Evening star. [volume], December 25, 1929, Page 3, Image 3

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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FIRE DUTY CALLED
SCORES OF POLICE
Reserves From Every Pre
cinct Summoned to Hold
Back Curious Crowd.
Police reserves from every precinct
In the city were summoned to the
White House last night when the fire
*>roke out.
About 100 responded and Maj. Henry
G. Pratt, superintendent of police, ar
rived early to take charge of main
taining the fire lines.
Inspectors E. W. Brown and Thad
dius A. Bean aided Maj. Pratt.
Traffic was diverted from Pennsyl
vania avenue, between Fifteenth and
Seventeenth streets. Only a few hun
dreds watched the fire and the police
had little difficulty In maintaining
• order. Although the fire was discovered
at 8 o'clock and the alarms followed in
quick succession thousands throughout
the city, busy with Christmas eve
festivities, did not realized the White
House was burning.
The third precinct reserves, number
ing five men. were the first police to
reach the scene. Pvt. L. L. Jackson,
colored, driver of the car, rushed into
the burning offic s and carried out
several chairs, hats, a rug and many
filing cabinets.
Capt. William Stott of the third pre
cinct. in which the White House is
located, arrived soon after the fire
apparatus and remained until early this
morning as many of his men were
among the police who assisted the
soldiers of headquarters company of
Washington district of the 16th Brigade
in maintaining an all-night vigil around
th° Executive Mansion.
The reserves of the Traffic Bureau
assisted by other members of the force
had the crowd outside of the grounds
well under control. Pvt. F. J. Scoville
of the Traffic Bureau, stationed at the
West Pennsylvania avenue gate, report
ed that men who attempted to mas
querade as high Government officials in
order to get a closer view of the fire
were quite troublesome.
PARTY CONTINUES
DESPITE FLAMES
AT WHITE HOUSE
(Continued From First PageJ
penter, and Charles Williams, a mes
senger. It was the latter who smelled
smoke while coming up the stairway
from the basement in the executive
office, and resulted in the discovery of
the fire by Policeman Trice and Secret
Service Operative Wood.
Leaves Without Coat or Hat.
In his haste the President hurried
from the White House without overcoat
or hat. A few minutes later, however,
hat and overcoat were brought to him.
Going to the rear of the executive
office, the President threw epen a large
window leading into his office and was
among those who went into the smoke
filled room and carried papers and other
articles to safety.
He did not make a second trip into
. the building, but after standing a few
moments in the rear grounds super
intending the salvage work, he and
some of his friends went to the roof
of a nearby building, where he re
mained for nearly an hour, watching
the fire and giving orders to his assist
ants in salvage work.
Secretary of War Hurley joined the
President later in the evening and
about 10 o'clock, after the departure
of the children guests at the party,
Mrs. Hoover and her sister, Mrs. Jeanne
Large of California, who with her two
children is a house guest for the
Christmas holidays, joined the Presi
dent.
SPECIAL NOTICE.
THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE STOCK
holders of the Chas. Schneider Bakins Co.,
Inc., tor the election of directors and other
business, will be held at the office of the
company, 413 Eye st. n.w„ on Wednesday.
January 15. 1930. at 7 p.m. Transfer books
Will be closed 10 days prior to t ie meeting.
JOHN G. MEINBERG. President.
B _F. ROVER. Secretary.
THE ANNU AL MEETING OF THE STOCK
holders of Gude Bros. Co.. Inc., of Washing
ton. D. C.. will be held at the main office,
1212 P street northwest, at i 2 o'clock noon
on the fourteenth day of January. 1930, for
purpose of electing directors and for
the transaction of any other business that
may properly come before the meeting.
WILLIAM F. GUDE. President.
OFFICE OF THE FIREMEN S INSURANCE
Company of Washington and .Georgetown.
7th street and Louisiana avenue northwest
—The stockholders of the Firemen's Insur
ance Company of Washington and George
town will meet at the office on MONDAY.
January 6. 1930. for the purpose of electing
13 directors for the ensuing year. Polls
epen at 11 a m. and close at 12 m.
