Evening star., 1943-10-08
CountryC Club
Is Damaged in
One Of Aires
Locker Room Swept
In Chevy Chase BIoze;
Losses Total $4,000

-Four suburban fires last night de-
stroyed a store and garage-service
station at Fairland and a house at
Capital View in Prince Georges
County and damaged the Chevy
Chase Club and the Bliss Electrical
School in Montgomery County.
Total damage was estimated at ap-
proximately $4,000.
officials of the Chevy Chase Fire
Department said nine companies
from the county and the District
were called to put out fire which
started in the girls locker room Of
the Chevy Chase Club, Connecticut
avenue and Bradley lane.
According to fremen. the blaze.
which was discovered by a night
Watchman, caused severe damage
to the girls and Womens locker
rooms in the north wing of the club
house and destroyed a portion OF
the roof Of the building.
Origin Not Known.
The origin of the fire had not
been determined early today. Fire
men estimated damage to the build
ing and eqci .)ment at approximately
$4,000, but c. c. Coats, manager
of the club, said he could not give an
estimate of damages until he knew
how much equipment in the lockers
was injured.
Earlier last night a fire DESTROYED
Wr1ght's store and a garage owned
by Harold H. Harding at Fairland,
9 miles from Silver Spring. caus-
ing damage estimated at $4,000.
Firemen said the blaze started in
the frame store of C. E. Wright and
spread to the garage nearby. Dam
age to the store was estimated at
$4,000 and the garage loss was
placed at $4,000 Four autos and
gasoline and oil supplies were de-
stroyed
officials of the Silver Spring Fire
Department said fremen were ham
pered by lack of water in their
efforts to bring the fire under con-
troll. While eight pieces of fire
equipment were on the scene, all
but the booster tank were forced to
remain idle for lack of water. Fire
men said water was carried from a
stream considerable distance from
the blaze and was pumped on the
burning buildings
Will Urge Cisterns.
Meanwhile, Henry Marschalk, sec
retary of the Montgomery County
Firemens Association, said plans to
establish a system of comparatively
built cisternS to provide fire pro-
lection to all Montgomery County
crossroads communities will be pre-
sented to the association.
| Rural areas do not need city
| type water systems to give good fire
protection if only they are pro-
vided with one or more cisterns or
dammed-up streams which are &C
cesslble to modern pumping equip
ment," Mr.. Marschalk said.
"A cistern measuring 7 by 10 by 20
feet" he added, will hold approxl-
mately 10000 gallons of water and
will provide adequate protection for
most fires which are likely to occur
|
Calls for Cooperation.
The cistern plan will call for the
cisterns to be comparatively con-
structed," he said, with the county
providing the funds and local resi-
| dents the labor.
The Fairland fire last night is a
! good example of the need of more
adequate fire protection facilities in
the rural areas"
The blaze at the Bliss Electrical
( School. now being used by the Navy,
4 occurred early today in a roof over
one OF the dormitories. causing an
estimated $1,000 damage, The cause
of the fire had not been determined.
! The Bladensburg. Cottage City and
Tuxedo Fire Departments in Prince
Georges County were called out early
today to put out fire in a vacant
house on Capital avenue in Capital
View. Firemen said damage was
about $1,000.
Companies answering the alarm at
the Chevy Chase Club included
Chevy Chase, Silver Spring. Takoma
Park, Bethesda paid and volunteer,
Rockville, Glenn Echo and two Dis
| trict companies
Those responding to the Fairland
fire were Sandy Spring, Kensington,
Takoma Park, Hillandale and Silver
Spring, and the Bliss Electrical
alarm was answered by companies
| from Silver Sprinp and Takor,7a
Park.