Evening star., 1946-03-01
Center Market
ire Loss Fixed
AtS750,000
BIoze Destroys Old
District Landmark;
Only Walls Remain
Pictures on Page BIZ

Fire Department investigators
today inspected the smoking
ruins of the 70-year-old New
Center Market, Fifth and K
streets NV. in an effort to learn
the origin of the five-alarm fire
which destroyed the huge build
ing early today with damage
estimated at $750,000.
Fire Department officials de-
scribed it as one of the worst fires
in recent Washington history.
F. w. Knudsen. general manager
and superintendent of the Washing
ton Convention Hall Co.. owners Of
the structure, in appraising the loss
at 10 o'clock this morning, said he
hoped to erect one-story building
in place of the old hall.
Rebuilding Depends on Walls.
Any possibility of reconstruction
depends on the District engineers
report on condition of the walls now,
Mr.. Knudsen said. Damage to the
building alone was placed at $500, 600
by the manager.
Only the massive brick walls OF
the three-and-one-half story struc-
ture remained intact when firemen
| got the blaze under control after a
two-hour battle. The huge, curved
roof of the building, known for many
years as Convention Hall, collapsed
with a tremendous roar at 2::40 am.
SO minutes after the first alarm
was sounded-leaying the blackened
shell and smoking, water-soaked
ruin within.
Blaze Spreads Rapidly.
| Witnesses said that within 4 min
utes the fire grew from small
tongues of fame in the upper story
bowling alleys to an inferno en-
gulflng the entire building. Flames
shot hundreds of feet in the air and
flying sparks sprayed over many
blocks of the downtown section, i'm
perlling buildings adjacent to the
doomed structure.
Policemen P. M. Cox and A. M.
Arney, of the Second Precinct,
spotted the first flames just before
1:50 am, the same time Glenn
Taylor, night manager of a Fifth
street diner across the street said
he saw fire in the bowling alley.
/ Even as the policemen dashed to
the nearest fire box, flames burst
through the roof and walls in dozens
| OF places, Illuminating the sky with
a dull red glare visible for miles.
so Fire Engines Respond.
The fire walked across the roof
from one end of the hall to the
other" Patrolman Arney said.
More than so pieces of fire appa =
ratus and hundreds of firemen
rushed to the scene in answer to the
nve alarms. Of duty firemen were
called 10 stand by. Policemen
blocked off streets in the immediate
area of the fire and held back the
crowd of more than 5000 spectators.
Nearby buildings, including the
Steuart Motor Co.. Sixth street and
New York avenue NV, and the
Goldenbergs department store ware
house, adjoining the burning hall,
were sprayed repeatedly by hose
companies to prevent the. flames
from spreading. The force of the
water broke large number of win
dows, strewing broken glass in the
streets.
Heat Blisters Buildings.
Intense heat blistered the paint
on buildings more than so feet away
and forced f1remen to operate a good
distance from the hall. AS an extra
precaution, firemen also drenched
hlling stations near by.
The torrents of water, poured into
the structure from four sides, SUBJ
dued all but remnants of the flames
by $3.50 am, but the wreckage was
still smoking in number of places
later this morning.
Police said more than 10 butche,
and grocer stands were damaged