The New York herald., 1878-11-10
Eleven Hotels and Thirty
Cottages Burned.
T III Il l. O $ s r 5
Nearly Five Hundred Thousand Dol
lars in Real Estate Gone.
ALLEGED INCENDIARISM.
The Conflagration Originates in
an Unoccupied House.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD

/ BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD
/ CARE MAY. \. j.. Nov. ., 1878.
More than onc-half of the principal portion of this
city destroyed to-day by terrible conhagraton
! which swept space Of forty acres through
the central belt Of the city. famed by
gale of wind from the northwest All
the best buildings at this resort even the finest
and most costly, of wood, with narrow streets,
and closely adjoining structures of this infsmnable
material. A wind blowing at forty miles an hour,
fire department, called consisting OF one anti
quated engine and small lot Of rotten and worth
less hose, it is not matter of wonder that
fire started should have swept all before
it, Nothing prevented the annihilaton of the entire
city but the courtesy ard promptness of the Camden
Fire Department and General Sewel. superintendent
of the West Jersey Railroad. who sent steam fire
engines and trained rcmen by special train to the re-
lief Of the threatened city All the principal hotels
but one are gone and some of the handsornest cot
tagcs dc.ailcd account of the ravages Of the fire
will be found below but the list of losses is not
plcted, being somewhat less than the total which
viii surely reach $5Oo,ooo.
CLEAR CASE or INCKSDIARIeM
About the origin Of the fire thing is certain.
namely that it the dastarty act Of ncendiary
1t discovered the top floor Of the Ocean House.
an old tinder box structure in which there
cupant. and of course fire, which was supposed
to have been closed since the end OF
vban1s Aa,p hav ouia
by accident The smell Of kerosene is said to have
been very apparent at this spot to those who first
arrived ON the ground The Ocean House was
owned by Samuel r. Ludlam, and is said
to have bcen insured for large amount.
Whether not the authorities will make
proper investigation into the matter and detect the
criminal cannot be said but there is demand the
part of the srers. and property generally.
for the punishment OF the incendiary, whoever he
may be- Eleven hotels and public cottages
were destroyed and about twenty-five pri-
vate cottages, besides bath houses. billiard
and bowling saloons and onthouses. Through the
exertons OF the Camden fremen and the steam
engines the flames checked when they reached
Stockton Row, number Of fine cottages opposite the
| magnificent piazza Of the Stockton House. which il
mer resort in the country. This the only left
| OF the principal hotels
i 40 loss OF IIrR
There was no loss Of life during the fire. but there
were some narrow escapes and several persons were
more or less scorched and injured in rescuing prop
erty and fighting the fire. The streets and hotel
| lawns tonight are strewn with bedding and
furniture, piled in confusion where it
thrown in the haste Of rescue, the jumbled
objects casting fantastic shadows in the
hckering lights of the still burning ruins Flyers
cottage which has been destroyed. next
to the Ocean House at the end toward the shore.
! Mr.. Fryer has been to great pains and ex-
| pense in the furnishing aud decoration OF his
cottage which was filled with raro and curious
articles. In the parlor noticeable vet offurni-
turc. richly ornamentel in gold. which m uso
in one OF the Frellch palaces at the time
of the French Revolution. Among the most i'm
psran. curiosities piece of china of great
vslue and fully 1000 years old. The cottage in
|
HISTORIC MExonlEs.
Congress Hail was one of the oldest and most
famous hotels in the country. Its name is
associated with hundreds of tho distinguished
Funnel" as favorite breezy angle OF
the old piazza called. il . pleasant
memory Of two generations. Congress Hall ranked
a. the second hotel in age at Cape May,
the first one built being the old All
| which was erected about 17S5. The first Congress
Hughes, ON land inherited from his grandfather,
George Hand. Subsequently Mr. Hughes conveyed the
property his father, Ellis II. Hughes upon whose
death he purchased from the other heirs and became
Samuel Richards who disposed OF il to
Jonas Miller, and ho in turn sold it to
Waters b. Miller for the OF $1,000 In
1858 Mr. Miller erected the portion known
nv the dining room extension. While retaining the
ownership Mr.. Miller associated with himself in tho
management Mr.. John West and later still the con-
duet Of the house passed under tho charge West
Thompson In 1868 Mr. j. n. Coke, rs the agent Of
his wife, purchased the property of Mr. Miller for the
sum of $4,000.
In tho following year ne erected the T. running
toward the beach At this time the old buildings for
mcrly occupied as Office and billiard room, were
| torn down and replaced by new struc.
turc of the same height from the dining
room, out to and along Perry street, q
distance OF about 90, feet ar Coke went into bank
ruptcy and in May. 1873. mortgage Of $40 900 was
forecloscd and the property bought by stock com.
pany for 100000 less than its value OF this company