Evening star., 1946-03-06
Anacostia Fire
Probed by Navy;
One Sailor Dies
Ten Others Overcome
In Tkree-AIorm Blaze
At Air Station

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 2/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
tion dispensary and returned to
duty. -Four of the six firemen 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 As 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-
ately summoned and aid was asked
from the District, which sent So fire
trucks. Great clouds of smoke rolled
over the area and thousands were
attracted to the scene.
Firemen overcome were: Can't,
Leo w. Mckay, 18th Engine Com
pany; 1t. E. G. Daigle, 25th Engine
Company, and Pvts. E. j. Beruuist.
Ray F. Henry and ]. D. Beach of the
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. Aff1itto, Aviation Ma
chinist Mate &c E. D. Renner and
Seaman 1/c c. E. Walker.
A room, said to have contained
secret electronic equipment, was be-
lieyed to have been the source of the
fire, 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
Lit. 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.
Capt. R. w. Morse, U. S. N, COM
manding officer of the naval air
station, took 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.
Officials said that most of the
damage was caused by water. Ma
rine 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 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 portable ra-
dio transmitter and put a program
on the air, interviewing a number
Of officials of the station who had
a first-hand account of the blaze.