Evening Star Newspaper, January 17, 1928, Page 4

BY 35 APPARATUS 850 Washington Firemen Augmented by Hundreds From Nearby Sections. Washington's entire fire-fightin equipment, consisting of 74 pieces ol apparatus, augmenied by 21 fire com= panies from Maryland and Virginia, was marshaled to combat the largest and most disastrous series of fires ever recorded by the District Fire Depart- ment within & period of less than 12 hours. Every available firoman on duty and all those on relief who cou ed wore called back to work fust as soon as the serfousness of the situation became apparent to Fire Departmenioffi- cials. According to estimates, 850 men Fire Depas t, in ad- al hundred from Mary- nia_communilies were = ically occurring b Ten of the came from Baltime breaking run ove Baltumore bouleva the in response to the District's appeal 10 wce—the fiist that has been made since fire destroyed | the old Patent Office on September 24, 1877. Baltimore t four pieces of ap- paratus at that i Two From Alexandria. town companies came from va., and were in coramand of Fire Caie: Duncan. The | other Virginia companies were those of 7 .S P ac, Ball: Maryland | Silver Spring, Ra. Cottage Cily, hyatis- e and Riverdale, | worked side The S the last of was relieved. pieces of apparat Baltimore. The District’s apparatus consisted ot . 29 engines, equal number of hmf[ wagons, 14 trucks, the rescue squad and the water tower. Fire Chief George 8 Watson took personal supervision of all ‘the blazes, and was assisted by six bat- talion chiefs. two deputy chiefs, and those in command of the out-of-town companies. Only Minor Troubles. Particular good fortune beset the path of all of the District’s apparatus, 8s well as that which came from Mary- fand and Virginia. Not ome seriou. accident occurred during the numerous | runs made by the apparatus from one section to another, and the only trou- ble that developed was of a minor na- ture. which was remedied after the | spparatus reached the scene of a blaze. | The most serious trouble, and that fortunately happened to be minor in character, occurred when a tire on one of the Baltimore engines speeding into n companies ne of the 10 vhich came from HELPED CATCH ARSON SUSPECT o hiing the sporad- | Washington- ‘ be reach- | 'ARSON SUSPECT ARRESTED AFTER SERIES OF FIRES (Continued from First Page.) | Fallsburg, N. Y., Voluntcer Fire De- on the floor. o the s, and Supt. of he would communicate horities at that place to determine au T | whether the local suspect was in the New York town at the time. | Detectives stated that Fisher asserted {he was “just following the engines {&r he was identified posiuve- | as b at the McDowell he apparatus arrived. Mr. | ied by Mr. and Mis. | ek and Bernard Raffo. ound,” but 1y Staniey Ron o {8l of 1019 North Capitol street, was motoring past the grain warehouse when he saw flames shooting from the | building. | As he ran to turn in the alarm, he was approached by a man who walked from the warehouse and demanded ;..h 'y Vhat do you think youre doing ere Then he jumped into his machine amd drove away. Mr. Romanck noted the license number of the car and tele- phoned it to police. Inspector of De-| tectives Henry G. Pratt, sssistant su- | perintendent of police, ordered the ar- rest of the man driving that car, with the result that the number was traced to_Fisher's house. Fire Marshal Seib announced late this | afternoon that he found an empty | kerosene container in the rear of the | ing plant, near Four- reets, and that the can bore well defined fingerprints. A com- parison is being made of these prints | and those of the prisoner. Fisher is a former patient in the psychopathic ward at Walter Reed Hos- pital. He was a member of the police force from October 8, 1919, until Janu- ary 24, 1922, when he was d after conviction by the trial board of intoxication. During his service on the Washington blew out near Fifteenth and H streets northeast. The engine proceeded at slow speed to No. 10 Fire engine house, on Maryland avenue northeast between Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets, where the tire was replaced. Records at the fire department show that 23 aslarms were turned in from the inception of the first blaze at 10:41 a;t;‘kxk last might until 11:15 o'clock Pour were turned in for one of the blazes and three for two others. A fourth alarm calls out 16 engine com- ‘panies. Alexandria Lends Help. Two companies of Alexandria fire- men arrived early on the scene. One was quartered at No. 13 engine com- streets, the company sharing the home of 13 company with m nearby Mary! irginia were assigned to relief work at the homes of the several local companies as follows: Hyatitsville, Md, to No. 26 e Langdon; Silver to 22" engine_company's | X1 Brightwood; Clarendon. Va., tw No. 5 engine company's Quarters, Georgetown; Mount Rainier, Md., to 17 engine company’s quarters, Brookland; Cherrydale, Va., %o No. § engine com- my‘- quarters, U. street between Six- th and and Seventeenth streets. Jeflerson District, Va., 10 No. 6 en- company's quarters, Massachusetts svenue between Fourth and Fifth streets; Ballston, Va., % No. 5 engine company’s quarters, Dent place, be- tween Thirty-fourth and Thirty-fifth streets; Riverdale, Md., to 