The daily gazette. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1874-1883, 1879-08-22
BURNED BY the SEA.
The Surf House in Ruins.
THE FIRE AT REHOBOru BEACH
THE SURF HOUSE BURNED DOWN IN
THE EARLY AOKNIN9--THE
INSURANCE AND LOSS.

THE EARLY MoRNINa-THE
INSURANCE AND LOSS.
Special TO the Gazette.
REHoBoTH FEAcm, Aug. 22.-The |
Surf House fell victim to the fire fl nd
ut an early hour this morning, and now
mass OF smoking ruins mark the site
where that beautiful house has stood
since the Hehoboth Camp Meeting As
ISOLATION has been in existence. 1t has
been the first blow that has fallen upon
this seaside resort, and 1t has been a
heavy one, and The wind that blows In
from the ocean sweeps over u desolate
Be- ne.
THE ORIGIN.
The fire originated about 3 o'clock,
and shortly af'erward it was discovered.
When the first alarm was given, wild
and exciting scene occurred that battles
description, as men, women and Oh J.
dien rushed do Sn the st.irways of the
burning building and out on the sandy
beach IN terror. The advance of the
flames must have been rapid from the
catching OF the fist spark, for, before
the last guest had escaped, large part of
the immense building wa. enveloped in
fire.
Close E-CAPEs.
One thing hat was fortunate was that
the most of the guests that have been
here this season had r. urned home. 1t
Is well-known that this sea ON the: Su 4
House has been crowded, but owing to
the late unpleasant weather, the major
ty had dep rtet. 1t is fortunate TO-
them, that they did Very likely the
were not more than twenty persons sto :
ping at the hotel. The Surf House is
made entirely of wood and the flames
ran rapidly and the con us | lie m iteria
burned like finder. In addition to is,
the b. ee1e that b,ew in from tn o ,eai
was perhaps little stronger than usual
and ian red the fire, causing 1t to leap aud
crackle, as it ran out Of the widows
and up the sides. This ma lie the pro-
gress of the fire more rapid than it
W 'uld have been otherwise and those
inside had to make strenuous efforts to
escape. As sid before, it was for innate
that the building was not crowded for
had th-re been many guests, escape
could not have been made;so easily. But
as. it was, g. veral were only in the nick
Of time. The majority had time to
snatch up few articles of clothing, but
nothing more, not even their trunks OF
vAlses.
PROGRESS OF THE FLAMES.
As the fire shot upward from the burn
ing structure, lurid glare was sent faI
ont TO sea, and the beach for several miles
up and down was lighted up brightly
1t was brilliant scsne but one, the en-
jopment of which, was lost to those pres
ent. An intense heat was thrown out
that kept all the spectators far back fron
the fire.
In less time than it takes to tell it the
whole ST. ucture fell in and a large ant
smouldering mass of ruins bl zed upor
the beach, where half an hour b.f,re the
Surf House stood in all It's beauty.
Everything about the building wa
consumed, annex, out buildings and all
and not an article of their contents wa
saved. No effort could be made to checl
the fire, and that was out OF the question
as there is 10 fire apparatus there.
THE BURNED HOTEL.
The Surf House was owned by Lb,
Behoboth Beach Camp NJ Getting Associa
ton, and was built in 1873, the cOntrac
tor being VIM. II. Foulk of Whining on
Work was commenced on the 10Th o
Nav, and the building was finished II
: six weeks. IL was opened on July 9th
by Mrs. Mary Keene, also of Whining
, ton.
The building was 1O5 feet long, Sc fee
wide, and three stories high, with al
apartment. The first floor comprise,
!. two private and one lar e public parlors
an office and dining room. The secon'
Q and third floors were divided into sleep
= ing rooms, thirty-six in number. Ope
: halwavs extended along the entire lengt
# each floor, with outside stairways a
each end, which were designed as fire
escapes, and afforded ample means o
exit In case of fire.
: Attached to the hotel was twO-stor
i back building, used as Kitchen and a
:. sleeping quarters for the servants.
f Mrs. Keene, who opened the hote
!, conducted it during the seasons of1S73-l
Il after which it was taken by Mr.. W. l.
4 Rider, OF Sussex county, who was pro
2 prietor during 1856. Mr.. Rider, to az
g commodate the increasing public patro
mage, built an annex, containing SOM
twelve or fifteen sleeping rooms. II
1876 the hotel was taken BY William
Blllany, OF Wilmington, who was also il
i charge this season.
D The hotel cost, when built, between
= $4,000 and $4,000. and the furnitui
8 then put IN cost $500. The latter ha
D been considerably added to since then
ami was probably valued at $1,000 jus
before the fire. There was an iDsLranc
I. Of SlO, 300, effected through the agenc,
4 of Thomas Il. Plummer s. Co., of Will
. mington, and distri buted az follows:
q Security, OF New Haven, SOB
a National, of New York, 103
4 Fire Association, Of Phila., lob
q Meriden, of Nj eriden, Conn.,, 1O3
2 Newark City, of Newark, N. j., 1903
Z La Confidence. of Paris, los
q farmers, of York, Pa. lob
r Continental, of New York. 1O3
United Firemen's, of Pnila. 2O6