ALBERT W. HOWARD. Secretary.
THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE STOCK
holders of the Atlantic Building Company,
Inc- will be held at the office of the com
pany. 119 South Fairfax at.. Alexandria. Va_.
Thursday. January 16th. 1930. at 11 o'clock
a.m. This meeting is for the election of
officers and transaction of company busi
ness.
ATLANTIC BUILDING CO.. INC.,
MYRON M. PARKER. Jr., President.
ROBERT C. DOVE, Secretary-Treas.
THE ANNUAL MEETING OP THE STOCK
holders of the National Tribune Company
will be held at the office of the company.
42-44 G street n.e., Washington. D. C.. on
Monday, January 20, 1930. at, 4 p.m.. for the
election of trustees for the ensuing year
and for the transaction of such other busi
ness as may legally come before it.
MOREE BUCKtLS McELROY. Secretary.
M. D. ROSENBERG. Attorney.
NOTICE—THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE
. stockholders of the Hall Association of the
O U. O. of O. r. of the D. C. will be held
at the hall. No. 1606 M st. n w„ on Friday.
December 27, 1929. at 8 o'clock p m., for the
election of directors for the ensuing year
: and for the transaction of such other busi
ness as may properly come before the
meeting. JOSEPH MANNING.
BAML. W. WATSON. President.
Secretary. •
THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE BTOC»f
-holders of the Seventh Street Savings Bank.
C for the election of directors and such other
business as may properly come before the
meeting, will be held in the ber'king house
at 3 o'clock p.m. oil Tuesday, January 14,
1930.
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VIEWS OF LAST NIGHT’S BATTLE AGAINST FIRE THAT WRECKED PRESIDENT’S OFFICES
Bpjl 1f jf , ilf}r fit
A view of the flames licking the executive offices in the southwest corner. There were few flames, except when
the firemen opened holes in the roof. Then they would sh oot up for a second or two. For a time, however, flames crept
from ventilators near the roof, not only on the southwest corner, but from the northeast corner, next to the terrace.
i
PRESIDENT BRAVES
FLAMES TO RESCUE
PERSONAL PAPERS
(Continued From First Page.)
taches carried from the cabinet room
the cabinet chairs and dumped them on
the rear lawn.
Grant Inspects Building.
Col. Grant after an Inspection of the
building said that the main walls are
of brick and had not been harmed. He
was unable to find even a crack.
Standing inside the rotunda with
water over his shoe tops and dripping
from the attic where the flames had
just been extinguished, he pointed out
the chief damage. The roof and attic,
he said, has sustained the greatest
damage. The top floor was a mass of
charred embers, he pointed out. and
the roof also was in such a condition
that it would probably have to be re
placed.
Although some of the interior walls
are of stucco, he gave the opinion that
some of them had not been damaged
beyond repair. The ceiling through the
entire first floor was rflined.
In the attic where the flames raged
were row upon row of charred Govern
ment pamphlets that had acted as
tinder to the flames. It was this, to
gether with the many small rooms and
passageways, that afforded the firemen
their greatest difficulty. As soon as
the fire would be brought under con
trol in one place it would eat through
a partition and burst out afresh in an
other room. The fire fighters would
then have to cut their way to the new
blaze.
Windows Act as Drafts.
The small windows prevented water
in great quantity from reaching those
places on the top floor where it was
most badly needed, but acted as drafts
that fanned the flames.
Firemen were forced to break the
dome skylight opening to the first floor
in an attempt to get at the fire. They
found, however, that the aperture
from the shaft to the attic was so small
as to be of little use. so Chief Engineer
George S. Watson directed his men to
attack from the roof. Here they chop
ped holes to allow the escape of smoke
before they could enter.
Chief Watson was notified by tele
phone from police headquarters and was
out of his house and speeding to the
scene before the first alarm had rung.
Because of the traffic he did not arrive
until after some of his men.
The first to reach the White House
was Central Battalion Chief C. W. Gill.
Deputy Chief Engineer P. W. Nicholson
also responded on the first alarm and
took charge of the men who were fight
ing the blaze from the rear of the west
wing.