12 engine company’s quarters, North Capitol Street, north of Florida avenue; Cot- tage City, Md., o No. 3 engine com- rny'- guarters, New Jersey avenue be- ween D and E streets. —— PROBE ASKED OF ALIEN PROPERTY SEIZURES | Echafer of Wisconsin Calls for House Investigation of Cus- todian's Administration. By the Asevcinted Prese. Investigation by s House committec | of the alien property custodian’s ad- | ministration was demanded in a reso- | ution yesterday by Representative Echater, Fapubl! Wisconsin, The inquiry was direced ¥ examine | whether Governinent cficlals “fi clally profited” by &ny of the cusy transactions and Inlo the seizur eppraisal of the proper particularly an inves reiations of the Dep especially former Dauugherty, with the n i Bpecially, the resolution usked for an nvestigation of the sale of i . of the Bosch Magnew Co. W the Chunical Foundalion, properties in Milwaukee, Wis, W the Allied Corporation of 1% ton. nd sales W the American Metal | o The House committes on expenditures 313 Uhe exeCutive GEDRIUTents Was nemeq W pursue the investigation and would be uthorieed v sit o recess W make | s inguiry i WORLD LAW CODIFYING PROPOSED BY McKELLAR Beustor Would Authorize Invita- tions by Plane for Nations’ Juiut Besrion Here, representutives of $ne ratioms of e world, in Washingwn Sume Ume \his year, W consider the eudification of inlernationsl law s pro- e 0 e Junt resslution ntroduced 2 the Benste Bulurdey by Senator Me- ¥ellar, Democrat. of Tennesse snd re- Terred W & commitiee 108 consiaeration 1i order W popuienie e movement for the conference the resolution would wuthonze Uik President W send the in- vitetions w Ui verious countries by sirplane o thie end the resolution would empower the Preeident W ep- puint wa & special Amiassador for Uit urpose w1 aeronsuticsl engineer who iss “mede an entirely successful pon- Slop fight over the Atlantic Ocean” lhe resolution would wuthorize Uie A conterence of force. his record states, he was involved in the shooting of Miss Allyn M. Brown, 22 years old, 812 Sixth street, but this was declared to be accidental. Two years ago, detectives disclosed, he was held as an arson suspect in connection with a mysterious fire at the paint store of L. E. Walker & Co, 1905 Pennsylvania avenue, but was released ter. During the epidemic of false alarms here three months ago, motor cycle officers stated, g:hce pursued a coupe answering to tl description of that driven by Fisher, which was seen to fuu away from a box from which a alse alarm had been turned in. The pursuing officers lost the coupe in the neighborhood of Fisher's residence. found near Third street and Pennsyl- vania avenue and'that some enpty gasoline cans had been found In an empty warehouse near the McDowell warehouse, Maj. Hesse stated that all informa- tion obtained by police would be turned over to the district attorney and that any charges which may be preferred agal eny suspect will come through that channel. He has directed a search warehouses as a preventive meas- ure, in case any gasoline or other in- cendiary material is found to be con- cuwle:ulln‘lhem. L became apparent that the fires were ignited by & pyromaniac, Ma). Hesse ordered detectives to guard in- dustrial plants and other buildings Liable to fall vietim to the mysterious l‘!;e&m tV\mu.Uy ;very I}muce official e city was on duty all night, while policemen : Maj. Hesse formally com- mended this morning the spirit of the men under him, stating that they had manifested a willingness to work that took no account of hours. Hesse Almost Overcome. During the Woolworth fire, Maj. Hesse was nearly overcome by smoke @nd gas fumes when he entered the cellar of the burning building, but suc- ceeded in making his way to the outer air without assistance. The miarm for the first large blaze, starting in the basement of the Wool- worth store, was sounded at 10:41 o'clock last night. The flames spread rapidly to the upper floors, shooting up tie shafts and alrways and emitting nse yolumes of smoke which ham- “red the work of the firemen, several whom were overcome before the - vas brought under control. 5 the fire scemed to have been 10 the basement inflammable om sulphur, insect povders and “iachyde in swrage formed and fames were seen suddenly Lo break 1 the wecond floor of the bulld- * One fireman was overcome on the roof, Gne wis overcome in the base- ment, and several narrowly escaped when they vere dragged out of & trap avor in the Tenth street sidewnlk as the gas caught and flared up with al- | most explosive force. Crowds estimated st several thou- tands lned the sidewalks on Pennsyl- varia avenue, on Ninth and Tenth | slrects and in’ the rear of the building | o1 E street, where the fire presented | 1 most spectacular display. Police had | ?mzruuy in keeplug them back of the inses Lefore the general alarm was sent in {there were 16 engine companies, b Wuck companies, & rescue squad, B waler wwer and & number of com- panies from nesrby Maryland and Vir- ¥inia, belng directed by Chief Welson and & battulion chiefs In the midst of the excllement some une called wttention W flames which it up Uic sky three hlocks uway on tenth slreet near the corner of C. This was shortly wiver 1230 o'clck. The fire