Evening star., 1940-04-29

Is Praised in
3.A|arm Blaze

4
Apartment Disaster
Declared Prevented
The use of adequate fire-proofine
methods was credited today for con.
f1ning damage in the three alarm
blaze at the Stanhope Apartments
735 New Jersey avenue NV, last
night.
The fire broke out shortly before
midnight and caused about $50 resi-.
dents of the building to flee down
flre escapes, stairs and ladders to
safety.
Fire Marshal Calvin LAUDER said
today that the fact that the big
four-story structure complied with
fire regulations had undoubtedly
held down the damage and prevented
loss of life or serious injury.
The building was of semi i-fireprooi
construction, the halls and stairways
being built to resist flames. Resi-
dents were able to make their way
down the center stairs or down fire
escapes without danger from the
flames, he stated.
Fire in Dumbwaiter.
The fire shot up a dumbwaiter
in the middle of the building and
set the roof and attic ablaze. The
fire-alarm system in the building
was put out of order by the flames
the fire marshal said, but all resi-
dents were reused.
The damage was Comparatively
small" and only two persons reported
slight injury. One was Acting Sergt.
E. R. Curtis of No. Rescue Squad,
who was cut by flying glass.
The alarm was turned in at 100
and two more alarms followed with
in a few minutes. When the ap-
paratus reached the scene, flames
were shooting up the dumbwaiter
and out through the roof of the
rambling building, which stands on
the triangle formed by the inter-
section of New Jersey avenue, H
and First streets NV.
Janitor Sounds Alarm.
Reggie Lewis, SO, colored, the
janitor in the 40-apartment build
ing, discovered the fire and sounded
the alarm.
II smelled something like burning
rubber" he said "and when 1 looked
around I saw the place was all full
of smoke. I unlocked the door into
the room where we keep the trash
in the basement and saw that it was
all on fire.
Then tried to ring the fire alarm
in the building, but it didn't 60 off
when broke the glass. I went to
the fire box outside and I could see
the flames all over the roof"
Lewis. having turned in the alarm,
went back into the building TO rouse
the residents and help some to
safety. Others had seen the fire by
this time and volunteers were rush.
ing from door to door in the building
About $50 persons rushed to make
their escape from the four-story
structure. Many of them were chill
dren or old people forced to flee
down fire escapes or grope through
the smoke-fllled corridors to the
wide stairs that run up the center
of the building.
The flames were roaring and
cracking on the roof and to on
lockers it appeared that the whole
center of the building had been
turned into a furnace.
Firemen who arrived within q
few minutes Immediately started
helping residents out and the Sec
ond and third alarms were sounded
quickly. While hoses were raised
to the roof to battle the flames
there firemen were helping residents
out of second and third story win
dows and down ladders.
Large Crowd Gathers.
The spectacular display of flame
could be seen for blocks around and
a crowd of more than 1000 persons
gathered quickly. Extra police were
rushed to the scene to handle the
crowd and the traffic. Street cars
along H street were tied up and
automobiles were shunted away
from the vicinity.
1t took less than half an hour to
extinguish the blaze. Fire Marshal
Calvin LAUDER said it had started
somewhere in the dumbwaiter
spread straight up to the roof and
set a section Of that ablaze.
There was no damage by fire to
any of the apartment units, he said,
although water and smoke did much
harm in the building. He would
make no estimate of the damage.
The experience of Mrs. John
Howard, 81, who led her three small
nephews to safety from a third
floor apartment, was typical. She
was awakened by the noise in the
building and looked out to find the
place filled with smoke.
There was a fire escape outside
her window, but she was faced with
the problem of getting the three
boys-Paul, 6; Howard, 2, and Gar.
field Pennell, Z months-downstairs
She screamed for help and Pete
Christakos, who was going down the
fire escape from the apartment
above, heard her. He took one oi
the children in his arms and started
down, while Mrs. Howard carried
the baby. Paul went between them
Firemen and neighbors met then
as they reached the first floor anc
assisted them. Mrs. Howard fel
about feet, she said, and wa.
treated for slight injuries.
In other parts of the building
children and old people were giver
similar assistance. Firemen re.
ported that one invalid was carried
down a ladder. It was nearly two
hours before the shivering residents
most of whom were forced to fies
in their night clothes, could &c,
back into their apartments.
Hydro Refinery Destroyed.