Evening star., 1946-03-06
NaNProbing Blaze
Al Anacostia Base
That Cost Sailors Life
Star Staff Photo.

A naval board of investigation
started work today to inquire
into the three-alarm fire that
caused the death of one sailor,
overcame 10 persons and par
TALLY destroyed the third floor of
the north wing of the admins
tration building at the Naval Air
Station, Anacostia, last night.
Navy officials identified the dead
man as Seaman &c Raymond Rich
ard Duval. 18, Of Springfield, Mass.
He died of asphyxiation en- route to
the Naval Hospital at Bethesda.
-Four other seamen, overcome by
smoke, were treated at the Air Sta
ton dispensary and returned to
duty. Four of the six f1remen over
come were still on the sick list to-
day.
An officer declared damage was
quite considerable" The cause of
the blaze has not yet been deter
mined. The investigating board of
five officers will try to determine
that point.
Controlled In 45 Minutes.
The fire was under control by
9:l5 pm. last night, As minutes
after its discovery. Fire apparatus
from the air station was immedi.
atefy summoned and aid was asked
from the District, which sent 36 fire
trucks. Great clouds of smoke rolled
over the are and thousands were at.
tracted to the scene.
Flremen overcome were: Can't
Leo w. Mckay. 18th Engine Com.
pany; 1t. E. G. Daigle, 25th Engine
Company, and Pvts. E. j. Berouist
Ray F. Henry and j. D. Beach of thu
18th Engine Company and A. P
Burgess of the 18th Engine Com.
pany. Capt. Mckay and Pvt. Beach
were back on duty today. but the
others were on the sick list.
The four bluejackets overcome are
Seaman &c Edward Turello, Sea-
man 1/c M. Affiitto, Aviation Ma
chinist Mate sc E. D. Renner and
Seaman 1/c c. E. Walker.
A room, said to have contained
secret electronic equipment, was be-
lleVed to have been the source of the
flre, but naval officials would not
comment on this.
confined to One Wing.
The fire was confined to the north
wing OF the building and held to the
third floor, naval officials said. The
security watch officer, making his
rounds, discovered the blaze and
1t. Comdr, H. w. Drum. USNR
command duty officer, immediately
turned in the alarm.
Part of the third floor was used
as barracks for bluejackets. but be-
yond the sailor who died as the
result of asphyxiation and the four
overcome by smoke, there were no
other injuries to station personnel
authorities said.
A portion Of the stations tele-
phone system was burned out by the
fire. ~ ~ ''le
Capt. r. w. Morse, U. S. N. COM
manding officer of the naval air
station, took a leading part in
directing the fire fighting. He or
dered the naval board of investi-
cation to be convened, to study all
phases of the fire.
Most Damage From Water,
Ohcials said that most of the
damage was caused by water. Ma
rlne sentries were placed on duty
in the ships service store, which is
In the north wing, to protect prop
erty there.
Visitors were permitted on the
station only with a uniformed escort
and many who desired to gain en-
trance to the naval reservation were
waved away, so as not to hamper
the fire fighters.
Station WTOP set up q portable ra-
dio transmitter and put a program
on the air, interviewing a number
OF officials of the station who had
f1rSt-hand account of the blaze