Evening star., 1942-02-09
Engineers Study
StatIer Hotel
Rebuilding Job
Beams Tested to Fix
Amount of Steel
To Be Replaced

With fire damage to the steel
skeleton of the Statler Hotel
estimated at more than $500, 900,
engineers today started testing
the great beams to determine
how much of the structure will
have to be rebuilt.
Cause of the blaze still Is unde-
termined.
The fire, which drew more than
60 pieces Of equipment on five alarms
and two special alarms at sunset yes
terday, buckled many Of the steel
beams and destroyed most Of the
boards filled with concrete on the
lower floors Of the projected History
structure.
District building inspectors today
faced the dangerous Job of climbing
around on the ice-laden beams and
girders to see how much steel work
must come down. Chief of Building
Inspectors Robert H. Davis said he
believed beams could be replaced
without much trouble. Other parts
of the structure may need reinforce
ment.
Steel Replacement Is Problem.
The main problem was getting
more steel in the face Of rigid priori-
ties. Statler Hotel oficials, congre-
eating here from New York, said they
had not yet gone into the matter
of priorities and estimated 1t would
take a week to determine the extent
Of damage and delay to construction.
Work was halted on the structure
pending an investigation.
An unoficial Fire Department
estimate Of damage ran to more
than 100000. All steel work had
been done on the structure which
will cost $500, 900 when completed.
Fire damage was not limited to
the great red-painted skeleton at
Sixteenth and K streets NV.
Flames leaped across the narrow
alley between the structure and the
Investment Building. famed by q
40-mile wind. Investment Building
agents said 63 ofilces were damaged
by fire and water in addition to the
side of the building itself.
400 Firemen Battle Blaze.
Four hundred firemen were called
to battle the blaze which ragged for
an hour and . half before it was
brought under control. First to re-
spond was No. Engine Co., less
than block away. Before the COM
pany could get out Of the station on
local alarm, the flrSt alarm came
in from the box.
Capt. Oscar Letterman OF the
third precinct called in $50 auxiliary
policemen as well as reserves of
regular police from other precincts.
Coming In from other precincts with
the regular police were another $50
auxiliary police on their first emer-
gency duty.
Scores Of auxiliary firemen assisted
police in holding back the specta-
tors, estimated at 10000. A local
radio station broadcast announcing
the fourth alarm drew crowds that
stretched as far north as Scott
Circle.
Streets were cleared Of trafiic from
H to M streets and from Fourteenth
to Seventeenth streets NV.
Flames Leap High Into Air.
Flames leaped as high as so feet
above the steel structure as slabs
OF concrete on the lower floors
crashed to the ground. Long after
the flre was under control great
sparks leaped from the inaccessible
center Of the structure, where the
wooden scaffolding for the elevator
was burning.
| While there were various theories
as to the cause Of the fire, no official
explanation was available until
complete investigation has been
made. One fireman said he was told
fire was early observed in four
separate parts of the structure, fol-
lowing an explosion.
Andrew Onderdonk. an employe
of the Aetna Life Insurance Co.
in the Investment Building said he
saw smoke flltering from a lumber
pile covered with canvas on the west
side Of the second floor of the Struc-
ture. When he noticed flames lick
ing through the canvas, he said, he
called the Fire Department and was
still on the phone when the area
around the lumber pile burst into
flame.
Thomas Stelle, watchman for the
hotel, said he had toured the prem
ises at 4:40 pm. and found nothing
amisS. He said he later turned in
an alarm as did other residents Of
the neighborhood. The first alarm
was recorded at 5:02 pm.
First-Aid Station Set Up.
A first-aid station, including three
cots, an inhalator and all first-aid
equipment, was set up across the
street at the United Fruit Co. Of
fees, 1914 K street NV, with much
of the equipment drawn from the
Arlington Rescue Squad, but 1t went
unused.
The only casualty was Fireman
Charles French Of Arlington, who
stepped on a nail. He was treated
at Emergency Hospital.
The Chevy Chase Rescue Unit also
had two ambulances on the scene
and the gas company had a truck
standing by, As police and f1remen
worked in the bitter cold, Showered
with water from the fire tower, the
University Club and nearby drug
store kept men on the scene supplied
with coffee.
All ranking police officials were
called from their homes on the
fourth alarm and all of duty fire.
men were summoned to duty to
man utility equipment at their fire
stations.
The structure was scheduled for
completion late In the summer. Its
1000 rooms either were to be used
to relieve the acute shortage Of hotel
facilities or were to be taken over
as emergency ofice space for the
Government.
Investment Ohhces Damaged.
While the clowds gazed skyward
at the leaping flames and thick pail
Of smoke which hung over the down.
town area, employees Of the Invest
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