Evening star., 1953-02-06
Fire Destroys
-Four Buildings
Al tPooIesVi|Ie
3 Families Routed
In BIuze at z AM:
Pumper Overturns

A spectacular fire ragged
through the heart Of PooleSville,
Md, early today. leveled four
commercial buildings, heavily
damaged another, and slightly
damaged four homes and a I'LL
ing station.
Three families fed their homes.
Firemen said the blaze caused
$4,000 damage.
In addition a Rockville Fire
Department pumper speeding to
the scene overturned on a mar
row curve on Route LOT. There
were no injuries. Damage to the
pumper was set at $500.
The fire disrupted PooleSville
telephone service. Firemen
battled the flames for more than
three hours before the blaze was
brought under control.
Cause Of the fire was not i'm
mediately determined. It ap-
parently began in the rear Of an
unoccupied store which formerly
housed Elgin's drugstore.
Barber Shop Destroyed.
This building and one occu-
pied by<A. j. CaSale's barber shop
on the first floor and the Inde-
pendent Order Of Odd Fellows
hall on the second floor were
burned to the ground. These
buildings were adjacent. Both
were two-story frame structures.
Also destroyed were two frame
storage sheds at the rear Of
these buildings, used by plumb
ing firm operated by George
Hillard and Dan Breeden.
The fire was discovered at 2
am. by Edgar Lemarr Of nearby
Dickerson, who was driving
through town en- route to the
Montgomery County General
Hospital at Sandy Spring with
his wife, who was expecting q
baby. Two hours later she gave
birth to a son.
Mr.. Lemarr blew the automo-
bile horn to arouse the towns
people.
ArOuSeS Sleeping Families.
Mr.. Lemarr rushed into home
near the burning buildings
structure which once was a stage
coach inn. This double house is
occupied by Mr.. and Mrs. Hillard
and their two children, 2 and l
years old, and by Mr.. and Mrs.
Breeden and their 1-year-old
child.
He aroused them and the fire
department. was called. Twelve
pieces Of fire-f1ghting equipment
was rushed to PoolesVille from
Upper Montgomery County,
Rockville, HyattStown, Frederick
and Gaithersburg fire depart
ments.
Firemen laid 4,2Oo feet Of 21a-
inch hose from a pond on a farm
near Poolesville to obtain water.
The firemen said well had been
dug in the center of town several
months ago, but that pumping
equipment had not yet been in
stalled
The Rockville pumper which
met with the accident 2 miles
from Poolesville was driven by
Fireman Douglas Miller. Fire
man Archie Tolbert was riding
with him.
The truck overturned, knocked
down a fence and snapped a util-
ity pole, further hampering COM
municationS in the area.
The blaze spread to the Office
of the plumbing firm, which is
adjacent to the two destroyed
buildings, and between them and
the old stage coach inn. A wall
of the plumbing Office was de-
Stroyed.
OLn0ICdO 4uA1AA& OGdIAOA d11N
four nearby homes, including
those occupied by the Hillard
and Breeden families. caught
fire, but the flames there were
extinguished with minor damage.
NickelsOn Family Routed.
One of these was the building
which houses the Poolesville post
Office on the ground floor and
the home of Mr.. and Mrs. Will
fred Nicholson and their 14-year-
old son on the second floor. The
Nickelsons were forced to flee
their home.
Stanley Umstead. owner of
the filling station. used a garden
hose to extinguiSh small blaZes
on the roof of his building.
Charles Elgin, 81, is the post
master. He and his father,
Arthur G. Elgin, operated Elgin'S
drugstore until a few months
ago. The building was owned
by the elder Mr.. Elgin and the
estate of his brother.