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H Street Emergency: 1919

Submitted by Dave on Sat, 03/29/2025 - 3:20pm.
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Washington, D.C. -- From around 1918-1922 comes this uncaptioned aerial view of firefighting equipment (and ginkgo trees) on H Street N.W. near the intersection with 14th Street. Who can tell us what happened here? 5x7 inch glass negative by Harris & Ewing. View full size.         UPDATE: Thanks to the excellent detective work of Shorpy member Notcom, we can now say that this photo documents the aftermath of a fire at the American Forestry Association offices in the Maryland Building, 1408 H Street N.W., on the afternoon of Monday, October 13, 1919.

Washington, D.C. -- From around 1918-1922 comes this uncaptioned aerial view of firefighting equipment (and ginkgo trees) on H Street N.W. near the intersection with 14th Street. Who can tell us what happened here? 5x7 inch glass negative by Harris & Ewing. View full size.

        UPDATE: Thanks to the excellent detective work of Shorpy member Notcom, we can now say that this photo documents the aftermath of a fire at the American Forestry Association offices in the Maryland Building, 1408 H Street N.W., on the afternoon of Monday, October 13, 1919.

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Hand over hand

Submitted by davidk on Mon, 03/31/2025 - 10:13am.

Such wonderful drama in the news stories! From the Evening Star: "United States Commissioner Isaac R. Hitt was obliged to slide down a rope to a roof fifteen feet below his office window. His offices were hemmed in by smoke. A skylight covered with heavy wire is in the courtyard fifteen feet below his window. After E.J. Rath of the railway administration had thrown him a rope, Judge Hitt came down hand over hand to the skylight. After reaching the skylight he made his way to a flight of steps by way of which he reached the ground. He declared today that his adventure had convinced him of the absolute need for more than one fire escape to an office building." With an interesting postscript in the Post: “He added that he was 'glad to get off with two lungsfuls of smoke'."

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Irony

Submitted by jepkid on Sun, 03/30/2025 - 5:07pm.

A Forestry fire?

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Thank goodness

Submitted by JennyPennifer on Sun, 03/30/2025 - 3:58pm.

For Miss Schwarzel.

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Horses

Submitted by LEZ on Sun, 03/30/2025 - 12:34pm.

Just curious, are the three-horse teams to pull the ladders unusual?

[No -- until the mid-1920s, it seems to have been the norm (here, here and here). - Dave]

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Read All About It

Submitted by Dave on Sat, 03/29/2025 - 11:58pm.

Click to embiggen. H/T to Notcom for figuring this out.

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Don't jump Bessie!!

Submitted by Notcom on Sun, 03/30/2025 - 12:03am.

Help is on the way

From The Washington Herald 10/14/19; we'll probably never know for sure, but this seems to meet all the requirements ... address, crowd, ladder, and the irrepressible stench of ginkgo fruit somehow wafting thru time and our screens.

[Excellent detective work, and we do know for sure! - Dave]

A rare example of an urban Forestry fire. -- Notcom

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