rapialy enveloped thiree butldings be- tween 200 wnd 250 Tenth street, These were the louden Produce Co, H. R, Mann & Co. wnd the Bimons Poultry Co, i the latter of which Uousands of crated chickens were hurned, Bmoke Hampers Firemen, Dense black smoke fanned by a light breen again m:n‘mra Ui work of Lhe firemen, seversl of whom were partial- {1y overcome, and the Win-up eondition (ot Tenth street made it dicult for the spparatus W get thiough. Chief Wat- son Aeclared What the lack of & heavy wind, o duubt, prevented u widespread lwslgcaurt Heture the already depleted ranks of Propristion neccessly W cariy out 2 e e st . the Fire Department coula respond W e new wlaim the whole central por- Hon ot e bluck secuwd 0 fepes, e Bernard Raffo and_Agnes Romanek (upper), and Stanley Romanek (lower), who discovered supposed firebug at Me- Dowell warchouse fire and reported auto tag numbers to police. roaring of which could be heard a block away. The crowds left the Woolworth fire and ran to the new one, jamming ihe strects in great masses. Supt. Hesse tock charge of a squadron of more than 40 policemen, detafled to hold the crowds back. The fire, which rapidly grew to four- alarm dimensions, threatened “Whole- sale row” and required nearly two hours of hard fighting before the tfinmes were confined to the bullding in which they started. While the streets were jammed with fire apparatus over an area of nine blocks above and below Pennsylvania avenue fighting the two fires a ‘third fire broke ou} in the Washington Paper Store, at the corner of Tenth street and New York avenue. Here Charles Jackson, colored tenant living in an upper floor of the buiiding, was parily overcome by smoke and was rescued by firemen, who quickly had the blaze under, control. When this alarm sounded Fire Chief Watson, who had personally dirccted the firemen at the Woolworth store, issued orders to all firemen on the day watch and those off duty to report at once. Another Blaze Reported. With fire sirens screaming in the downtown sections and clouds of smoke forming a haze which settled like a fog over the streets, drawing crowds of spectators in constantly increasing numbers, the excitement was greatly intensified when Chief Watson was noti- fied that a larger blaze than any of the three previous ones had broken out at First and H streets, in the Pillsbury Coal and Feed Store, and was threaten- ing a nearby apartment house. Despite the fact that the alarm was qQuickly turned in, the fire had nearly a 20-minute start before apparatus could be sent to the scene, and prac- tically the entire central porticn of the block-ceep, three-story building from basement to roof was a roaring inferno before the first engines arrived. These were mostly from towns in Virginia and Maryland which had re- sponded to the first calls. The fire was threatening and most spectacular, and scores of men, women and children, some partly clad, rushed out into the streets from the adjoining apartment house and joined the thousands of spectators. Police webe busy keeping them on the sidewalks. With apparatus arriving slowly and the fire gaining every moment in pro- portions, many civiilans joined the fire- men’'s ranks and lent a helping hand 2 hauling hose lines and holsting lad- r5. Members of the Brentwood Pire De- ment and No. 7 Engine Company apparatus into a narrow alley and fought the fire from that vantage point. Two horses in the stable in the rear of the feed store were burned. In a nearby building, at 48 H street, J. E. Vetter, a paralytic confined to his bed, began screaming for help and was carried out by firemen, Junk Yard Forms Barrler, A large junk yard, where scrap iron and metal, and several score of wrecked automoblles were piled, adjoined the feed store In the rear of the Northeast Auto Exchange, and made an almost impassible barrier to firemen who at- tempted to reach the burning bullding from that side, The Pillshury warehouse also adjoins the Unfon Stution vieduct and yard office bufldings. Hundreds of specta- tors crowded to the viaduct rall, and passengers aboard outgoing trains stood on the platforms and peered through the windows. The flames scemed to defy control, eating into the stored feed and flaring up though conl gas and heavy black smoke, and for u time It was feared the adjacent bulldings on both sldes could not be saved. Additional out of town equipment be- gan arriving from Hyattsville, Berwyn, Mount Rainler, Brentwood, Riverdale, Cotlage City, Brightwood and Bilver Spring, Md, and from Clarendon, Cherrydale and Alexandria, Va, Large portable searchlights were erected at the base of the viaduct and streams of water were poured into the burning structure from the roofs of all adjacent bulldings, Beveral firemen narrowly escaped injury when a part of the side brick wall of the structure crumbled, carrying the roof with it and sending up & blust of fames and sparks that fell like & rain of fire into the street, One fireman was overcome on the roof of a nearby bullding by the sud- den clouds of black smoke which fols lowed the crumbling In of the wall and was carried down s ladder 19 a walls g ambulance. It was several hours before the fire wis sald Lo be under control despite the many compuntes which, responding