Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1894-10-12
Devoured by Flames.

about six miles from this town on the Old
Georgetown Road, was totally destroyed by
fire last Monday night. The flames were
discovered about 7:30 o'clock, and in less
than an hour nothing was left of the hotel
and theatre but pile Of smouldering ruins
and tall brick chimney that stood in the
center and marked the place where had
been the great dining. hall of the hotel.
The fire was first discovered by Mr..
Stadtler, the electrician of the park, who
saw smoke issuing through the roof Of the
hotel at the northwest corner. He at once
gave the alarm, and with the hotel employees
started for the top floor to try and extin.
guish the flames. BY the time they reached
the stairs leading to the third floor the whole
top OF the building was ablaze and they
were forced to retreat. The hotel attend.
ants then went to work carrying out the
furniture and dishes, and had barely time
to complete their task before the flames
drove them from the building. Ten minutes
from the time the fire was seen the hotel
was wrapped in flames and in less than an
hour the structure had burned to the ground
and the theatre which sdjoined the hotel
was in flames. This building also burned
like finder and in short time, like the
hotel, was a heap of smouldering ashes.
The hotel was a frame building $50 feet
long by rs feet wide, and was built on the
Queen Anne's style, highly decorated on
the outside with rustic work. The interior
was beautifully finished, and two upper
floors were fitted up as guest chambers, the
lower floor being used as dining rooms,
parlors and smoking rooms. Between the
hotel and theatre was q well, covered by a
rustic summer house, and it was by means
OF this structure that the flames reached the
threatre. The theatre was about twenty
five feet south of the hotel, and was built to
accommodate 1000 people
There were number of pleasure seekers
on the grounds At the time and these, with
the proprietors, Messrs. Mullen g. McCobb,
did everything in their power to check the
fla mes, but to NO avail. There was ALSO
lutely nothing at hand with which To fight
the flames, there being only one we'll on
the grounds, and the only thing in the shape
of hose available was small garden hose
used in the green house.
After it was seen that the hotel was doom.
ed the workers turned their attention to the
theatre and endeavored, by throwing buckets
of water on the end next the hotel, to keep
it from taking fire, but the heat from the
burning building soon became 50 intenss
that they were forced to abandon their posts
An entrance was then forced in the back of
the building, and by chopping holes in the
front wall water Was gotten on the scorch-
ing boards. 1t was OF no avail, howe yer, as
the flames soon gained q foothold on the
decorated front of the theatre, and in five
minutes the inlammabe material OF which
the building was constructed was ablaze,
and all thought OF saving it or Of taking out
the furniture and scenery was abolished.
A large crowd of spectators had by this
time reached the scene from Washington
and the surrounding country, and these
stood around in groups watching the fire
rapidly eating its way TO the ground. BY 8
o'clock there was nothing left of either
building but the stone piers on which the
first floor of the hotel had been built aud
the brick chimney.
The grounds OF the park were strung
with electric light wires connected with the
arc lights, by means OF which the place was
lighted, and as these ell to the ground and
were twisted in and out among the trees,
there was great danger of some one being
injured by coming in contact with them.
AS soon as possible after the fire was dis.
covered Mr.. Edward Watkins, one OF the
stockholders in the park, had a force of men
at work removing the wires and discon
Meeting them from the main line.
The Bethesda Park Hotel was built in
1899 by Mr. John K. Beall, the real estate
agent, who has been the principal stock
holder in a company that has improved the
land in the vicinity OF the hotel and built
the Tennalytown electric railway. The
hotel cost $4,000 and the theatre 50 500
The loss to the proprietors of the hotel,
Messrs Mullen & McCobb, will be about
81 900, not covered by insurance.
The origin Vi the fire is II mystery, and
the only cause that can be assigned is that
the wood became ignited from an electric
wire, or that the blaze was caused by de-
fectve tlue. The former is probably the
most plausible reason, as the wires ran all
through that part Of the roof where the fire
was first discovered.