New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-14

destroyed. Had n not been for the Greenport DC
partment the entire hotel would have gone with
many Of the cottages The new an rex. with the
casino. music hall theatre, and the famous bridge
connecting were saved The guests lost nothing.
and many Of the male guests were volunteer fire
men for the occasion.
f. A. schermerhorn' yacht. the Free Lance,
| came to the wharf and placed a powerful stream
the disposal Of the chief Of the fire department
| Owing to the height of the buildings from the
water. II with extreme difficulty that the fire
was kept within the limits Of the original building
Several Of the hremen were overcome by heat and
smoke. but no lives are believed 10 have been lost.
The loss will approximate 10000, this building
contained the steam electric light. elevator and
gas plants for the remaining structures The
hotel was built by New York and Boston ca pita-
lists and has been a success from the start
There but little breeze blowing, and this in y
measure kept the flames from spreading more rap
idly than they otherwise would There
time danger to the cottages in the but the fire
mon wet them down and. although OF them the
nearest 10 the fire. caught several times. they were
all saved. The fire advanced toward the bridge
through the old building in spite of the efforts OF
the fremen and of the streams poured the fla mes
from several yachts. and at $50 1t looked though
the flames could not be checked before reaching the
music pavilion. II they not 1t seemed almost
certain the building would catch 1t de-
cded to Low up the bridge and the pavilion. and
thus create gap between the buildings Men
hurried to ireenpori for dynamite. but could
be found. AMI the messengers returned TO the
Of the fire with kegs Of powder, which they had
managed to obtain. They were placed in the dane
ing pavilion and trains set. They exploded few
minutes after 10 o'clock. and tore holes in the sides
Of the pavilion but were not powerful enough TO
wreck the bridge which was constructed of heavy
timbers set in the earth and crossed by equally
heavy beams.
A few minutes after the explosion the flames
reached the bridge and every OF water great
and small concentrated on the bridge and the
ends OF the buildings. 1t hot work. but the
hremen stuck to their posts until they dropped
from heat and exhaustion and had to be carried
away At 1890 the side Of the pavilion and the end
of the bridge the old portion fire. but
the fremen put it out Again ana again the
flames attacked this part. but each time the fire.
men drove them back. Next the flames attacked the
tower which formed the OF the old building
nearest the bridge and shortly before II o'clock II
went down. The ircmcn had a difficult task at
that time keep the flames from crossing the place
which they had selected the fighting point.
As the fire concentrated at the end Of the old build
ing II became hot that it impossible for the
hrenen work except under streams of water
which their fellow workers directed upon them.
Repeatedly men were forced to abandon their posi-
lions and go out the bluff TO cool off and revive
themselves. Many had to be carried away by their
fellow Fighters.
There were many narrow escapes during the fire.
At one time IA force Of the Greenport hremen was
not that big chimney near them was totterinG
and I'm danger OF falling directly upon the exter.
sion Others saw the danger and called TO the me-
to They oun hfT P beo Se the
chi :nney crashed down on the extension. tearing
through the roof.
by noon the fremen were certain of victory and
by o'clock they had the fire under control, and II
was certain they would hold the flames at the
pavilion Chief Preston OF the Fire Department
vas several times overcome by the heat and smoke.
but revived quickly and returned 10 his work The
saved portion OF the hotel. which was the largest
portion the gas and electric plants, SO that
the remaining portion was cut off entirely from
lighting facilities The laundry and kitchen; to-
gether with the dining room, were destroyed so
that. although they might have returned to their
rooms the guests decided to leave and the mid
dag and afternoon trains took away most OF the
guests. few sought quarters In the Prospect
House. During the fre the proprietor Of the
Prospect House supplied the workers at the FIRE
with drink and food. .
The bridge and pavilion will have 70 be rebuilt
800 guests in the house at the time or the nre All
were wealthy and prominent people During the
Are many Of the male guests gave valuable assist
ance by manning the two hand engines OF the ERE
Department, thus allowing the men who would
otherwise have to attend to this to relieve their fell
ow-fremen at the nozzlcs.
contents valued at about $4,000 The furn
ture saved from the burned portion was much bat
tered and ruined by being handled IN the haste 10
take II from the building. The insurance the
burned portion will probably be about two-thirds
loss.
The hotel was one OF the finest along the Atlantic
easily accommodate 500 guests. while 1909 could be
taken II necessary. The broad yerandns ran around
the four sides Of each Of the three buildings The
property. including the buildings belongs 10 an In
corporated company. and II. d. w. Lawson man
aged the hotel. IL will be- impossible to arrange
affairs to resume business this season.