Evening star., 1952-12-03
Falls Church Blaze
Kills Woman Seekinq
ToSave S11 in Purse

A Falls Church woman who hao
warned others to flee a blazing
apartment house yesterday died
when she ran back into the flames
to get her purse.
The purse was found later. II
had $11 in it.
The victim was Mrs. Claudine
M. Cassidy. 81, Of 1876 West Broad
street.
Mrs. Cassidy, on the second
floor Of the 14-room frame build
ing, told her husband, Albert S.
Cassidy. 70, about pm. that
she smelled smoke. She raped
on the bedroom door of Falls
Church Police Sergt. Ralph l..
Adams, who occupied an adjoin-
ing apartment.
Mr.. Cassidy went downstairs to
fight the fire. believing that his
wife was following, but she had
returned to their apartment.
Climbed on Roof.
Sergt. Adams went out a win
dow to porch roof, then went
to the window of Mrs. Cassidy's
bedroom and helped her out. They
stood on the roof engulfed in
smoke for several minutes, Sergt.
Adams said. and then he helped
f1remen adjust ladder against
the roof.
AS he was preparing to help her
down the ladder she ran back to
the bedroom window, saying she
had to get her purse.
Fairfax County Sheriff John E
Taylor. who was near the apart.
ment when the fire broke out, also
climbed to the window and at
tempted to go after Mrs. Cassidy
but was forced back by smoke ano
flames.
Screams Heard From Room.
Sheriff Taylor said he called tc
Mrs. Cassidy to come toward him
There were screams inside the
room, the sheriff said. then q
stumbling inside. then the only
sound was the cracking of the
flames.
DR.. William D. Claudy of the
Falls Church Fire Department
wearing special clothing and 6
mask. went into the room ane
found the body lying on the flool
near a door to the hallway.
Firemen later found Mrs. Cas-
sldy's purse in her bedroom.
DR.. Claudy said that Mrs. Cas-
sidy apparently had been felled
by blast Of hot air from the
stairway and then was burned
by flames coming up through the
floor.
He carried her through the
dense smoke to a window and
saw that she was dead.
The fire blazed up in the room
and he got out on the roof. With
the fire chief, he grasped a fire
hose passed up from below and
knocked the fire down."
DR.. Claudy, who also is q men,
Der Of the District Board of Police
and Fire Surgeons, went back in
and lifted the body to a day bed,
where fellow firemen carried it
out through the window.
-Four children of Mr.. and Mrs.
Raymond c. Cadle escaped the
flames. Twelve-year-old Barbara
carried Jeffrey. 8 months, outside
in her arms. pushing Larry, 10, and
Michael. 4. ahead of her.
Parents on Shopping Trip.
Mr.. and Mrs. Cadle returned
from a Christmas shopping trip
to Clarendon to find the house
burning. They searched frantically
for the four children before find
ing them being cared for in a
nearby apartment. Two other
Cadle children, Raymond, II, and
Carol, g. were with their parents
on the shopping trip.
The house was destroyed. The
owner, George j. Leder of 4524
North Carlyn Spring road, Arling-
ton. estimated damage at $4,000.
Money. food and clothing were
being collected today for the fam
lilies, one OF them with six chill
dren.
The drive was being led by
George A. Stewart, executive di-
rector of the Fairfax County
Community Chest. 1867 West
Broad street. and leaders of vet
erans' and other civic organiza-
tions. The Falls Church Police
Association voted a cash gift to
Sergt. Adams, who lost all his
possessions.
Chief Orders Probe.
Falls Church Fire Chief Doug
las Royston said an investigation
would be made today in an at
tempt to determine cause of the
blaze.
The Cadle family stayed with
friends last night. MIR. Cadle, a
construction worker, said they
had lived at the West Broad
street apartment for five years.
Mr.. Cassidy is employed at the
Pentagon as mechanic. Other
survivors are three sons Albert S.,
jr.. OF the HarriSonburg (Va.)
Police Department; Henry, a SOL
dier stationed in Japan, and
Donald Lee Cassidy. and a daugh-
ter, Mrs. Margaret Crawford of
HarriSonhurg