to renewed alarms, fought vallantly to chieck the spread of the flames, Kuspiclous Btranger Neen, A brakeman in the Union Btation yurds reported o the night car fore- man thal he had scen & colored man run out of & rear door of the burning bullding just & fow minutes before the Llpwe started, He sald that he was looking in every direotion and acting very suspiclously, and that he broke o & run and disappeared in the dark- ness of an alley. Charles Floeckler, part owner and munager of the Fillsbury business, sald today his stock losses would be belween 6,000 and $30,000. Novel L, Nutwell, another part owner, sald the bullding dumuge could not be estimated. Fhe first flovr of the McDowsll grain S100000L0SS SET BY FIRE MARSHAL Seib Estimates Damage Re- sulting From Series of Fires. The total amounts of damage done by the serles of fires which gave Washington its greatest conflagraiion scare in history will approximate $100,000, it was estimated this after- noon by Fire Marshal Leonard C. Seib, after a preliminary examination of the buildings in which the fires occurred. Mr. Seib made his estimate before compieting an _investigation of the minor blazes, The total damage done by the five major conflagrations he placed at $63,750. The estimate was far below the unofficial approximations The building which houses the ¥. W. Woolworth 5 and 10 cent store at 923- {925 Pennsylvania avenue suffered the | | qreatest damage, accoraing to the fire | marshal. Stock valued at $30,000 was |in this store and only about one-half was destroyed, the damage being esti- | mated at §15,000. Approximately $8,000, | the fire marshal said, will cover damage {10 the building. Damage Set at $5,000. The Asbest Covering Co., which | has its headquart on the second floor of the Woolworth Building, was | daniaged to the extent of $5,000, while i the quarters of a patent medicine com- | pany on the third floor suffered dam- | age placed at $3.000. A hat store ad- ! jolping the building was damaged by | smoke, the fire marshal sa to the extent of $1,000, while the bullding suffered damage of $200. Damage done by the | sale row, 8 said, would | total $4.950. The building occupied by !the H. R. Mann Co., 208 Tenth street, | was aged to the extent of $300. No stock was damaged in this outlding. The adjoining bullding, at 6 i street, occupied by F. A. Den it is believed the fire started, was dam- aged to the extent of $3,000. The stock loss in this building, the fire mar- shal said, amounts tc about $1,500. Approximately $750 will cover the loss to the building and contents at 204 Tenth street, occupied by the Loudoun Produce Co.. according to Mr. 8 The roof of a one-story brick ga- rage, owned by P. P. Dougherty, at 205 Eleventh street, was damaged to the cxtent of $100, the marshal re- ported. The total loss suffcred by the Dyc Works at 111 Four-and-a-half street will amount to $1.300, he esiimated The contents destroyed were valued by him at $300, while the bullding suf- in whole- that the fire here was caused by an overheated electric iron. Loss Reaches $16,000. The spectacular blaze at the H. P. Pillsbury warehouse, near First and If streets northeast, did damage estimated At $16,000, Mr. Seib said. This esti- mate of loss covers both the building and its contents. One of the owners previously had estimated his loss of stock alone at from $25,000 to $30,000. Seib allowed a damage of/$500 to the outlding at 1530 Eckington place northeast, which is owned by the S. C. McDaowell estate. Th: damage done to the Lank wood- working establishment, in the rear of 1319 W street, will total $13.000, ac- cording to Mr. Seib's estimate. This he distributed as follows: Buflding, $10,000; contents, $3.000. The man- ager of the firm had stated at first that his loss would be nearly $90,000 Mr. Selb will resume his investiga- tions later this afternoon and check some of the minor blazes, the damage of which he was unable to estimate. S i DORAN BARS CHAMPAGNE FROM RELIGIOUS RITES By the Assoclated Press An offictal order against the use of champagne or other sparkling wines for sacramental purposes or religious rites was issued today by Prohibition Com- " ie it s t been the general polic: of the Prohibition nurnfx' to prg;)\lbl{ the use of champagne in religlous sery- ices, Commissioner Doran said it be- came necessary to issue an official edict against its use because of recent and widespread agitation for such use of champagne. Plans Removable Streets. Street pavements need not be torn up to get at a gas, water or electric main, if a plan for road-making sug- gested by A. C. Campbell Swinton, an engineer of England, is used, he says. His plan is to lay the pavement in sections that could be removed and re- placed without using & pneumatic drill Lo cut the surface, which he would have ot steal or chulled steel. warehouse in Eckington was gutted by & fire which started shortly before 4 am. Officials of the company could not estimate the damage. The first floor Was not used for storage purposes, and :Ik:.font‘lr\' %Id not n])rl‘l(} h\wtlhl’ upper , Where a quantity of val feéds were ulortd? > i The flnmes did not extend to adjoin- Ing property. The property of the Star l'oullriy & Feed Co., acjolning the Mc- Dowell warehouse, was