Evening star., 1941-02-27
Fireman Killed
By Automobile
At School Blaze
Bethesdo-C o-ChevyChose
Building Fire Draws
5000 Spectators

JOnn AGAR, Jr., ~, engineer IOr
the Chevy Chase (Md) Fire Depart
ment, was killed almost instantly by
an automobile early today while
helping battle a spectacular blaze
that swept the upper story and roof
Of Bethesda-Chevy Chase High
School.
Bethesda police arrested Dr. Mark
o. Davis, ST., 60, prominent WASH
ington dentist, as driver of the car,
and charged him with manslaughter.
DR.. Davis was travelling from a
country home at Ednor, Md, to his
residence at 4525 Cathedral avenue
NV.
Held at Bethesda Police Station
overnight, DR.. Davis was released
today under S2.5OO cash bond, rec
commended by States Attorney Ben
Wilkinson. A preliminary hearing
on the charge was set for $50 am,
March 20, in Bethesda before Trial
Magistrate James C. Christopher.
Police said the car ran past warm
ing flares and struck the fireman az
he stood in the road beside a fire
engine pumping water on the
flames.
The blaze started shortly before
midnight. Firemen were called from
Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Silver
Spring and Kensington. Two Dis
trict companies, No. 9 and No. 20,
also responded.
Flames Attract 5000.
About 5000 persons we're attracted
by flames that could be seen for
miles. They were held back by po-
lice lines while firemen laid an
estimated 10000 feet of hose.
Most of the damage in the S600000
structure, built about eight years
ago. was confined to the third floor
and roof of one of three units. The
school cafeteria was destroyed, fire.
men said.
County School Supt. Edward w.
Broome excused the schools 300 stu
dents from classes, but said he hoped
the school could reopen by Monday.
Night classes were scheduled to con-
tinue tonight.
Origin Not Determined.
He said he was to meet with in
surance representatives today to de-
termine the amount of damage.
Origin of the fire was undetermined,
police said, except that it appeared
to begin in the caves County Police
Chief Andrew j. Newman was in
vestigating.
Bethesda firemen were worked to-
day to prevent further water damage
to lower floors. Assisting in salvage
work were men of the county road
force, called to the scene about 2
am. by order of T. E. Hampton,
chairman of the county commission
ers, who went to the fire with other
officials.
One teacher, Leland Williams, 1872
G street NV, was in Georgetown
Hospital today with possible frac-
ture of his right leg. He slipped and
fell as he was attempting to rescue
records from the blazing building.
Teacher Taken to Hospital.
The Bethesda rescue squad had
Just returned after taking the
teacher to the hospital when the
accident to Fireman Adair occurred.
Firemen said he was hurled rs feet.
He was pronounced dead upon ar
rival st Georgetown Hospital, they
said.
Mr. Adair had been a paid engi-
neer for the Chevy Chase volunteer
hrefehters for the last five years.
He lived at 301 Highview avenue,
Silver Spring, and is survived by
his wife, Ann, and a 2-year-old
daughter, Ann Regina, his colleagues
said. His parents. Mr. and Mrs.
John Adair, sr., live in Bethesda.
Other f1remen received minor cuts
and abrasions.
Blaze Puzzle to BrOOme.
School Supt. Broome declared he
had mot the remotest idea" how the
fire could have started.
1T seems uncanny." he said, that
this should be the third large fire
in county high school within a
year. Almost exactly year ago, he
recalled, the Richard Montgomery
High School in Rockville was Sc
verely damaged by flames and about
month ago portion Of the Lin
coin Park colored high school at
Rockville was burned
Bethesda police said an unidenti-
| fed citizen first informed them of
the fire. He saw flames, they said,
as he drove by the school, on the
East-WeSt highway near Wisconsin
avenue.
Investigation Begun.
Montgomery County police are in
vestigating the cause of the fire,
| Chief Andrew Newman said. He
declared no clues had been uncov-
cred as to the origin.
Fire Chief A. j. Bargagni of the
Bethesda paid fire department, in
whose area the school is situated,
declared there was no wiring, no
paper and it was perfectly clean
where the fire started.