Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1878-11-11
A HOT SUMNER RESORT.
DISASTROUS CONFEDERATION AT
CAPE MAY.
All the Principal Hotels and Many Private
Cottages Burned-Loss Several Hun
dred Thousand DoIars-The Work
Of an Incendiary.


on Berry street, below Washington, the
new wing of the Center House interven,
ing between the Ocean House and Wash
ton street, the main thOrOughfare OF
| Cape May. The fire was evidently the
work OF an inc5ndiary, as there has been
no fire in the Ocean House since the
close OF the season.
A policeman gave the alarm, and the
fire department OF the city, consisting
OF truck, one hand-engine and num-
Der OF chemical engines, responded
promptly; but it was soon found that
they could do little toward subduing the
flames. No one bad been in the Ocean
House ior several days, For the past
two seasons the house was run by :.
Ludlam, who about fifteen minutes be-
fore the fire was discovered left for Phil
adelphia.
1 The old wing OF the Ocean House was
mot injurrd, when the fire shot aCrOf
Perry street To the west, and attacked
y
Row. The wind was then from the
northwest, and blowing thirty six miles
an hour. The flames spread to the new
wing OF Congress Hall, fronting on Perry
street. About the same time they tom
municatcd to the back part OF the Mer-
chants House on Jackson street. and
and soon after the main wing OF Con-
grcss Hail, on Washington street, caught.
The fire extended To the Center
House at Perry, Washington and Jack
son street, whence the flames communi-
Gated to the old wing OF the Ocean
House on Perry street, and reached the
Centre HOus eCOttage and communicated
To Peiterson'S cottage on Jackson street.
The fire rapidly spread over the adjoin-
ing property to Il tcn-pin alley on Jack
son street. Now ther Merchant Hotel
already on fire. but kept under control,
burst into flames, which made their way
down to the beach. 1t looked rs il the
whole city was doomed.
The fire swept along to Finlon' IS "Cot-
tage by the Sea, on Jackson street.
Charles Tuelke's Centennial House was
next burned To- the ground, and Mrs.
Millcr's cottage, on Jackson street, fol-
lowed. Then the flames, now raging
iuriouslv, cached the Old Atlantic
House, shot across Jackson street to
George lIlworth's cottage, which fell a
victim, together with the Cahill cottage.
The Knickcrbockcr House was then
attacked, and soon after VIM. +. Kings
hot bath establishment was included in
the general destruction. Geo. Frcycr's
cottage, standing alone on the bluff be-
low the Ocean House, was cnvclopcd
by the flames and burned. Then came
7the Avenue House, kept by George I.
Doughcrty, the properto of the Burns
estate, at the loot Of Perry street. This
was followed By :. a. Rudulph's cot
tagc, on Jackson street.
While the fire was at its height, about
noon, and after the Avenue House had
caught fire, Il steam engine from Camden
arrived, and in this direction the fire
was checked The flames then attacked
the two cottages of Alex. Mcconnell, and
that OF Rudolph, but they were not
seriously damaged. Back OF ConnclPs
cottage, on Decatur street, were Judge
Hamburger'S cottage and three OF W. +.
Kings cottages, which are destroyed.
At this time two o'clock an alarm
came that the Columbia House on Ocean
street, between Washington street and
the beach. was on fire. The flames
spread SO rapidly over the property that
il was soon in ruins, with a number Of
out-buildings, and Beaqcr Cottage, on
Ocean street, and Thos +. Tasker's cot
tagc adjoining Colonel SmoOt'S cottage on
Washington street, the bath-hOuscs i'll
front of the Columbia House, and about
one thousand bath-aouscs belonging to
the stockton Hotel. Some CinderS
lodged on the Stockton Hotel, but were
eXtinglIishcd. Two OF Warne's cottages
on Stockton Row caught, but were ex-
tinguiShcd.
The last building attacked was Wolf
Cottage, about POO yards from the Stock
ton House, where again the tiremen OBJ
tanned the mastery, and this, after con-
tinuous work. was about . p. NJ. At 4:3U
another steam engine arrived from Cam
den and rendered very efficient aid in
checking the flames. MCCrays Cottage,
OH Jackson street, behind the Center
House, and the Merchants, one Of the
oldest buildings on the Island, went
early in the day. On the lawn Of the
Columbia House, between it and the
beach, the cottages belonging TO the
hotel were destroyed. The properties
in Columbia avenue escaped.
The entire burned district covers an
area OF about forty acres, and is bounded
! bv Congress street on the West, Wash
ington street on the north Ocean street
| an the East. and Beach street on the
| south. The total loss is estimated al
! about 100000 dollars, of which more
! than ohe-half is covered by insurance
| The losses in detail are a. follows: Con
grcss Hall, 100000 dollars; Ocean HOus'
5000. insured for 1000; Center House
owned by J. +. McCray, loss 5000; Co
| lumbia House, owned by John G
Bullet. $1,000, insured for 500,
| Atlantic House, owned by f. o. Knight
loss 10000: Merchants Hotel, owned b,
Vim. Mason. loss 1900; Wyoming cot
tage, owned by George Hildreth, los
$4,000: Cahill's cottage, 5000; GeOrg'
Fryer's cottage, 10000, insured for 800
Avenue Hotel, owned by Michsel Burns
H estate, loss o,'bN' W lIlIdil l.. NlIlE
four cottages. bath houses. etc, 10000
Joseph Hamburger's cottage, 500; :
, \. Rudolph's cottage, 1000, insured 10
5000: Barrrt's saloon, 800; DennizOtt'
cottage and bath house, 5000; Centen
NAL cattagc, 300; Peterson's cottage
1000: Wolf Cottage, 400; Beave' Cot
tagc. owned by J. {. Bullitt. $500
Thomas Taskcr's cottage, 400; smith
cottage. 1900.
The fire burned stubbornly from i
the morning till between > and 6 o'cloC
in the evening. The water supply va
good. and furnished by artesian well,
No lives were lost, and no one seriousl
injured. Tonight the steam engine
plav on the ruins. In 1859 almost tn
same section was swept by a fire sCarcel
less destructive than that oftO-day. TIL
fire i believed tn be oi incendiary or
gin.
Weather Indications.
WASHINGTON, November II, A. NJ
For the Tennessee and Ohio Vale,
and Lower Lakes cloudy weather, fr
quent rain, warm and sOutherly wind