Three More Alarms Follow.
Vhree more alarms followed in quick
succession and brought to the scene 16
engine companies, 4 truck companies,
the water tower and the rescue squad.
Later a fifth, a special alarm, brought
3 more engine companies.
Chief Gill, with members of No. 1
rescue squad, carried a hose in through
the front door and up the stairs. Pvt.
Walter G. Clark of 222 Cromwell Ter
race was the first man on the hose line
and the nearest to the hottest point of
the fire. A sudden back draft of smoke
and flames caught him and scorched
his face and clothing. He was carried
downstairs by his comrades and Dr.
John A. Reed, newly appointed police
i and fire surgeon, ordered him to Emer
| gency Hospital, where his burns were
found not to be of a serious nature.
The only other case requiring hos
pitalization occurred when Pvt. William
T. Capps of No. 9 Engine Company of
2314 Eighteenth street was overcome by
smoke while on the roof. He was able
to climb down unassisted, but upon
reaching the ground collapsed. He, too?
was taken to Emergency Hospital. He
; spent the night in the hospital, al
; though physicians there said his condi
tion was not serious.
Six Narrowly Escape
Six firemen, belonging to No. 16 En
gine Company and No. 3 Truck Com
pany, narrowly escaped serious injury
when the ceiling of the President’s office
collapsed about them. All were bruised,
but after treatment by Dr. Reed and
Commodore W. E. Longfellow, chairman
of the first-aid committee of the local
Red Cross Chapter, were able to con
tinue fighting the fire. Commodore
Longfellow, who came to the White
House as soon as he learned of the fire,
was assisted by his son, Dean Long
fellow.
Fed by the combustible material
stored in the attic, the flames were
plainly visible through the windows
when Chief Gill arrived with the first
apparatus. By the time Chief Watson
reached the scene they were bursting
through the roof.
The second alarm was turned in by
Chief Gill as soon as he arrived. Chief
Nicholson sounded the third and the
chief engineer sent in the fourth alarm.
With that alarm came the water tower,
but it was not used.
An American flag and a clock pre
sented by the French government were
rescued from the President’s office by
Honorary Deputy Chief Henry C. Stein,
who serves with the Fire Department
without pay.
Gets Flag and Clock.
He and Chief Nicholson were stand
ing in the rotunda when he saw the flag
through a rift in the dense smoke. He
called Nicholson's attention to it and
told him there was also a historic clock
in the room.
“Go get them,” Chief Nicholson ad
vised. and a few minutes later Stein
emerged from the smoke with flag and
clock.
By 10:30 o’clock Chief Watson an
nounced that the fire was under control,
and shortly before 11 o’clock the last
visible sparks were extinguished. Most
of the apparatus was ordered back to
the fire houses at this time, but two
romptttips spent the night watching to
_THEEVENING STAR. WASHINGTON, 8.C., WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25. 1920.
fire apparatus at the fire last night to guard all of Washington. The department was taking no chances, snd the apparatus was narked
inside the White House grounds as well as on West Executive avenue, between the White House and the State, War and Navy Building. This view shows the fire
engines on West Executive avenue. c ~rr
see that there was no outbreak from a
hidden spark and trying to clear the
first floor and basement of the tons of
water that were poured on the fire.
Chief Watson estimated that 120 fire
men were called into service by the four
alarms which brought 19 engine com
panies and four truck companies.
As the alarms came in Battalion Chief
Thomas O’Connor assumed control of
the Fire Department headquarters In
the District Building and began calling
to duty firemen who had hoped to spend
Christmas eve at home. These men,
with skeleton apparatus, were sent to
the outlying precincts to protect the
city from other fires.
Help Relay Phone Calls.
Chief Clerk E. R. Pierce reported for
[ duty and with 10 men manned the
1 telephone system, helping the regular
. operators relay calls,
s Officials of the Baltimore Fire Depart
• ment offered their services, but were
; thanked and told that they would not
be needed.
Besides the police who were called
i to handle the crowds. 150 men, com
; posing the Headquarters Company of
r the Washington Military District, ar
i rived under command of Capt. A. R.
i Bolling and formed a living wall along
r West Executive avenue. With them
: came Brig. Gen. H. O. Williams, com
■ mandant of this district.
