Evening star., 1944-04-24
Officials Probe Fire
Al IMPAIRMENT House IN
Which 4 Were Hurt
Three in FomiIy Leop
Six Feet to Sofety on
Adjoining Building


An apartment house fire which
our persons-one OF them q 10
1ear-old child-escaped by making
spectacular leaps 50 feet above tn-
'ervening sidewalks to adjoining
buildings was under investigation
,oday by the fire marshal and the
District building inspector.
Mrs. Audrey McNeely. 80. last to
Jump across . 6-foot chasm beside
the apartment house at 81 Randolph
place NV. as flames enveloped her,
was in q serious condition in Casual.
ty Hospital today with first ana
second degree burns on her chest
and face.
Her 10-year-old daughter, Betty
Jane Rattig, was reported in fair
condition at the hospital. Aided by
q push from her mother, she jumped
the space while scores Of women be-
low screamed.
Her husband, Robert L. McNeely.
80, painter, was in good condi-
ton although both his hands had
second degree burns and were
in bandages.
Breaks Ankle In jump.
Rose Liberty, 20, who made 1
similar jump from a fourth-fioor
window on the other side Of the
building, was In Emergency Hos
pital with q compound fracture Of
the ankle.
Deputy Fire Marshal Roy A. War
field said today that the building,
which is owned by Interstate Prop-
critics. Inc, 726 jackson place, ana
leased to j. w. Block, 723 Carroll
avenue, Takoma Park, Md, was re-
ported to the District building in.
spector's Office in 1912 as having 4
wooden dumb-waiter used for trash
disposal, In apparent violation OF the
building code.
]. s. Zebley. chief building in
spector, said that notices Of viola
tion had been served on the op.
orator and owner of the building on
December 81, 1942, and on Novem-
ber 10, 1913. l
The only other thing his records
showed, he said, was that one Of the
inspectors had been summoned as 4
witness in an action brought by 4
tenant against the operator ana
owner Of the building on December
20, 1943.
There had been verbal repre-
sentations to the management since,
ne said, and verbal reports that
some improvements had been made.
Constructed in 1905.
The building, he said, was con-
structed in 1908, before fireproofint
requirements. Under the law, hA
said, there would have been no vio-
lation but for the fact that Its uSi
was changed to a rooming house Ia
part, bringing it under the roomink
house code.
His Office had ordered the owner
to construct additional fire escapes,
he said. The inspection record On
the Randolph place apartment was
a good" one, Mr.. Zebley added.
Scores of other houses with similar
conditions, he explained, have not
had as much inspection and preS-
sure for improvements.
From his hospital cot, Mr.. Nc
Nicely told today how his family had
escaped. They were having break
fast when partition near the
dumb waiter shaft started to belch
smoke. They were cut OF from the
fire escape in the rear. Smoke was
pouring through the door to the
hall and he was afraid to open it.
He opened a window and got out
on the ledge with the little girl.
Jump, Daddy, jump" she said, As
he recounted it.
Jumped to Next Roof.
His hands were already painfully
burned. He jumped to the fat root
|of the three-story building next door
across six-foot space above q side
walk below.
He turned and managed to catch
the little girl who jumped just as
his wife pushed her.
Mrs. McNeely hesitated a moment
sitting on the window ledge.
Delbert Oakes, painter who lived
in the apartment house and who
had managed to get out the front
door with his wife, his Schnauzer
dogs and two canaries just as blast
blew out the doors plate glass panel,
was standing below.
Don't jump" he shouted. The
firemen are coming"
The fire engines from Company
No. IL, just around the, corner on
North Capitol street, were just then
going by Randolph place, They
went to the fire box at Seton place
and North Capitol and came around
the block.
I never thought she (Mrs. Me-
Neely) would make it," Mr.. Oakes
said today.
Grabbed by Husband.
But as women screamed Mrs. Nc.
Nicely jumped. : Her husband
|clutched her with his burned hands
and saved her from falling into the
passageway.
On the other side of the house,
which was not damaged as greatly,
Miss Liberty was on a similar win
dow ledge.
Her roommate, who had just re-
turned from the store, was scream
ing at her not to jump. She jumped
but broke her leg at the ankle.
Copt. Ellis, Surgeon,
Honored by Marines