Daily Republican., 1878-11-12
CAPE MAY.
Mayor " wtiIissss - lnvese( iaanjAe,
Fire. Riackcnea Rains Every
where.

where.
CApR MAY, N. j., Nov. ll.--Fort
acres Of blackened, charred and smok
ing ruins to-day tell the sad story 3
Saturday last, and such field of desc
latisn has never, perhaps, been wit
messed at any seaside resort In til
country. The origin Of the fire still
remains mystery, but the genera
supposition still makes it the work o
an incendiary.
Mayor Williams states that he viii
make a thorough investigation, anc
will commence either today or to-mor
row. Meanwhile the police adthoritiel
are doing everything they can to ferre
out the guilty parties in case the origit
shall be traced to incendiarism.
Yesterday the burned district was
visited by thousands Of people from al
the surrounding villages and towns,
and the train which left Philadelphia
at half-past eight in the morning
brought down about four hundred per
sons, some Of them owning property
here and others coming out of curiosi.
ty. The Are companies from Camder
and Vlneland returned yesterday, af
ter having performed very efficient SCI
vice.
To-day the ruins are still shoulder
ing. and are being visited by numbers
of people. The residents generally
have got over their alarm and to-day
are at their avocations as usual. A
tour through the burned district shows
that everything in the path of t.4e
fierce flames was utterly ruined, but il
is hoped that by the opening Of next
season the blackened waste will be sue.
ceeded by even finer hotels aud cottages
than before the oonhagration.
The only remains OF Congress Hall
are the hot water baths and the pavil.
ion, but the large and fine structure
itself is gone. 1t is understood, how.
ever, that it will at once I've rebuilt. As
stated in former dispatches, Congress
Hall was owned by Andrew NJ. Moore,
Charles s. Bayliss, K. c. Knight, Rich
AID J. Dobbins, John B. McCreary and
Jacob q. Neaiie. OF these gentlemen
Messrs. Moore and Bayliss each owned
twenty per cent. and the others fifteen
per cent. each. The report that the
cottages of Mr.. J. b. McCreary and B.
X. Jamison were destroyed, is unfoun
ded, as they still stand unharmed. tc
the satisfaction of their owners
A walk along the beach shows moth
ing but mass of burned and ruined
bath. houses. In some places efforts are
being made to clear away the debris
The Stockton row Of cottages were only
slightly damaged, and several had
their roofs partially burned.
On Saturday, when the flames con-
tnued creeping towards Denizot's cot
tage, the occupants remained as long as
they possibly could, endeavoring to
save their property, but the approach
ing fire soon drove them away. The
clothing of some of the female members
Of the family ignited from the flying
sparks, and they were obliged several
times to go into the water to have the
flames quenched.
Mr.. 5. A. Rudolphs Cottage, on Jack
son street, had most Of its fine furni-
ture removed in time, but so great was
the excitement, that advantage was
taken of the fact by dishonest persons
to conceal the furniture, and it has not
since been found.
Gen. Sewell, Superintendent of the
West Jersey Railroad, did good service
by his prompt action in sending assist
ance, and yesterday he gave his per-
sonal attention to the devastated region.
AT present, spectators standing on
Ocean street, have an obstructed view
of the burued district as far as Congress
street.
Some of the owners of cottages are
securing plans preparatory to
rebuilding.
CONGRESS- HALL.
A meeting of the owners of Congress
Hall was held to-day to take into con-
sideration the question of replacing the
burned hotel. Owing to the absence of
Sewell and Mr.. Dobbins. who