Evening star., 1961-04-12
F Family Of Four Is Rescued
In Chi||um Apartment Fire
20 Others Flee
EurIy BIoze
In Night Clothes


A young couple and their
two children were rescued from
their blazing apartment at
Chillum, Md, early today dur
ing a fire which caused an
estimated $4,000 to 100000
damage. At least 20 occupants
of eight other apartments were
forced to flee in their night
clothes.
One of the reScuers was
badly cut breaking an apart
ment window and the rescued
couple suffered some burns
and cuts.
Two men returning home to
other nearby apartments dis
covered the fire shortly before
3 am. in the ground-level La
Sale Park apartment of Mr..
and Mrs. James j. DiCarlo,
both %, of 5405 Sixteenth ave-
nue..
One Of the men, David E.
Daniels, 10, Of 5409 Sixteenth
avenue, broke a window in the
burning DiCarlo apartment and
shouted to awaken the sleep
ing family.
Couple Climbs to Safety
The couple handed their two
children, Deborah 10, 312. and
James j.. jr.. 7 months,
through the window to Mr..
Daniels and then climbed out
the window to safety them
selves.
While this rescue was in
progress, the other man, Rob-
ert M. Donald, 29, of 5421 Six
teenth avenue, an employe of
The Stars composing room,
raced from door to door of the
other apartments, arousing oc-
cupantS. MI. DiCarlo Joined him
in sounding the alarm.
By then. according to Prince
Georges County Detective Sergt.
Richard A. Pearson, the fire
was raging out of control in
the DiCarlo apartment and on
adjacent terraces outside.
Before the blaze finally was
brought under control, five
other apartment units also were
damaged by flames. smoke and
water and all the outside ter
I races of the building were ce-
5 Stroyed, Sergt. Pearson reported.
J.. Damaged Put at $4,000
, County Fire Marshall Law
- renee r. Woltz, called to the
. scene along with four county
s volunteer fire departments, fixed
: the damage estimate at about
I $50.000, but Sergt. Pearson said
. it may exceed 100000.
+ Mr.. DiCarlo and his wife,
Joanna, both suffered burns
a, on their arms and wrists and
! were treated afterward at the
. Washington Sanitarium in Ia
koma Park. Mr.. DiCarlo also
, also received cuts on his left
hand and right ear.
Their rescuer. Mr.. Daniels,
also was injured, suffering a
badly cut wrist when he broke
!, the window pane. He was ad-
mitted to the same hospital.
u The cut on his hand severed
either a nerve or tendon, and
he was due to undergo correc-
l tive surgery today. the hospital
n reported.
1 One fireman, Thomas Hanley,
e 35, of BIT Fair Oak avenue,
n Chillum, a member of the
n Chillum- -Adelphi Fire Depart
I ment, also was treated at the
= hospital for smoke inhalation.
Cause of the fire was not de-
termined Immediately and an
S investigation was started by
e Fire Marshal Woltz and other
fire officials.
n Sergt. Pearson said the
S IDiCarlo family might have suf-
a located had not Mr.. Daniels
t arrived when he did.
Mr.. DiCarlo, who had cele-
: brated his 23d birthday Just
yesterday. concurred. He said
Mr.. Daniels rapping on the
window awoke his wife and
she. in turn, awoke him.
There was fire and smoke
everywhere when we woke up
1t was terrible" Mr.. DiCarlo
said later.
He said he got the baby from
l. his crib and handed him to
/ Mrs. DiCarlo, who then passed
le the child out the window tc
a Mr.. Daniels before climbing
e out herself. Mr.. DiCarlo SAID
'e he then groped his way back
o through the heavy smoke into
Al the bedroom and got Their
dauhter and carried her to the
II window.
"a One Of those who fled the
: other apartments, William l.
e Keckley. 25, said he owed his
q life to whoever woke us up"
" Among those aroused by Mr.
/ Donald, who had just returned
: home from his nighttime job
y y as a monotype machinist, were
y housewife and her three chill
le dren and two women he led
downstairs. 70.