saved from the flames by a thick brick wall between the two establishments. A loss estimated at from $85,000 to 890,000 resulted from the four-alarm fire which broke out about 3:30 am, in the plant of the Lank Woodwork Co, rear of 1341 W street, Four Baltimore engines assisted the local department in battling the stub- born flames, which ate their way through the roof of the three-story brick structure. The old bullding at one time served as one of the horse- car stables and barns. Although the walls were of masonry. the interfor of the bullding was not fireproof, and was filled with highly in- flammable materials customarily found in a woodworking establishment. The building is about 75 by 140 feet In size and 18 located In the center of the square bounded by ‘Thirteenth, Four- teenth and W streets and Florida avenue, Flames Spread Rapidly. ‘The first blaze, pronounced by the police s undoubtedly of incendiary origin, was discovered in the middle of the bulldin Fed by the lumber, shavings and other improvised fuel, the flames soon spread L all portions of the plant ‘The four alarms brought all avail- able local apparatus, and engines No 6, 6, 27 and 52 of the Balumore Fire Department. Fire Chief Watson and Deputy Chiet Kelliher personally di- rected the efforts of the firemen, while Muj. Hesse, Assistant Superintendent Bhelby, Inspector Htoll and Capt. Jobert K. Doyle supervised the police cordon, A B Lank, president of the com- pany, was an early arrival, He sald the muchinery and bullding are owned by the C. K. Freneh Corporation. Fire- men sUll were pouring water into the smouldering rulns after 9 o'clock this mornin An alarm was turned in from the Il)ll"ll'(ll'. house bt 1434 Bixteenth slreet about 1030 am, when a curtain i the window of the chancery of the royul Hungarian legation, on the third foor, eaught fire, evidently from u clia- rotle Wrown from one of the upper Noors, O. B Latham, 408 Docatur street, a driver for the Arcade Laundry, notived the blne, and, rushing into the build- Ing, put it out with an extinguisher be- fore Lhe engine compantes arvived. Only the office forve was in the legation at VDO UO) e st List of Big Washington Fires Occurring in Past 83 Years Old National Theater, totally destroyed, March 8, 1845. Old Natlonal Theater, February 6, 1857, Old National Theater, totally destroyed, January 27, 1873, United States Patent Office, September 24, 1877. Loss, $1,500,000; 70,000 models destroyed, including original model of Whitney’s cotton gin. National Theater, February 27, 1885. Building totally destroyed; damage, $150,000; one fireman badly burned. Lincoln Hall Building (Herzog's Theater), Ninth and D streets, December 5, 1868; loss, $150,000. w. Miz?‘(l)'u & Co., hay warehouse, First and D streets, June 28, 1887; loss, ,000. George W. Knox Express Co., warehouse and stables, Second and B streets; damage, $500,000; three firemen burned to death and five injured. Stumph & Co., furniture store, 631-635 Massachusetts avenue, September |7§ uadd; bullding completely destroyed; loss, $150,000; three civillans Injured. Loulslana avenue fire—block bounded by Ninth, Tenth, B street and Loulsi- ana avenue, May 18, 1896; loss, $200,000; four firemen killed; six fire- BROWN ANSWERS | SHIPPING MEASURE BLANTON QUERIES ~ MAY BE DELAYED: Efficiency Bureau Chief Ex- Senate Likely to Set Jones plains Service to Private | Bill Aside for Smith Vote Concerns for Pay. and S-4 Action. | | | | Herbert D. Brown, chief of the Bu-| Although the Senate ye e reau of Efficlency, today admitted over |fts unfinished. bustess o oy his own signature in a statement filed |to buiid up the merchant marine and with Chairman Lehibach of the House maintain it under Go TAMENt OpeTa- fered $1000 damage. Mr. Seib snl(.l men and two civilians injured. Capital Traction Co., Southern Railw; April 24, 1016; loss, $119,000. Quartcrmaster’s storchouse, Washington Barracks, January 14, 1918; loss, 00,000. Armour & Co., garage, 483 C street, August 27, 1918; loss, $120,000. rt News, Seventh street wharf, September 2, 1918; loss Washington Raflway & Electric Co. barn, Fourth and T streets northeast, February 25, 1919; loss, $200,000. Bolling Field, October 16, 1920; loss, Census Bureau, Department of Commerce Building, Nineteenth street and Pennsylvania avenue, January 11, 1921; loss, $2,000,000. Coast Guard Bullding, Fourteenth street and Pennsylvania avenue; loss, Steamer New, $125,000. $250,000. Natfonal Holel, Sixth street and Pennsylvania avenue, October 2, 1921; two civillans burned to death and four injured; loss, $135,000. 