A troop of Cavalry from Fort Myer
was on the point of leaving for Wash
ington when Col. Guy V. Henry, com
mandant, was informed it would not
be needed. Col. Henry, however, with
Maj. Samuel V. Constant and Capt.
Mark Devine of the fort, came and
stood by in case their services might
be required.
Meanwhile from the west terrace, his
hands shoved down in his overcoat
pockets. President Hoover puffed nerv
ously on a cigar. He was less than 100
feet from the main entrance to the
executive offices and although In no
imminent danger from flames or sparks
he was sprayed occasionally by shifting
hoses of the firemen.
Secretaries Save
Hoover Papers and
Few Odd Treasures
After the confidential papers
and correspondence had been
carried from the President’s of
fice last night, his secretaries
turned their attention to their
own offices and hurriedly carried
their papers and other cherished
articles to a place of safety. One
l of the first thlpgs Secretary Ak
erson carried from his room was
the huge portrait of President
( Hoover which hung above his
j flreplr ~e. Secretary Richey lugged
; ;t his highly treasured etchings
oi President Hoover, Abraham
Lincoln and George Washington.
Secretary Newton, with the as
sistance of his son, succeeded in
saving his papers and portraits,
but no attempt was made by
him to remove any of his large
number of books.
Some members of the press
rescued the several autographed
photographs of Presidents which
adorned their walls as well as a
newly purchased dictionary and
stand.
SIDELIGHTS OF FIRE
A score or more newspaper corre
spondents who covered the White
House regularly lost considerable per
sonal effects, together with their files,
when the press room was destroyed.
The Executive offices recently were
remodeled at President Hoover's request
at a cost of about $60,000, the work
; permitting expansion of office space for
additional secretaries and clerical help.
A score or more Christmas wreaths
which were hanging in the windows of
the burned building became part of the
watered debris. The press room occu
pants were particularly mournful be
cause a huge poinsettla from Mr. and
Mrs. Hoover was destroyed.
For five blocks in every direction
from the White House fire engine
pumpers operated to supply the pres
sure of the tons of water poured on
the building. The hundreds of yards
of fire hose almost formed a network as
It neared the actual fire. Firemen had
great difficulty handling the ho6e be-
ALFONSO RECEIVES
U. S. AMBASSADOR
Laughlin Presents Credentials to
King—Calls on Other Span
ish Officials.
I By the Associated Press.
MADRID, December 25.—Irwin B.
i Laughlin, newly appointed American
i Ambassador to Spain, presented his cre
; dentials to King Alfonso yesterday and
exchanged felicitations with the Span
ish monarch.
After the formalities of the royal re
ception, Ambassador Laughlin made a
formal call upon Premier Prlmo de Ri
vera, who shortly after returned the
visit. The Ambassador plans a quiet
family Christmas at the embassy home
and will then begin a series of calls on
government officials and the heads of
other embassies and legations.
The King received the American Am
bassador in the uniform of a captain
general, with red trousers, a blue coat
and many decorations. He made a
striking martial figure.
The simple evening dress of Ambas
sador Laughlin and his staff was in con
trast with the gorgeous uniforms of the
Spanish court.
TWO NAMED ARBITRATORS.
Berlin Selects German-American
Committee Members.
BERLIN, December 25 (A*>. —The for
eign office announced yesterday that
Germany had appointed Secretary
Ernst von Slmson of the state depart
ment and Pablo Soler, former Spanish
Ambassador at Berlin, as members of
the standing German-American arbi
tration committee, in accordance with
treaty of May
Former Ambassador Alenson B
MrcwfoWL-iMha Amwlcan member.
J A view of the fire taken from inside the White House g rounds. For most of the time last evening the photogra-
I phers were excluded from the grounds and forced to take p ositions on the steps of the State, War and Navy Building
i across the street. Their flash lights boomed intermittently during the course of the fight against the fire.
I
cause a sheet of ice formed almost in
stantly where any water was thrown.
