.
men were pouring in by then. and
the flames were roaring up so feet
! into the air. The whole place was
just an inferno.
The flames broke through in the
rear at first and roared away for
some time before the f1remen could
get any water on them. l saw a
man and woman jump out of
back window. The man was uncon-
scious and they put him in the fire
rescue ambulance"
A~NA& lVOu SoHtdSStu.
When the blaze had been put out,
police and flremen began the work
OF identifying the victims. Fire
Chief Porter brought so fresh fire.
men on duty to search the ruins
and the police sent squad of men
to the scene to casvass the neigh
borhood for those who had escaped
the flames.
For several hours, the detectives
knocked on the doors of homes
where homeless had found shelter.
Finally, they got in touch with all of
them.
AS the morning passed, the resi-
dents began to drift back to the
apartment to search through the
ruins for their belongings. Some
found money and jewelry, but many
found that everything had been de-
stroyed.
Mr.. and Mrs. John Kapgas, who
lived on the second floor, came back
to find their place in ashes. They
said they had stopped by on their
way downtown-to buy new clothes.
j. Ross Lintner, jr, an employe
OF A. Guide, florists, returned to
find his clothes burned. Mrs. Nell
son A. Loomis said she had re-
covered some baby bonds left in
the apartment. but little else.
Reunited With Fiancee.
One reunion took place several
hours after the fire. j. Leo Kolb,
jr., SON of real estate man, sue
ceeded after a long search in find
ing Mary Agnes Fauquey, whom he
said was his f1ancee.
But police could give no encour-
agement to another man who asked
desperately for news of his fiancee.
His name was not learned, but he
said he was engaged to Miss Hais-
lip-whose body was taken from the
ruins.
Miss Haislip was identified by w.
L. Cullen of 1882 Lawrence street
NE. and Bessie G. Bruce of 1900
Connecticut avenue NV, a Depart
ment of Commerce nurse.
The apparatus brought to the
scene by the four alarms included
S truck companies, IL engine COM
panies and the Districts 2 fire
towers. The f1remen attacked the
flames from all sides, but it was
more than two hours before they had
the blaze put out.