910-912 Pennsylvania avenue, November 28, 1921 New Willard Hotel, ballroom and roof, April 24, 192: Wilkins-Rogers' Arlington Mills, Potomac and K streets, July 3, 1022; loss, $200,000. Fort Myer, frame barracks, March 9, 1923; one soldier injured; loss, $100,000. Bolling Ficld, photographic quarters four enlisted men injured; loss, $250,000. land, offices and dock of Norfolk & Washington Steamboat Co., Seventh Street Wharf, January 27, 1924; loss, $400,000. Galliher lumber yard, Thirteenth and K streets, May 27, 1924: loss, §125,000. Co., warehouse, Eighth and D streets, January 10, 1925; loss, 225,000, eight firemen injured. Bolling Field, January 26, 1926; loss, $500,000. Ligzgett's Drug Store, Ninth and F streets, March 5, 1926; loss, $300,000. Bolling Field, quartermaster warehouse, December 27, 1927; loss, $500,000. Steamer 8. Kann S $2,300,0C0 BRIDGE FUND IS APPROVED BY HOUSE GROUP | from First Page) commission may be made and com- pleted within reasonable periods. In accordance with the budget esti- mates the House appropriations com- mittee recommends the sum of $1,098,- 152 be appropriated for the expenses of the Civil Service Commission for the fiscal year 1929. This is $100,190 less than the total appropriated for the current year. Representative Wood's report calis attention that the work of this commission is constantly increas- ing and may be accounted for by the natural growth of the country reflected in the consequent increase in Federal activity as still further represented in the tendency of Congress to place new agencies in the classified service. Mr. Wood pointed out that a splendid example of this is found in the placing of 2,500 persons engaged in prohibition work under the civil service. For this have been received and additional ex- aminers and clerks were required by the commission. Value of Flights Cited. The scientific value of transoceanic flights of such as those of Lindbergh, Chamberlin and others was called to the attention of Congress in the record of tesumony accompanying the in- dependent offices bill. The national advisory committee for aeronautics was allotted $600,000, an increase of $50,000 over that provided in last year's bill. Dr. Joseph 8. Ames, chairman of the aeronautics committee, gave the House committee a lengthy review of alrcraft development in the last 12 months. “The year 1927 was notable in demonstrating the capabilities of air- craft,” he said. “The transoceanic flights of Lindbergh and others led to the awakening of the American people to the possibilities of aviation and to the need for airports. Private Capital Invested. “Industrial capital was invested in aeronautical enterprises. The essential activities of the Department of Com- merce in establishing airways and in regulating and encouragil commers clal aviation were factors this de- velopment. The success of the Army and Navy in developing and standard- izing military types facllitated the pro- curement of aircraft and this, with the Government's support of hte five-year aircraft programs for the two services, had a stabilizing effect on the industry. “The greatest problems confronting the development of commercial aviation in America today are those of increas- ing the safety factor and decreasing the cost of construction, maintenance and operation. Che most gratifying evidence of the year's progress is that aviation is bel accepted by the people as a means o transportation and as a business in which industrial capital is belng in- vested. Future Difficult to See. “It 1s difficult as yet to visuallze the effect that acronautics 13 destined to have on the social and economic life of the Nation. Where the radius of the average daily soclal life was once gen- erally limited by walking distances, it has been successively increased by the horse, the street car, the ratlroad and the automobile. The airplane is des- tined to play an fmportant part in fur- ther enlarging this radius* The bill would give the Shipping Board 812,288,000, the Interstate Com- merce Commission 87,664,000, the Fed- eral Trade Commission ' $963,000, the Radlo Commission $80,560 and the American Battle Monuments Commis- slon $700,000. A total of $437.180 would be Eru\'ldm for the salary of President Coolidge, his travellng ex- penses and maintenance of the Execus tive Mansion. ‘The latter ap) ropriation s Afldbcr(e;m of m.n? oy unds, her appropriatiol providea tor, TEPIUREIBNIORE A0 Ape MAUGHAN LEADS PLANES HUNTING LOST FLYER Mail Pilot Disappears in Wild Country Along Idaho-Utah Boundary. By the Assoclated Press, BOISE, Idaho, January 17.-Nine alrplanes under command of Lieut. Russell Maughan, transcontinental “dawn-to-dusk™ flyer, united today in the search for Fred Hoyt, Wichita, Kans, aviator, who has been missing since Saturday, ‘The planes, carrylng both pllots and observers, planned t0 cover an area 300 miles in dinmeter around Strevell, Idaho, Bix of the planes had Salt Lako a8 thelr startin polnt, while three were to take o rom Burley, Idaho, to join the Ball Lake squadron at Strevell, a little town on the Ulah- 1daho border, where Hoyt's plane was last seen Saturday afternoon, just bes fore It plunged into & raging bllseard. Five planes soarched the distriet around ml'vlv and Buevell with no ve sults. Fog hindered the fAyers, but oo~ caslonal ‘rllmw of the country onl, convineed them that no plane coul landin that reglon without smashing up, werhouse, site of present District Building, Septem- ber 29, 1897; building completely destroyed; damage, $1,000,000. Loulsiana avenue fire—north side between Ninth and Tenth streets, De- cember 20, 1905; six buildings destroyed; loss, $60,000. Washington Tobacco Co., bullding, 618 Pennelglvnnll avenue, October 14, 1911; two firemen killed and seven injured; Wholesale Drug Exchange, 450 C street, July 9, 1913; loss, $100,000. Americen Five and Ten Cent Store, 314-318 Seventh street, December 24, 1913; nine firemen