Evening star., 1950-11-17
Firemen Abandon
Search for Body Of
Infant Fire Victim

Firemen today abandoned at
tempts to recover the body of a
2-month-old infant whose mother
and two sisters also were killed in
a fire at their Groveton (Va.)
apartment.
Mrs. Raymond L. Harper, %,
and her three children, Elaine
Rae, 3; Patricia Lynn, l, and
Brenda Irene, the baby, lost their
lives when a fire tore through the
frame apartment building just off
Route l about three miles south
OF Alexandria yesterday.
Bodies Identified.
The bodies Of all but the baby,
charred almost beyond recogni-
ton. were recovered in the ruins
yesterday afternoon. Chief G. C.
Guckert Of the Penn Daw Fire
Department said. however, the
bodies had been identified by the
Fairfax County coroner's Office.
Chief Guckert said the baby ap-
parently was consumed by the
flames, and searchers gave up
hope of recovering her body last
night. No further attempts will
be made today, the chief said.
Earlier reports that the blaze
started in the furnace room were
discounted today by the fire chief
who had investigated with State
fire narshals.
ut definitely started on the
second floor" Chief Guckert said.
He added that it probably origi-
mated in the Harpers' apartment.
Mr.. Harper. 26, a clerk in a
Safeway Store in Alexandria,
fought back his grief to help fire
men and others search the ruins.
He was not at home when the
blaze broke out.
About 20 other persons-mostly
women and children-were driven
from the five unit frame building.
AT one point, a woman was seen
passing small child out through
a window to another woman. For
a while, rumor had it that this
may have been Brenda Irene.
In checking this report, Chief
Guckert asked police to scour the
neighborhood.
Thought improbable.
ut is improbable that this was
the Harper baby" Chief Guckert
said. From the layout of the
building. Mrs. Harper would prob
ably have gone to the opposite
side of the building from where
this was reported to have hap
pened."
In any case. it still was not
known who was involved in the re-
ported incident or if it occurred
at all.
One of the bodies recovered was
that of child seen on the roof
OF a one-story annex to the build
ing shortly before it collapsed.
Three Penn Daw flremen-E. S.
Wheatley, Sam Bruno and Vincent
Anderson-tried to save the child
but were driven back by intense
heat and smoke.
The bodies of the mother and
another child were found side by
side in the ruins.
Firemen Hampered.
Firemen were hampered by lack
OF water. Penn Daw had to return
to It's f1rehouse several times to
refill its booster tanks and later
The Alexandria Water Department (
;ank wagon was sent to the scene. I
Mrs. John E. Quinn, who cis-
covered the fire. said she had ]
been visited by Mrs. Harper i'm
nediately before the blaze broke
put. Mrs. Harper returned to ner
upstairs apartment where she had
left her children, Mrs. Quinn said.
Mrs. Quinn escaped with her
two children.
George A. Stewart, executive di-
rector of the Fairfax County Com
Chest, went to the scene.
Clothing, blankets and other
household needs were provided by
Red Cross and Chest workers.
Temporary housing was ar
ranged for those driven from their
homes. The families were shell
tered by relatives, friends and inI
a nearby cottage.
The bodies were taken 70 The
Wheatley funeral home, Alex
andria, where funeral arrange
ments were to be completed.
Fifteen pieces of apparatus from
seven fire departments responded,
including units from Alexandria,
Baileys Cross Roads, Mount Ver-
non, Franconia and Fort Belvoir.