Evening star., 1944-03-12
Richmond Officials
Open Inquiry. in Fire
Al Jefferson Hotel
By the Associated Press.


RICHMOND, Va, Mar. 11.-Fu-
neral services will be held Monday
for Mrs. James H. Price, widow of
the former Governor of Virginia
and State Senator Aubrey G..
Weaver, two Of the six persons who
died early today in fire which
swept through the fifth and sixth
floors Of the historic Hotel Jefferson
here.
Others killed were:
Dorothy Gam, "a, of Newark,
N. J.
Jean Manfredi, "a, of Irvington
NJ j.
J. Winston Ross, sailor, Camp
Peary. Va.
Ruth Andrews, "a, OF Richmond.
Safety Director M. D. Baroff said
he was investigating report that
when hotel employees and guests at
tempted to use the hose they leaked
30 badly that they were virtually
useless. In addition, the Police De-
partment assigned eight detectives
to check complaints Of guests that
Jewelry, money and clothes had
been stolen from their rooms. One
arrest had been made tonight.
Many Saved by Firemen.
Fremen rescued MANY scantilv
clad guests by ladders from the
block-long hotel and at least 20 were
hosptialized for shock and burns.
The hotel, one of the South's best
known, had its more than 350 rooms
f1lled with guests, number of them
being members of the Virginia Cen
eral Assembly, which ended its 1914
session today. 4
The fire started about midnight,
Fire Chief A. e. Taylor said. in a
stairway on the second floor, and
mushroomed quickly to the upper
noors, where trapped guests re-
treated into bathrooms where thev
poured water against the doors and
used wet towels to keep the heat
down while f1remen made their
rounds from window to window.
A. G. Bush, manager of the hotel.
said he could not estimate the loss
Immediately. The three lower floors
OF the six-story structure will con-
tinue in operation, he said. The
Junior Leagues Saturday night
dance for Army officers was held
as usual at the hotel tonight.
Rites Set for Monday.
Last rites for Mrs. Price will be
held at II am. Monday at the
Ginter Park Presbyterian Church
here. Burial will be at $50 pm.
IN Thornrose Cemetery, Staunton,
where Gov. Price is buried.
In addition to her son, 1t. James
H. Price, jr, who has seen service t
with the Navy In the South Pacific.
Mrs. Price is survived by a daugh-
ter, Miss Lillian Moir Price.
Mrs. Price had been an active
worker in charitable and civic causes
and was former honorary chair
man of the State chapter, National
Infantile Paralysis Foundation.
A memorial service will be held
for Senator Weaver at 12:45 pm.
at the Warren County Courthouse
In Front Royal. Funeral services
will follow at 2 pm. at his home
there.
Brother Is House Reporter.
Besides his widow, Mrs. Pearl
Davis Weaver, Senator Weaver is
survived by a brother, HenrH.sB.
Weaver, Front Royal. an oficiaI re-
porter in the House in washington,
and three daughters.
Senator Weaver, an .attorneyl
educated at the Uniyersitnf vir-f
ginia, was elected to the House Of |
Delegates in 1912 and served two
terms. He entered ths Senate in
1882 and had served since that time.
Two other State legislators were
hospitalized. They were Senator
Harry c. Stuart, Elk Garden. who
was overcome by smoke, and Dele
gate Edmund De Jarnette, Ashland,
burned about the face and chest.
Among other persons injured were
Jay w. Johns, Sc, Charlottesville,
former president of the Virginia
State Chamber of Commerce, and
Fred Sitterding, jr, prominent
Richmond businessman. who was
graduated from Georgetown Uni
versity in 1910 Both were treated
for smoke inhalation at the Medi-
cal College Hospital.
Delegate Describe Scene.
Delegate Delamater Davis. Nor
folk, and his wife, who were prepar-
ing for bed when they smelled
smoke, told story that was the
same for many of the rescued
guests.
Il opened the door and smoke
and flames hit me in the face"
Mr.. Davis said II slammed it shut
and yelled to Mrs Davis to get In
the batroom. We got in there,
turned on the light, and closed the
door.
IF it hadn't been for wet towels,
we would have been goners The
smoke was terribly thick. I waved
a towel out the window trying to
attract someone, and finally an
officer across the courtway threw
f1ashlight on us. I was yelling all
the time, and you could hear peo-
pie screaming and crying all over
the place. A British sailor and |
soldier did heroic work. They broke !
into our room calling Where are