Evening star., 1949-12-17
Two Fires Rout
30 on Season S
Coolest Night
Eight Nurses Flee;
Woman and Bedfust
Daughter Rescued
Pictures on Page A-3.)

Pictures ON Page A.
Fire routed eight women early
today from the Garfield Hospital
nurses quarters, Sherman avenue
and Euclid street NV, shortly
after flremen rescued an aged
woman and her paralytic daugh-
ter from a three-alarm fire at
2040 S street NV. In the two fires
80 persons in all were forced to
flee in 22-degree temperature. the
seasons coolest night.
The only person injured in the
two fires was Miss Frankie Bruno,
81, of Lake Charles, La, in whose
second-foor room the fire in the
nurses quarters broke out. She
suffered burned hand.
The first alarm in the S street
fire was sounded at 3:11 am, and
within nine minutes it had turned
into a ee-alarmer. Some Of tho
flremen later were transferred to
the nurses quarters fire at 5:14
am. In all, 20 engine and 7 truck
companies were pressed into
service.
Apartment House Damaged.
The S street blaze damaged 4
three-story brick apartment and
business building. Twenty shiyer-
ing tenants took to the street in
this blaze, watching firemen
struggle through the bitter cold.
Most of the nurses at Garfield
had returned about an hour be-
fore the fire there from a
Christmas dance at the Hotel
2400. Aroused by the flames, Miss
Bruno aWoke another nurse and
raced to a telephone to turn in
the alarm.
Il woke up and the whole room
was on fret was burning along
the walls" Miss Bruno said. Il
ran downstairs and telephoned
the operator. My hair was singed."
1t was not until more than an
hour later that she realized her
hand was burned.
There were a few moments Of
frantic action when others spotted
the fire. Daniel Grayson. 81, COL
ored, of 1874 Hayes street NE.
a special policeman, and Joseph
Middleton, Is. OF rs Victor street
NE, hospital night admitting Of
ficer. saw the flames from out
side while investigating a report
of an intruder in the nurses
quarters, They found no one.
Extinguishers Used.
They fought the fire with ex-
tinguishers, as did William
Geracke. 81. of 252l Eleventh
street NV, an ambulance driver.
Then Mr.. Grayson and Mr..
Middleton rushed along the cor
ridors. banging on doors to arouse
the occupants.
One of those aroused was Misc
Barbara Hunter, 20, of Charles
Town. w. Va, who was sleeping
on the first floor.
Miss Betty Trollinger, 81, Of
Elizabethton. Tenn, didn't stop to
get her shoes. A fireman, Pvt.
James E. White, 43, Of No. "a
Engine Company, lent her an extra
pair of boots. ~.-
Several Rooms Damaged.
Miss Bruno's room was COM
pletely burned out. Firemen be-
lieve the fire started in her closet,
but did not know how. Several
other rooms were heavily dam
aged and fire and smoke damage
was extensive throughout the
building.
At the S street fire a British
soldier, Sergt. John Brian Holmes,
"a, of Mclean, Va, was credited
with arousing many of the tenants
when he ran through the build
ing knocking on doors.
Firemen ran across Sergt.
Holmes in the building. partly
overcome by smoke, and helped
him to the street. Police then de-
tanned him for several hours as
an arson suspect before learning
he had given the alarm. Sergt.
Holmes is cook for Gen. William
Morgan, commander of the Brit
ish Joint Services Mission.
Most tenants had adequate
warning to grab up wrap and
run. Some one notified Mrs. Evie
Allenworth. 70, and her daughter.
Miss Camille Allensworth. 54. IN
their second floor apartment.
Miss Allensworth is confined to
her bed and is unable to walk,
f1remen said. She is former
music teacher. :
When the first alarm sounded,
f1remen put a ladder up to the
second floor and 1t. B. A. Essex
and Pvt. L. E. Smith, both
Of No. 9 Truck Company, entered
the apartment. 1t. Essex said
each woman insisted the other be
helped out first. Finally, the fire.
men tied a line around Miss Al
and lowered her to the
ladder.
Assisted to Ground. -
She was assisted the IS feet to
the ground by Sergt. James Varah
of No.. l rescue squad and Pvt. w.
E. Van Sickle of No. 8 Truck Com
oany.
Then Mrs. Allensworth insisted
On going down on her own.
Asked how she liked the rescue.
Mrs. Allensworth said: II enjoyed
t. It was SWELL '-sa
Miss Allensworth was treated for
lysteria at Emergency Hospital
md dismissed. ... n.. .s
None of the business places
to have suffered more
han slight smoke and water
Iamape They are the Firesida