The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-08-17


~ leased the hotel and pavilion from Mr.. Gunther
for one year. commencing on the LIST OF May last tne
received from me 81 800 inlnoney. had expended
$3.50 in furniture. bedding and bed linen, which
the year. Yesterday had in the house about one
hundred and sixteen persons. During the DAY
man. hailing from Colorado. came down from New
York in one of the boats, and after whiie got SO
much under the influence of liquor that mad 10 put
him to bed. His ON the first moor,
and on condition that he would go to bed !
had promised to wake him up in the evening ana
drive to Coney Island with him. When saw the
light from the front of the pavilion at rs thought
it caused by grease or something else ouri
ing in the kitchen. A moment atter~aIu
got the smell of wood burning ana tnen
/ knew that the place on IRE Rushing
at once to the room where had put the colorado
man bed. did all could to induce him TO get up
and save himself, telling him the place was on nre
1t was no use. he would not stir so had to lift him
on my shoulders. carry him out OF the room and
literally throw him down stairs to the ground moor.
DIRE CONFUSION.
Everything was in the utmost confusion then.
men and women, half crazed with terror rushing in
all directions to their rooms for the purpose OF
saving their effects. In the hallway saw Pierce.
my general manager. and said TO- him For
it it, is all in aames.' The next a6ment
/ saw Mrs. Colonel Gimpel. of Brooklyn.
almost completely blocked the passageway with her
trunks. which she was endeavoring to save. en-
treated Mrs. Gimpel to get out Of the hallway with
her children Then threw Mrs. Pascos trunks
right and left to make way for the guests in the
to get out there being about eighty OF them trying
to escape. One of Mrs. Pascos trunks threw clear
out of window. She was quite angry at my
handling her baggage so roughly. BY this time
vilion. and l rushed to my own rooms.
Nos. / and in the main building. to look
my room which was filled with smoke SO that I
could not see anything there, called to my wife,
Fanny. for Gods sake are you herey There was no
walters, Martin aud Fitzgerald, had dragged my wife
out of her room in a half suffocated condition.
When the alarm of fire given she had gone into
her room to save some of her things. and while in
the act OF doing this the smoke over
p Of my two faithful men p'' she Would
in all probability have lost her life. My four chill
dren were also saved Having seen that my wife
safe, re-entered our room ana tried to save
of our effects. when the flames burst in
ON and was dragged from the room
mentioned Mr. Hennessey the manager of the
pavilion, and Mr. Williams my bookkeeper, after
rooms to get their things. They met Mr.. Pierce
in the hall and told him to get out and his fe
Hennessey and Williams were then on the pavilion
floor, and to their own lives had to come down
by the water pipe the former cutting his hand badly
he did SO. We lost all we had in our rooms
clothing. my wifes jewelry and three notes for
$2.245, all were burned up should think the loss
on the personal effects in our rooms not less
than s6,OUO When the safe opened this morn
ing the books and papers contained were found to
be all right.
FooLHARDY sCHUHARDT
schuhardt. my night Waterman. came to me as he
was going into the oil room with lamp about half
past seven o'clock, and my words to him were.
'.God damn you. don't you think Of going into
It in the daylight Mr. Hennessey. who was stand.
our warnings he took the lamp into the room. The
Oil room was situated at the extreme end OF the
pavilion, and away from everything else SO that
perfectly safe. But Schuhardt was the most bull
headed Dutchman I ever saw. The very thing he
often thought there must have been something
S stils WIN $40 '''-' -'N '''' no. 0V'A'-
Here Mr.. Hennessey who standing by. said
II gave the orders day after day not to go into
the oil room with lighted lamp. and one night
when his lamps were not filed forbade him going
into the oil room with lamp to fill them Rather
than have him run such risk the pavilion was not
lighted up that night
II allowed Schnhardt." resumed Mr.. Walker. "to
take charge Of the billiard room and bowling alley
that he might make all he could out OF them for
himself. together with his wages and when the fire
broke out he rushed into the billiard room
to save. his rife guns that were there.
He picked up two of these, out and handed them
to the bootblacx for safe keeping. and then went
back to secure some more of.his things. That was
the last seen OF him. The flames ovcrpowered him,
and, poor fellow, he has paid the penalty
OF his own careessness and disobedence of orders.
The two women who lost their lives were good
servants. They were both employed rs chamber
maids, and my wife and had arranged to take them
to plainfeld; n. g. with us sat. at the close OF
Kate Rafsr got her wages she put the money in her
bosom. remarking that she was going to send it to
her sister in Indiana. suppose the money was
burned with her.
FACILITIES QUENcHING FIRE.
1.-THE house abundantly supplied with water
from the large tank connected with the railroad. In
addition to this supply. we had three pumps in the
kitchen and two outside. There was plenty of hose
in the house, but last night we could not
either it the water, tor the fire drove the
help from the kitchen, surrounded the pumps and
ground in short time. The main building Of
the house outside of the pavilion was sealed
once had all eo1a do seep
the guests from going into the burning house to get
their effects and one or two ladies became angry at
for driving them away. Nearly all OF the guests
in personal property including my wifss
viii WIFI amount to nearly $4,000 '' was
not insured. always made it point never to in
sure my property in another mans house. so that
could be said that had interest in seeing
il burned down. 1t has been reported that l used
gasoline in the bnilding but can take my oath that
not drop of gasoline was in the house while &C.
The scenes occurring among the terror-stricken
not be adequately described. Some about sit
ting down to supper and ran from the table leaving
their food untouched.
MARROW ESCAPES
One lady had just put her infant to bed. and was
given barely time to snatch 1t to her bosom and
hurry out of doors. Another young lady who was
i'll the act of retiring had taken off her dress The
flames already at her door. and she fed in
terror from the burning pile and running swiftly
toward the dock half crazed with fear threw her
arms around the neck OF young man and burst
covering the gallant youth. to whom she was
an entire stranger. lent her his hat and long
coat, and with these she proceeded to her
home in New York. The hat and coat
returned to their owner later in the evening.
Among the guests who failed to save any of their
effects the following Mrs. Zananski, of
Brooklyn. lost all OF her baggage, including jew
ery valued at $4,000; Mr.. Jacobs and family. of
New. York. lost everything aud barely escaped with
their lives. Their loss is estimated at 1900; Mrs.
Livingston. OF New York. saved nothing except the
clothing she had on; Mrs. Austin, of New York,
similarly unfortunate. In the confusion of
the moment one OF this lady's trunks was
taken out OF the building, but when opened IL was
found to be the intended to be secured 1t
contained only u few unimportant articles. Miss
Thompson, of New York, and Mr. Steingraffe and
family. of Brooklyn. also lost the whole OF their
effects. Mr.. Walker. the proprietor of the
hotel has offered to dcfray the expense of nterring
the remains OF tho two women who were burned to
death. The stable. carriage house and fifty bathing
houses also burned up. The dock. or long pier
where the New YORK and Newark boats land their
passengers, was in danger, but saved by the
laborers. who ALI the Intervening Wnnd-