The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-08-31
New Depar mental Regulations at the
Capital-Reports Regarding the
Cession of Cuba-The Post
age Stamp Contracts.
FROM C.HPE ,T.AI".

HG% sc iny So thf &s rSnt
Special Despatch 10 The EUening Telegraph.
CAPE ISLAND, Aug. 31.-The alarm was given
by striking the bell known as the Visitors
Church bell belonging to the Mcthodists, and
the unwonted tones of the alarm bell broke
with terror upon the ears of all the soiourners
Not since the destruction of the celebrated
Mount Vernon House. more than ten years ago,
has such a startling event occurred to arouse the
hearers from their slumbcrs.
1t is singular coincidence that in each of
these cases the fire occurred before the early
dawn of morning, and at the close of the season,
aud it is a vet further coincidence that in
neither case was there any fire apparatus to
meet and put off the flames. The citizens and
vfitors, fully aware of the peril that threatened
the destruction of the property on the whole
island, turned out at once en- m0SSe and with the
heartiest will, and set to work to try with the
meagre means at their command to stop the
confagration; but they might as well have tried
to sweep back the resistless tides of the ocean.
There was no fire engine or hose carriage in
the place, and the use of a single one would have
confined the fire to or two unimportant
buildings One hook and ladder company was
on the ground, and did efficient service in
tearing down buildings in the path of the flames,
and thus endeavored to check the progress of
the confagration. The citizens and visitors
worked manfully and most commercially in
passing buckets of water to and from ad dining
cisterns and wells. The ocean being five hun
dred feet distant from the scene, to their heroic
eYertions are due the saving of one half OF the
island from total destruction.
Within the short space Of thirty minutes from
the first alarm the DANES had reached to within
twenty feet of the north side of the United
States Hotel, a building five stories high, with
over six hundred rooms, and last night contain
ing several hundred visitors. At this point. he
noble amateur fremen made superhuman efforts
to check the fire. because the destruction of this
house entailed a vast amount of ad-
| ditional loss but all their efforts
were in vain. The flames spread from the
second to the third, fourth and fifth story yeran-
dahs, towering up into the sky far beyond all
| human efforts to control 1t.
| In twenty minutes time this immense struc-
ture was one vast mass of flame, a sheet of blaz
ing fire that filed the air with innumerabl(
| blazing cinders that fired all the surrounding
I properties. The fire now crossed to the ives
side of Washington street to Ferris cottage, oc
cupied by the family of VIM. l.. Hirst, and in
few moments that was level with the ground
| Thence to the American Hotel Row, No. 1, occu
pied by Miss O'Bryan, millinery; No. 2,Owned by
Mr.. Peterson, of Newark, occupied by Mr.
Alexander, jewelry; No. 4, Mr.. q. G. Evans
| bookseller, who had fortunately removed his
! stock the day previous No. D, Lemons store, was
| moccupicd; No. g. confectionery store, No. z,
| f. ?. Sites boot and shoe store; No g. Mr.,
| Smith, real estate agent total loss No 8,
| saloou-total loss; No. 10, A. Lotus, saloon
total loss; No. II, p. Konig's saloOn-total loss.
\ double three-story French roof building owned
| by Anspach ~ Stanton, Of Philadelphia, was de-
stroycd. Loss, $4,000, insurance, $1,000. One
of these was occupied by j. P. Sloan, cothin =
store. Loss $1,000 The other by Mr.. Huftnal,
| druggist. Loss, $4,000; no insurance.
The flames were checked at this point on
Washington street mt o'clock, and the Centr
| House was saved by wet cloths, and by tn
water played from Congress Hall. together with
the leYelling inward of the former building
| while in flames. A fortunate change of the wind
about sunrise threw the flames directly to the
eastward, towards the ocean, and prevented
them from crossing jackson street, oJherwis
| thelCentre House, the Merchants, and the Ocean
| Hotels, Congress Hall, and many other house
would have been mass of ruins, and thu
nearly every leading hotel and store would have
been destroyed.