On December 24 , 1929 , all was not calm at the White House — though it sure as shooting was bright .
President and First Lady Herbert and Lou Hoover werehostinga Christmas party for children of White House staff member when White House Chief Usher Ike Hoover ( no relation ) delivered a muted content to the president : The West Wing was ablaze .
Hoover now grabbed his Word and members of his Cabinet and led them to the executive office , where they grovel through a window and began cart out steel cabinets full of important single file . Hoover ’s secretaries grabbed his desk pants while Secret Service agent saved the desk hot seat and the presidential iris .
With the critical document and important pol out of the way , firefighters broke the skylight and chopped holes in the cap to let smoke out and pee in . As they battled the blazing , the children ’s political party continued and the Marine Bandplayed on . When the kids give around 10 p.m. , the First Lady and her sister join the Chief Executive on the West Terrace of the White House to keep an eye on the progress . The flames were finally doused around 10:30 p.m.
According to Lt . Col . Ulysses S. Grant III — the former chairman ’s grandson — the Hell started when 200,000 government pamphlets that were being store in an noodle fell dupe to incorrect wiring or a blocked lamp chimney . ( Obviously , ardour investigating forensics have since improved . )
Though 19 engine companies , four truck company , and 130 firefighters acted promptly and heroically , the West Wing still suffer extensive water , smoke , and blast damage . It was unavailable for more than four months , not afford again for business sector until April 14 , 1930 . And though the children at the party that dark were blissfully unaware that anything had happened , Hoover made it up to them the next Christmas anyway — withtoy fire hand truck .