The President was dressed for the
dinner party he was giving to his sec
retaries' children. He threw on a heavy
blue overcoat and was wearing a black
hat as he watched the blaze from the
terrace on top of passageway between
the Executive offices and the main
building.
The Government cannot collect from
any insurance company for the damage
to the Executive offices. It carries no
insurance on anything. A special ap
propriation by Congress will be neces
sary to restore the President’s working
quarters.
Larry Richie, George Akerson and
Allan Hoover, when the fire broke out,
carried out all the President’s desk
drawers. They also carried out several
highly prized and historic flags, it
remained for a fireman, however to bring
out the President’s flag, which was
furled in the comer of George Aker
son’s office.
JAILER HELD TO JURY
ON MURDER CHARGES
Placed Under SI,OOO Bail in Death
of Policeman and Former
Constable.
By the Associated Press..
PAINTSVILLE, Ky., December 25.
John Marshall, Johnson County jailer,
y** held to the February grand jury in
SI,OOO ball on a charge of wilful mur
der here late yesterday as a result of
a shooting Saturday night in which
Jess Dills, a policeman, and Joseph
Castle, a former constable, lost their
lives.
The affair, in which witnesses said 10
or 15 shots were fired on a downtown
street, was precipitated by Dills' at
tempt to arrest Marshall and Castle.
Elmer Castle testified that he and Jo
seph Castle and Marshall had been
drinking and that shortly before the
shooting Dills had told Marshall "You
are too drunk to be on the street," and
James Price, another witness said he
heard Marshall say “I’ll be damned if
I go to jail with yob!”
The shooting followed, and wlken It
was over Dills lay dead with four body
wounds and Castle was mortally
wounded. Marshall escaped un
scratched.
The defense made an effort to show
that the bullets taken from Dills’ body
were not the same as those in the pis
tol that Marshall carried, and also that
Joseph Castle might have slain the po
liceman. Pelphrey Smith of Morgan
County testified he heard Joseph Castle
say to Dills: "Let go of Marshall or
you will get shot!" .and the Marshall
did not fire a shot.
Marshall gave bond after the hearing
and was released.
•
In the Far East all kissing in public
is consider ;d vulgar and therefore is
ip th» theater*.
PHONE SERVICE
RESIORED QUICKLY
■ Workers Have Communica
; tion System Repaired in
Two and a Half Hours.
.
| Employes of the Chesapeake &
Potomac Telephone Co. worked all
. night to repair the service crippled by
the Are. They had the White House
in communication with the outside
within two and a half hours. A force
of men were standing by early today
to install additional telephones as soon
as the President indicates where the
, executive offices will be located.
The main lighting system of the
. White House was not damaged by the
Are, although the switches of both the
War Department and the Potomac
Electric Power Co. are located in the
basement of the west wing, the scene
of the Are.
Various rooms In the west wing were
plunged into darkness during the Are
when water grounded out the circuits
and caused the fuses to blow.
A force of men from the electric
company stayed at the White House
until 2 o’clock this morning assisting
Aremen and telephone men. Under di
rection of D. P. Scanlon and George
W. Edwards, assistant superintendent of
underground distribution, they rigged
up extension lights in different rooms
to afford the Aremen sufficient illumina
tion in which to work.
Hero of Fire
\ k
M. M. RICE.
Telephone operator at the White House,
who kept at his switchboard last night
until water reached his knees, as the
firemen fought a biasing inferno over
HOOVER THINKS WING
RUINED BY FLAMES
SHOULD BE REPLACED
(Continued From First Page.)
today Secretary Richey went into con
sultation with Col. Grant regarding
the establishment of new quarters for
the Executive and his force and the
clearing of the debris and ruins in the
office building. Col. Grant had brought
with him floor plans of the State and
War Building.
Grant Directs Workmen.
One of the first things Col. Grant
did upon his arrival at the White House
today was to give his workmen personal
directions in the matter of clearing the
debris and carting it away. After talk
ing with Secretary Richie he gave or
ders which resulted in the transferring
of considerable of the office furniture
and files and other articles to the north
basement of the State, and War
Building, where they will remain until
it is determined where the executive
office will be located.
