The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-20
FIRE AT BRIGHTON BEACH.
RIG HOTEL HAS 4 NARROW ESCAPE
FROM DESTRUCTION.
Engine and Boiler Room and Kitchen De-
stroyed-Panic Among tho Guests-Hotel
Full of smoke-Joc Letter of Chicago
Wheat Fame Distinruishes Himself.


Full of smoke-Joc Letter of Chicago
Wheat Fame Distinguishes Himself.
The Brighton Beach Hotel. which was re-
Gently refurnished by the Brooklyn Heights
Railroad Company at cost of 5000 900 and
leased to Assemblyman =. H. Roche OF this
city. was visited by fire last night. Tho fire
was confined to the engine room and pantry
and the loss was comparatively small.
The engine room is in a small annex, about
15x25 feet, situated ut the southwest end OF
the building and facing the Brighton Beach
racetrack. II Is covered with a tar roof The
first that was seen OF the fire was at
a30 O'Clock, when flames were dis
covered bursting out OF the roof
back draught soon drove the engineer
out OF the annex and the hotel was filed with
smoke within Ave minutes. There were 80
guests In the hotel. seventy-nve OF whom were
In the dining room. Others were In the Office
and the big verandas, while many had re-
tired for the night.
Clerk Messenger sent out telephone alarm
to Coney Island and sheepshead Bay for fire
engines. and also rang the regular fire
alarm that is in the hotel. Then he rang
the alarm that is situated on each
floor of the hotel and thus notified
the guests that the building was OH
fire. BY the time he had done this the
sued among the guests. Those in the dining
room made rush for the doors. Tables were
overturned and no one waited for hats or
wraps. They all got out safely
The guests who were In their rooms had more
trouble in getting out OF the building. Some
OF them tied wet towels around their heads
and CROPPED their way down the main stairway
Others climbed down the fire escapes. Anon
these were eight women who had retired for
4ha iuht nd hp,t do hnir ole a Apl,y
in their night clothes. Several women coolly
made their children precede them on the
FIRE escape. Others forgot their children in the
excitement. but remembered them as soon as
they reached the ground. Then they raised a
great cutlery and the servants in the hotel ran
back to the rooms and brought the children
out safely. One OF these was a little girl about
IL years old. who was seriously Ill. Her name
rould not be learned
In the meantime the hotel servants and the
quests were trying to extend the lines OF hose
10 the hotel to the fire. The servants had all
been put through fire drill. but the hose
was not long enough to reach to the
names. Among the guests who assisted
the servants in their grenade throwing was
Joseph Letter OF Chicago wheat fame.
who was accompanied by handsome young
woman. Two fire engines from Coney Island
and Sheepshead Bay arrived shortly after
pantry and kitchen. which are in a small build
ing adjoining the engine room. This building is
frame structure and was burning hercely in
a few moments second alarm Of fire was
turned in and the engines from Sheepshead
Bay. Gravesend and Bensonhurst quickly re-
sponded. Soon six streams were playing on
the flames.
At this juncture a man who wore blue
serge suit and straw hat and who was said
Nv 20 ha al oil had
the roof Of the pantry and began shouting to
attract the attention OF the fire fighters. Both
hands were full Of money. and he waved them
Fl dollars to every man who pulls burn
ing p'ank out OF this building - he shouted
That's the only way to put this fire out. Tear
The crowd made n rush and within a,few
moments there was nothing left of the kitchen.
that the man who proposed it had trouble to
get On OF the roof IN time He was as good as as
H6usn him a" na piece Of SS wood man
The lines of hose were run to the Brighton
ne T1GE to Mcp p1q III sI Witt
pa-s"ngers, who deserted the cars, and ran
Gy%rto sec the fire, Fully 500 wheeImen,, who
thu Nromrn. They Were, driven back on the
They we're the reserves from the Coney Island
;ind The Sheepshead Bay stations and were I'M
rpil The policemen soon established ~"
lines and force was also sent Through the ho-
get o guard the rooms and l."'"i ih" guests
A, soon as the first rnni" VIZ ","r the guests
had escaped in their night rlothr, received
other clothes and they ,nut them on while
Mating wa on the v"randa Ina me ntSnt CLERK ana
them that the hotel was in no danger. as there
was brick wall between the bnrninf buildings
and the hotel building proper. They begged the
guests to return to their rooms. Many OF the
guests started to do so, but Just then the cleo
fri liph .,IIt Il har ar
Til" lights also went ont in the music hall,
where a concert vas being given to an ~ AZ
lights remained out the guests refused to re-
turn to the building. remaining on the sands
The nremcn ran two lines Of hose through
the second floor OF the hotel and fror began
R "q rssr ON Mnd ns "S sSdey boG
lines Of hose burst and the water
hours TS anSs Rs Alone
is estimated at about 81 300
While the excitement was at It's height the
the dark halls oi the hotel. One Of them was
Edgar Westmacht. who Ind that morning been
Employed as chef. 'Westmacht was locked up
in The Coney Island station on charge Of In.
man. who was said to be n waiter and whose
name could not be learned, was locked up on a
Atter,a dght Of an hour, the Gremen finally
il pntttGS out the ma "Tfs IT wa
the boiler room would amount to at least 1900.
Tho electric plant OF the hotel, which was a
new one. was valued ut $4,000. 1t could not
be learned last night whether it had been de-
stroyed or whether the lights had been cXtn-
Guished merely because the boilers mad given
out.
AS soon as the fire was out the, manager OF
the hotel sent mum Der OF candles to every
house Of the Brooklyn Heights surface road
aud got 800 big troll ley car headlights. Whom
these were lighted. many OF the guests re-
turned to their rooms but number OF others,
who were more timorous, refused to return
until they were sure that there were no sparks
about that could start the fire, again. 1t was
after midnight before they could be induced to
go to their rooms.
Among the guests at the hotel are Edward 7.
McGovern and wife Of STANFORD, Conn: +. II;
Barton aud wife ef Hartford. H. De Noe and
wife Of New York: Douglas Weath"rston OF
Mexico. NJ J. ponahuo Of New York. Rus
geant Of New York, H.. y; Harris OF
New York, the family Of Edward Han;
club; John Dunncan. of London, England; +
{ Hoyt and wife Of New York. William F. Wal
H., ~, > a xvIfa IF InnhnD