Evening star., 1940-04-01

which was remodeled as an apart
ment about IL years ago.
The building had brick walls. The
beams were wooden for the most
part. 1t was built around large
center court.
It had been the private stable,
many years ago, of Clarence Moore,
prominent Washingtonian who went
down on the Titanic. A request in
1925 from the Chestnut Farms
Dairy for permission to use the
building as stable to house 30
horses was turned down when citi-
zens protested. In 1925, it was
remodeled AS an apartment.
The fire was discovered by John
Appelt, who lived on the top floor
in Apartment 306. He called the
Fire Department and then smashed
the alarm device in the building
that reused the other tenants.
On local alarm '-sounded by
phone as this was-only a small
amount of equipment responds. No.
Engine Company and No. 2 Truck
Company were among the first to
reach the scene.
Acting Battalion Chief T. j. Will
iams responded on the alarm, which
was recorded at 2:23. He immedi-
ately sounded second and third
alarm, which came at 2:30 and 232.
The fourth alarm came at 2:35.
Flames Break Through Roof.
When the first detachment of fire
men reached the scene, smoke was
pouring from the upper stories, but
there was no sign of flame. Tenants
were rushing out and the fremen
began to lay hose lines.
Before the firemen could get to
the door. the flames broke through
the roof at the rear of the building.
Whiting a few minutes the whole
roof was roaring mass of flames.
The firemen first on the scene
raised ladders hastily in an effort
to help those trapped. At the front
of the building w. c. Weitzell of
No. 2 Truck Company went up
ladder to aid MI and Mrs. James,
who were trapped on the third
floor.
THE man told me to take the
woman down first and said he would
get out all right" Mr.. Weitzell said
Il started down with her and he
stepped out on the ladder to follow
me-"
At this point, a long tongue of
flame leaped out the window and
enveloped Mr. James. His hair
caught fire and blazing curtain
fell on his shoulder.
Spectators watched Mortified as
he slapped at the flames and con-
tlnued his slow descent down the
ladder
Mr.. and Mrs. James had moved
In the place only recently.
Edward o. Moeller of Truck Com
pany No. 2 said he was working on
ladder reaching to the second floor
OF the building at the rear. He saw
Miss Manley, who is a registered
nurse, at the window of the apart
ment, which was filled with flame
Il told her to come on" he said
But she insisted that I rescue her
dog, That was impossible and 1
ordered her to climb down the lad
der. Still she refused to leave the
dog I finally had to use force to
get her out. She was badly burned" )"
She was taken to house across
the street and lay there for nearly
half an hour before an ambulance
could get through the tangle of hose
and engines to treat her
Miss Manley's dog-like a number
of other pets-Was found burned to
death in the ruins.
Smoke Victim Rescued.
v. NJ Thompson, also of No. 2
Truck Company told of finding a
man overcome by smoke on the
second floor hallway and carrying
him out. Returning later, he found
another unconscious person in the
front of the building on the second
floor. These people had not been
identified, but were believed to have
been treated on the scene and not
hospitalized.
Policemen r. NJ Henry and J. R.
Pumphrey of the third precinct
were the first policemen to reach
the scene. They found Mr.. and Mrs.
Jones in rear alley.
They had both come out of the
window" Mr.. Henry said. Il put
Mrs. Jones in my scout car and
took her to the hospital. She kept
telling me to be sure he was taken
care Of"
Mr.. Jones was taken to the hos
pital in the fire rescue squad am
bulance. He had suffered frac-
tured skull and possibly a broken
neck in the fall. Mrs. Jones was
under treatment for back injuries
possibly fractured spine.
Jump to Safety.
Macon Reed, reporter for Trans
Radio Press Service, and his wife,
Jean, jumped to safety from their
second floor apartment. They had
not heard the flames nor the clang-
ing of the apartment fire bell and
were sleeping soundly. The tele-
phone aroused them and Mr.. Reed
answered to find that a newspaper
reporter who knew him was calling
from police headquarters to find
out about the fire.
IT stuck my head out in the hall
and saw just a little bit of smoke.
I decided we had better get out.
But when we started out the door,
the smoke and flames were so thick
that's how quickly it spread-that
we couldn't get out.
$50 we went out on balcony and
Jean started to Jump down. She
hesitated until Capt. Thomas Will
liams, who was standing below,
yelled at her: Jump, lady, jump
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