Within a few days the offices on the
first floor of this building now occupied
by the judge advocate general, the in
spector general and chief of chaplains
of the Army will be moved to the old
Southern Railway Building on Pennsyl
vania avenue, and this course was con
sidered today along with others during
Secretary Richey’s and Col. Grant’s con
sultation. It was understood that Col.
Grant already has been in conference
with contractors for a preliminary esti
mate on the cost of either putting the
executive office in permanent recondi
tioning or else temporary condition.
First of all, something must be done to
brace the supports holding the roof
which has been so greatly weakened as
a result of the flames and the firemen's
axes. This is deemed imminent because
of the danger presented.
Peculiarly enough, the room at the
northwest corner of the building, oc
cupied by Walter Newton, another ol
the President's secretaries, in the chim
ney flue of which the fire is supposed
to have originated, was only slightly
damaged. It was directly under that
section of the attic where the fire raged
most stubbornly and aside from a gap
in the ceiling and one in the wall
above the open fireplace, this room was
none the worse for wear, except what
havoc was done by water. The damage
to the main lobby and reception room,
the press room and the room of
Lawrence Richey, another secretary,
was principally water damage, except
I in those rooms which had skylights.
These latter were destroyed.
—•
ONE FAMILY JOYFUL
AS ANOTHER SORROWS
Babe Born as Christmas Dawns,
While Other Dies in Fall From
Toy Auto.
By the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, December 25.—Christmas
brings its joys and tragedies—fate,
some people call it.
At the stroke of 12 —tolling the mo
ment when Christmas ticks into reality
—a baby was bom to Mr. and Mrs.
Charles Rizzo.
Just several hours before, a wreath
was removed from a window at the
Henry G. Steinbrenner home —and a
Christmas tree dismantled. Dolores
Steinbrenner, 18 months old, had died—
she had fallen from a toy automobile
and was fatally injured.
SPECIAL VOTING CALL
IS AWAITED IN UTAH
Voters Will Name Successor to
Leatherwood to Fill House
Seat Vacancy.
By the Associated Press.
SALT LAKE CITY, December 25 (JP).
—The vacancy in the House of Repre
sentatives caused by the death yester
day of Representative E. O. Leather
wood. Republican, will be filled at a spe
cial election, it was said at the Capitol
yesterday.
There is no provision in the Utah
law, it was said, for filling a vacancy
through an appointment by the gover
nor. Gov. George H. Dern is a Demo
crat.
Will Rogers
Says:
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.—While
we are merging everything in the
world that has no relation to each
other, why not merge Christmas,
Fourth of July, Groundhog, Thanks
giving, Labor day, Halloween, New
Year and Aprils Fool, all into one
glorious day. That would give every
body a chance to get some work
done during the year. And look at
the speeches, sermons and turkeys
it would save.
This has been the hottest day we
have had in California in years.
Everybody that is not at the beaches
bathing is huddled under the thou
sands of outdoor Christmas trees to
get in the shade. Even the imita
tion snow is melting. All Santa
Clauses are in bathing suits and
wearing a palm leaf fan for whiskers.
There will be two heat prostrations
1 to everjg Christmas present.
WHITE HOUSE FIRE
SIXTH IN HISTORY
Flight of President Madison
Before British in 1814
Recalled by Blaze.
Once since its erection 137 years ago
the White House was practically de
stroyed by flames, once it was seriously
menaced and three times heretofore
small fires have been dlscwered, which
were confined to small areas and easily
extinguished.
When the British, under Oen. Ross,
entered Washington about dusk on the
evening of August 24, 1814, after de
feating the American forces in the
battle of Bladensburg, a detachment
of British soldiers was sent at once to
set fire to the Capitol and the White
House.
President Madison and his famous
wife, Dolly Madison, had left. Mrs.
Madison had been busy all day sending
away valuables in carriages. Some of
the most valuable State papers were
saved, but not all of them. She did
not leave until the British had nearly
arrived.
Saw Soldiers With Torches.
