Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-12-16
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Blazing School
Honeywell Building
In Bethesda, Former
Walsh Home, Burns
(Picture on Page BID

A five-alarm fire, believed to
have originated in the kitchen,
destroyed the Honeywell Found
alton private school for children
near Bradley boulevard and Will
son lane, Bethesda, shortly be-
fore noon today. No pupils were
injured as $50 boys and girls
were led from the three story
Colonial frame building when
the blaze was discovered.
A concentration of f1re-fghting
equipment responded from all parts
of Montgomery County and nearby
sections of the District, when the
flames, famed by stiff breeze,
spread through the 20-room coun-
try mansion, situated on a hill in
grove of large trees. Damage was
estimated by the owners at more
than $150,000.
The Honeywell Foundation School
occupied the premises of the old
Whitehall School in country home
built by the mother of the late
Mrs. Evalyn Walsh Mclean.
The fire was discovered by the
school chef just before the children
were to have gone to luncheon.
The pupils were lined up according
to their fire-drill instructions and
marched from the burning building.
Bethesda Fire Captain Hurt.
The only reported injury occurred
when Capt. Arthur c. Oldfeld, 48,
of the Bethesda Fire Department
was lacerated about the face when
IA window glass broke in the heat.
He was treated at Suburban Hos
pital, Bethesda, for cuts and an
eye injury.
Thomas Walton, a teacher at the
school, said a thorough search of all
rooms was made by school personnel
before they were driven from the
building. A section of the white
columned building collapsed shortly
before noon, as firemen had diff
Guilty controlling the intense blaze.
Fire equipment was summoned
from Bethesda, Silver Spring, Chevy
Chase, Rockville, Kensington and
Cabin John while Engine Cos. Nos.
9, IA, 20 and 81 and Truck Co. No. IL
from the District responded under
command of Fifth Battalion Chief
L. j. Werneim. The equipment was
lined up for half a mile along Will
son Lane.
Flames Gained Rapidly.
The children were removed to an
other property of the foundation
known as Sky Meadows on Seven
Locks road, at Bradley boulevard.
until they could be sent to their
homes.
When the fire was discovered
about rs additional pupils in a two
story brick building on the site were
marched outdoors. The latter build
ing did not catch fire.
The chef said the fire started in
back of an electric dishwasher and
the flames spread through a dumb
waiter shaft in the wall. When the
first firemen arrived 10 or Is minutes
later, the flames already were break
ing through the roof.
The big mansion had been deco
rated with Christmas wreaths for a
holiday party for the children to-
morrow.
The structure stood on top of a
hill overlooking Greenwich Forest
subdivision, about 800 yards off VIII
son lane.
One of the instructors said the
building was covered by insurance.
First School in Singapore.
The sprawling building once was
the summer mansion of the late
Mrs. Carrie B. Walsh, mother of
Mrs. Mclean. The old home re-
portedly was the scene of one Of
the meetings between Mrs. Mclean
and CASTOR B. Means in the Lind
bergh kidnapping case.
Testimony at Means trial, how
ever, showed that 100000 was paid
Means by Mrs. Mclean in one Of
her houses in Washington.
The Honeywell Foundation was
operated by DR.. Donald Wilson
Honeywell and Col. Frederick Jones'
Davies who had known each other
in the Orient. They had their first
school at Singapore until the war
and they opened the institution at
Sky Meadows in September, 1916,
before transferring to the old Walsh
estate this fall. They taught chill
dren from the third to 18th grades.
The school property also was
owned at one time by Col. A. B.
Barbour of Bethesda.
While sovfe of the Silver Spring
firemen were at the Bethesda blaze,
the remaining Silver Spring firemen
were dispatched to fire in the base
ment of house at Hollywood. near
Colesville. District firemen filled in
at the Silver Spring firehouse.