injured when roof fell; loss, $59,500. Galt Grain Warchouse, First and D streets, January 8, 1914; loss, $100,000. Western High School, April 24, 1914, loss, $300,000. y Building, Thirteenth street and Pennsylvania dvenue, aber ot Tpositions 16,000 applications | Proposal. inssmuch 28 a vote to recon- | loss, $162,100. $1,000,000. loss, $107,500. loss, $250,000. and repair hangar, March 31, 1923; TARIFF RESOLUTION | TABLED BY HOUSE Vote of 183 to 164 Virtually| Kills Proposal From Senate. By the Associated Press. By a vote of 183 to 164, the House | today tabled a Senate resolution pro- posing a downward revision of the| tariff. This action, taken at the instance of Representative Tison of Connecti- cut, Repubiican ieader of the House, has the effect of virtually kuling the | sider would be necessary to take it {rom the table. Some members of the Western Republican independent group have maage 1 clear, however, that some move aguinst the tarlf was to be ex- pected 1 the House at this session, Representative Garrett of Tennessee, Democratic fioor leader, vigorously ap-‘ posed today's action. The resiution | approved yesterday by a coalition of Senale LDenocras Ald hpdvucan - dependents was transmitted to the House as an expression of Senate senu- ment. ‘The House alone has autbority | to initiate taritr legisiation or tarif schedules at the present. | Simmons Issues Statement. { Senator Simmons issued a statement iaier LOGAY deCIATing Lnatl ihere Was ap- | pareniiy a two-iola purpose n the de.asy sought by the Republicans. | “ahe present cnange ol attitude on! the par. of the majority seems un-| nelural,” he saia. “Some attriouie it to | the intense opposition of the Secreiary of the Treasury to the amendmeunts | made in the House by the Democrats | with respect o consolidated returns. Others taink that it Is toe result of & desire to use whatever surplus there is | in the Treasury for a furiher reduction | of the national debt and that the ad- winistration does not at this tme sin- | cerely favor tax reduction at all.” | Charges made in the House that Sec- | retary Mellon is deliberately holding | back action on the tax bill broughi a | reply today by Representative Tread- way, Republican, Massachusetts, who declared Representative Garner, Dem- ocrat, TIexas, had made & deliberate misstatement yesierday in his conten- | tion that the tax bill was being de- | layed because present provisions ap- plying to the corporation tax were de rimental to the Melion financial in. terests. QGarner, replying, said that the Mas- | sachusetts member reminded him of the story about the car “with the larg- est hood, the loudest horn and the least | horsepower of any in the world."” Twelve Republicans and one Farmer- Labor member joined with 41 Democrats | in favor of the resolution in the Senate. | The resolution was sponsored by Senator | furnish the informats about $500. | Eftictency I am not required to be an civil service committee, a copy of which | tion, this measu he handed to Representative Blanton of | aside ‘fexas, that he had been paid by the |consideration of other questis Du Pont Co. over a period of 13 ymrx‘ Beforehand the from 1914 to 1927 the sum of $7,836.42, | dispose of o and from other sources had received Frank L about $500. | seat In this statement prepared for the committee Mr. Brown answered the cpe D x.f‘rtleacr fixed inquiries made by Mr. B-4 disaster. nton and which Mr. Brown had pre- | " viously refused to give the information | Ovpess: Adminsiration on request of Mr. Blanton. « | The Jones me: % B h of Iiinots and the re: P This statement discloses that inves- tigations of various units of the Gov- ernment made by the Bureau of Ef- ficlency have cost a total of $83,12970 in salaries of Bureau of Effic: i ployes. The largest amount pended in the st Classification Board, which cost $25.- 549.45. The study of prison iadustries for the Depariment of Justice cost $11,- 38552. The study of currency circu- | *' lation for the Tressury Departmen: cost $10,360.58 and study of the Pro- hibition Bureau of the Treesury De- partment cost $5,288.20. Study of Various Activities. The studies made of various activities in the municipal government of the District of Columbia from January 1927. to December 1, 1927.co: in salaries to Burezu of Efficiency em- ployes ot $105.832.27. The work done for the Gibson subcommittee of the House District committee cost $61.- 94149. The public school survey cost $38,208.79. The retirement valuation for teachers cost $3,059.50. The study of the recorder of deeds and register of wills offices cost $2,570.30 and the study of the Police Court cost $52.19. In answer to Mr. Blanton's first in- quiry, Mr. Brown submitis .the list of c large ssajled the ef th v that there won't be , providing for co s, against Ty Jones sald he had " the bi no in But, he a; al that Congress, g the total psrmanent emplo as of December 1, 1827, at 57, annual pay roll, $183.840. In answer to Mr. Blanton's second question, regarding Mr. Brown's sc ices to private interests, Mr. Brown's reply wes as follows: “I do not con- sider that the information cal is of any iuterest 1o Congress, for reason that such unofficial undertak- ings as I have engaged in during tae time I have