M. Serurier, French Minister to the
United States, wrote to his government
that about 11 o'clock that night he
saw British soldiers entering the Presi
dent’s Mansion with torches.
The French Minister sent a letter by
messenger to the commander of the
British forces, asking that a guard be
placed around the Octagon House,
Eighteenth street and New York ave«
nue, where he was then living.
"My messenger,” he wrote to Tally
rand, the foreign minister of France,
"found Ross in the White House, where
he was collecting in the drawing room
(blue room) all the furniture and pre
paring to set it on fire.”
The flames destroyed nearly all the
interior of the building. Oen. Ross
sent a guard to prevent damage to the
house of the French Minister. It was
after the President's house was rebuilt
that It was first painted white.
Navy Burned Own Yard.
That same night the Secretary of
the Navy himself caused the Navy Yard
to be burned. The bridges across the
Eastern Branch had already been de
stroyed by the American forces.
The next day the British burned the
Treasury and War office, the arsenal at
Greenleaf Point, now the site of the
Washington Barracks and the War Col
lege. Several private dwellings were
also burned, but the citizens generally
were surprised at the care of the British
to save private dwellings.
Gen. Ross said afterward that he did
not like to bum the White House and
other public buildings, but was ordered
to do so in retaliation for the burning
by the American forces earlier in the
War of 1812 of the public buildings of
the seat of government of Lower Can
ada. now known as Toronto but then
as Newark. One hundred and fifty pri
vate homes were burned by the Ameri
cans on that occasion.
Another Blase In 1868.
During the administration of Presi
dent Johnson in 1866 the White House
was seriously menaced by a fire that
destroyed the conservatory on the west
i terrace. The conservatory was rebuilt
, and remained until it was removed in
1902 to make room for the executive
offices which were damaged In last
night’s blaze.
During the administration of Presi
dent Coolidge a small fire occurred In
i the kitchen. It was quickly put out and
caused very little damage.
Twice during the Wilson administra
tion small blazes, confined to single
. rooms, were extinguished in a few min-.
\ utes.
: Until last night the White House has
i never been seriously menaced with de
; struct ion by flames since the conserva
; tory burned in 1836.
• RUTH GARRISON, SLAYER,
WINS MOVE FOR LIBERTY
I Girl Who Poisoned Wife of P&ra
i mour Now Called Sane ’ ~
| Physician.
’ Bjr the Associated Press.
SEATTLE, Wash., December 35.
: After 10 years of imprisonment in the
State Penitentiary as a criminally in
’ sane person, Ruth Garrison, Seattle,
who killed Mrs. Douglas Storrs, wife cf
her paramour, by placing poison in a
salad, yesterday was granted a habeas
corpus writ by Superior Judge John L.
Sharpstein in Walla Walla.
The writ, returnable January 3, was
based on the report of a prison phys
ician to Warden Clarence Long, In
which the doctor said that after seven
years of observation he was convinced
that Miss Garrison was a “sane and fit
person to be at large.”
Storrs, who had been a deputy sheriff,
met the girl while she was working as
a telephone operator. He denied know
ing anything of the crime and was
never on trial.
Mrs. Storrs died In a tea room in
Seattle March 18. 1918. The girl was
arrested the following day and admitted
to police that she had placed a poison
in Mrs. Storrs’ salad while the woman
was out of the room.
• +- *
Burning Pamphlets
Caused Smoke Pall
During Loft Fire
Had Been Stored There
Since Roosevelt’s Day,
Attache Says.
Since the days of President Roosevelt
the attic or loft above the executive
office, destroyed by fire last night, haa
been accumulating a large, but rather
worthless colleation of papers, chiefly
Government pamphlets that cover everv
subject under the sun. One of the old
attaches at the White House estimates
conservatively that the dusty shelves in
the loft above the offices must have
contained fully 250,000 pamphlets. They
accounted for much of the smoke last
night which billowed out of the build
ing through every crack while the fight
against the fire was under way.
The loft is reached by a winding
stairway. It Is arranged so that there
are narrow passageways between the
shelves, upon which the documents and
other papers are piled high. One of the
duties of watchmen in this part of the
building is to visit the loft every hour.
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