The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-09-08
Tnr,EoRAPHIC NEWS.
REPORTED FOR THE DIsPATcH.I
DISASTER AT CAPE MAY.
DESTRUCTION OF TIE MOUNT VERNON
HOTEL.
FIVE PERSONS BURNED TO DEATH.

FIvE r hhS5Of~S bos%A~s.A ~ = ~ - As<A = AAs
CAPE ISLAND, N J., Sept 6-The mammoth
Mount Vernon Hotel 1t this place, took fire last
night at quarter to IL o'clock. and was entirely
consumed. The other Hotels escaped unipjured.
The origin Of the fire 10 unknown. Mr.. Cain,
the lessee Of the house, was residing in the build.
ing and had retired previous to the alarm of fire.
His son, Philip Cain, Jr, escaped from the build
ing by leaping from the second story window, but
was badly burned.
With the exception of the son, the whole Of Mr..
Gains family persisted in the flames.
The following is . list of those lost
Philip Cain, ST., the lessee Andrew Cain; Mar
tina Cain; Sarah CAIN and Mrs. Albertson. -
The charred remains of Mr.. Cain were found
this morning.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 6.-Mr. Philip Cain. ST.,
with Col. Frank T. Foster, of this city, were the
propretors of the i'll fated hotel Mr. Cain resided
at Vincenttown, n j., and went to Cape Island
the present season. for the purpose of opening the
hotel He was sixty five years of age.
Andrew Cain, his son. was about twenty years
of age Martha was iu her seventeenth year, and
Sarah was but thirteen
Mrs. Albertson was thirty five years of age
She was a widow. She had gone to the Island to
act as housekeeper at the hotel
children at Yincenttown. Mrs. Albertson also re-
sided there. Young Philip Cain is about eighteen
years of age
The Mount Vernon was built by . company of
geQtleInen, AT q Cost OF upon
is not one cent of insurance. The building was
first occupied in 1853; but Messrs Gain and Foster
did not become the lessees until the past season.
Tho hotel was celebrated for its immense SIZE, and
for the superior accommodations the building af-
forded to guests. The interior was well nnlshed
and the apartments were larger and more comfort
able than usual at watering place hotels. q
Although the hotel in its late condition, was ca
pable of accommodating 2l00 visitors, it was not
finished at the time of its destruction. 1t was de-
signed to have the buildings occupy three sides of
hollow square, or court yard and the front range
and one wing were up. One wing had never been
commenced. The building was constructed en-
tirey of wood; it four stories in height IN the
main with four towers, each five stories in height
Three of these towers occupied the corners OF the
building and one stood midway of the only wing.
In addition to these towers there was an i'm
mense tower six stories in height in the centre Of
the front The entire structure, both outside and
upon the courtyard, was surrounded with wooden
piazzas that ex tended from the ground to the roof
with floors at each story. The wing was quar-
ter of mile in length, and the front covered near
ly an equal extent of ground The dining room
which was 425 feet long and 60 feet in Width, was
capable of accommodating 5000 persons. There
were 1872 rooms in the building. 1t was claimed
that the Mount Vernon was the largest hotel in
the world.
There was a tank in the centre tower OF the
wing of the Mount Vernon, capable of holding
twenty thousand gallons of water. The water
was forced into it by means of steam engine.
The furniture of the hotel belonged to Messrs
Cain & Foster. 1t valued at $4,000, upon
which there was no insurance. The total pecu-
mary loss by the conhagration will not fall short
af 81 30 ono