occupled the position of chief of the Bureau of Efficiency have been conducted outside of the recog- nized hours for official employment.” No Desire to Conceal Facts. “I am, nevertheless, entirely willing to n to your commit- | tee, first, because I have no desire to conceal it, and second. because such as I have engaged in outside my odlicial duties have added very consid: erably to my information and experi- ence In & deal where I have endeavored to be of special service to the Govern- | ment and its emplo: 1 have been consulted by indus lish ts edopt for Federal employes. I consider hat the adcption by industrial organiza- tions of properiy financed pension plans is of tremencous value to empioyes :verywhere, including those in the pudlic | service. “The only company from which I have received any considerable amouut of money is the du Pont Co. of Wil- mington, Del. They have paid me for services covering a period of 13 years— from 1914 to 1927—the sum of $7.885.42 From all other sources I have received a comfortable bed ai morning to make a pe lot the rones of conflagration. Not Paid as Actuary. “I have not even asked the Govern- ment to pay me for my acturial work. As chief of the United States Bureau Pennsylvania avenue and t) 3 o'clock when Mr. Doughe actuary. I am, nevertheless, a member >y of the Pederal Board of Actuaries. and receive no compensation for the services | I render that board.” Included in the statement prepared by Mr. Brown is a brief on the autho the Bureau of Ediciency to make Dis investigations. In this he includes a ter from Chatrman Madden of House appropriations committee, asking im to such District investiga- m March to December, and a rom Commissioner Dougherty asking for conferences ca the same sud- ject. He also quotes previous study of | District of Columbla units from the year 1919 to 1¥ Mr. Brown also eites the action of the controller general in approving such expenditures as indy ing that they are within the law. Clears Up Differences. The action of Mr. Brown in submit ting his statement cleared up the dif- ferences with Representative Blanton. At the meeting today Ar. Brown alsc | nswered & pumber of questions erally | asked by Mr. Blanton. Other members ! the subcommitiee insisted that the | seeking attitude of both Mr. Brown and Mr The Gidson s Blanton was entirely courteous, and that | again subyect to Mr. Blanton after questioning Mr. | man. McMaster, Republican, of South Dakota, | | and those Republicans who supported | him complained generally of agricul- | tural conditions. Their argument was | that the tariff rates should be so re-| vised as to put agriculture on a part with industry. The roll eall. For the resolution Republicans—Blatne, Borah, Brook- hart, Capper, Frazier, Howell, La Ful- lette, McMaster, Norbeck, Norris, Nye| and Pine— | Democrats-—Ashurst, Barkley, Bay- | ard, Biack, Blease, Bratton, Bruce, Car- | away, Copeland, Dill, Edwards, Ferris, | George, Gerry, Qlass, Harris, Harrison, | Hawes, Hayden, Hetlin, King, McKellar, | Mayfield, Neely, Overman, Pittman, | Reed of Missourt. Robinson of Arkansas, Sheppard, Stnmons. Smith, Steck, | Stephens. Swanson, Thomas, Trammell, Tyson, Wagner, Walsh of Massachu- | :;lll. Walsh of Montana and Wheeler— Farmer_Labor—Shipstead--1 | Total—84. i Against the resolution: Republicans—Bingham, Cougens, Cur- | i Us, Cutting, Dale, Deneen, Fess, Gitlleut, | [i Gooding, Gould, Greene, Hale, Johnson, | Jonea of Washington, Keyes, McLean. | MoNary, Metealf, Moses. Oddie, Phipps. | of Pennaylvania. Robinson of In diana, Sackett, Schall, Hmrtrldua' 8Smoot, Stelwer, Warren, Waterman, Watson and Willts— 32 Democrats—Broussard and Kend- rlok—3, Total—$4. HADLEY STAYS ON DUTY. Eleotrical Engineer Walts at Fire Board All Night. Warten B, Hadley, the Distriets | electrical englneer, rematned i the fire board roam t the District Butlding throughout the night tn order o Tepatr any trouble that might develop tn the mlurl:m;l v:r'uhh-:l fire :\lnrn‘\' \mvl‘x . Hadloy happened v working late th his nm‘-o‘:u night when fire Alarma began coming i at Wtervals of soveral minutes. He left his work and stationed himselt tn the fire board Toom Aeross the corridor from his alive Aand did not leave untl about 8:30 O'lock this morning. : o i Collins’ Pharmacy 20th & Rhode Island Ave., Weodridge Is a Star Branch Office Your experience with adver- tising in The Star Classified Sec~ tion will be most satisfactory. No matter what you want n connection with your business or your home, ,h\‘l;l :ill b; able to :uwly it quickly through a prop- or“voud.d and classified .1“ s ¥ be left at any The Star 3.::& Oftices. There's one in practically every neigh- borhood in and around Washing-~ ton. No fees are charged for Branch Office Service; only reg- ular rates. The Star prints such an over wheluingly greater valume ot Classified Advertising — every dav than any other Washing ton papet that there can de so Question as to which wall guoe you the best resulis THE AIOV& SIGN DISPLAVED a8y AUTHORIZED STAR ‘ BRANCH | OFFIOkS 18 likely to be laid temporerily for the immediate fs expected U r at an eariy date, itely establish a merchant marine o'clock this | The Commissioner first visited Wool- | worth’s § and 10 cent store as 923 4 ’