Evening star., 1948-09-09
Woman, 90, Burned
Fatally as Five Escape
Boarding Home Fire

Boarding Home Fire
Death of 90-year-old woman,
Mrs. Ida Presgrave, and the es-
cape of five other aged men and
woman occurred in a fire that
broke out last night in a board
Ing home at Travilah, Nd, while
the proprietor was in Rockville,
10 miles away.
Montgomery County authorities
today were checking to determine
whether the boarding home, which
was unlicensed, required State
Board of Public Health license.
The office of j. Ernest Hawkins,
clerk to the county commissioners,
said the home may not have needed
a convalescent home license, but
that boarding establishments of
that kind generally must have
Health Department clearance.
No Inspection Recorded.
The usual procedure, county off,
cials explained, is for the commits
slonerS to issue permit for boarding
or convalescent homes only after an
inspection and clearance by the
county health Office. Moreover, the
commissioners ordinarily have an
inspection made by the fire marshal
before granting permit and, in
any event, such fire inspections are
made at least once a year. it was
explained.
So far as county records show.
neither the commissioners nor the
health Office issued permits of any
Travilah and no inspection had been
made by the fire marshal, county
officials said
Mrs. PresgraVe, for many years a
Washington resident, would have
been 81 on September II and her
friends at the Travitah home were
planning a birthday party for her.
She is survived by daughter, Mrs
Donald D. 1sbell of 3149 Mount
Pleasant street NV
Burned to Death on Bed.
Although she was described as
having been particularly active, she
was burned to death on her bed in
frSt-foor rear screened porch of
the tWo-story Stucco dwelling before
she could be reached by passing
motorists who led the five others
10 safety.
Mrs. Blanche DoWney, the pro-
prietor, had gone to Rockville to
buy medicine for Mrs. Presgrave.
While in a drugstore there about
$50 pm. she heard fire sirens
and hurried home when told the
fire was at Travilah.
The other occupants who had
been led to safety were Milton
Clssell, 83; George Currer, "a;
Louis Cowan, 81; Mrs Evelyn Da-
Wis, 10, and Mrs. Mamie Voitt, TO-
MIS-. Voitt was taken TO the home
of neighbors and the others went
tC the PinevieW Rest Home in Po-
tomac
Motorists Aid in Rescue.
A Washington policeman, Pvt,
Edwin L. York of No. 8 precinct,
was one of three passing motorists
who helped rescue the aged per-
sons. The others were Samuel E.
Bogley, a Bethesda real estate man
who lives in Potomac, Md, and Lew
Kehenes, 1400 Staples street NE
Pvt. York and Mr.. Kekenes were
returning from picnic.
The Gaithersburg Volunteer Fire
Department was first on the scene
and was joined by the Rockville
department.
Damage, estimated at about $1,000
by Mrs DoWney, was confined to
the porch and back room. Mrs.
Downey said she believed the fire
resulted from short circuit. Fire
men said they did not know how
the fire started.
The house was leased last Feb
ruary by Mrs. DoWney from Morris
Gurevich of BerWyn.
Mrs. Presgrave, who had lived for
several months at boarding home
operated in the $500 block of East
ern avenue NE, had been in fairly
good health, Mrs. DoWney said.
Mrs. Downey told fremen that when
she left for Rockville Mrs. Pres
grave and Mrs. Davis were on the
screened porch.
The survivors were dazed, but
otherwise unharmed when led from
the burning house. Mr. CoWan said
he went up three times" in an at
tempt to find Mrs. Presgrave, but
was prevented by flames from going
to the rear of the house,