New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-27
COMFY ISLAND FIRE SWEPT
NEARLY EIGHT BLOCKS CONSUMED BY
FLAMES

Fire swept away almost all OF eight blocks OF
the most thckly settled part OF Coney Island yes
terday morning. The hotels and dance halls and
resorts OF all kinds In the territory bounded by the
Bowery. the Atlantic Ocean and by Henderson's
and steeplechase walks were all IN ashes at
O'CLOCK In the morning The fire. which caused
loss or about s20o.0o0-almost totai-oegan a little
before o'clock. There Is reason 10 believe that
IL was OF incendiary origin. Where Thursday
night was gayety and mlrth was yesterday
waste OF ashes. The Coney Islanders who were
driven out OF their homes by the advancing flames
without chance to take any OF their clothing
were roaming about the unhurned portions OF the
is'and In the most Crotesque costumes. Some OF
thefn took the affair good-na turedly, but for the
most II was a sad prospect. For the owners OF the
places OF amusement II In total loss. hs insurance
companies have always refused 70 take any risks
south OF the Bowery. For the performers and at
tendants 1t means the loss OF most Of their goods.
and the prospect of being without means Of lveli-
hood for some time to come
There is one bright and hopeful feature about
the fire, and that is the probability that the Build
ing Department and Board OF Health will insist
on sanitary and substantial structures In the re-
building of the fre-swept section. All the filth
which had accumulated around the buildings and
had even soaked into their very structure de-
stroyed. and much OF tho danger OF an epidemic.
which caused Deputy Health Commissioner Black
TO make rigid investigation recently. has passed
away.
Fire was FIRST discovered at the end Of Hender-
sons Walk In a bathing pavilion owned by William
scoville. His employe. who had just returned from
the city rushed down the walk 10 the Bowery and
turned In alarm. This brought the two Coney
Island engines. On account Of the fimsy character
OF the walk the engines had to remain In Surf
ave. and the hremen fought at long range by
dragging the hose the whole length of Henderson's
Walk Another alarm brought the nremen from
Gravesend- Meanwhile the flames had licked up
the big bathing pavilion and boardwalk just COM
pleted by Charles Feltman. The fremen would
perhaps have gotten the best Of the flames here
but al 3r another alarm sent in from Tilyous
Walk and the Bowery. From that time on the two
fires. famed by strong wind from the ocean.
spread rapidly toward the centre. On advanced the
flames. leaving nothing but destruction behind, un-
III the houses I'm Henderson,. STATIONS. Bush
mans Schweickerts. Van Bergen's. Kensipston
Tilyou's and Steeplechase walks had been amost
totally destroyed All that remained were few
buildings IN the parts of the latter walks adjacent
10 the Bowery.
The second fire started in the photograph gallery
Of Mrs. Nellie Sleier II was discovered by Patrol
man Thomas Lynch. of the Sixty-ninth Precinct
After an Intellectual attempt to open box. he at
last sent in alarm. The fire. seven blocks away
was already burning fercely. Soon the Bowery and
the walks running to the ocean were scenes OF in
jescribable confusion-men running up and down
waking the sleeping people with harsh cries ana
women and children. scantily clad hurryng 10
place Of refuge. SO rapidly did the flames spread
that almost nothing was saved.
Lynch made several brave rescues. and was 30
badly burned that he sent to the Flatbush
Hospital for treatment. Among those who proba-
bly, owe their lives TO Lynch are Mrs. Belle hunt
and John Anderson who were In Hunts Hotel.
Fire Battalion Chief Fitzpatrick early realized the
seriousness OF the situation. and fnt word 10
Brooklyn that II he did not receive large reinforce
ments at once the entire island might be consumed
Fifteen engines four trucks and two hreboats were
on the scene In little more than an hour Ihls
included the entire hre-hghting force OF all the
shore suburbs The freboats, for lack OF whart
facilities were OF little assistance.
The entire Coney Island police force, strength
ened by special details from other stations assist
ed in the work and kept back the crowd Whlch
began TO arrive after o'clock and reached the
magnitude almost of mob In the forenoon -,
The fremen at once Jumped TO the hypothess OF
an incendiary when they considered that two hres
had started at such distant points, and yet IN the
same general locality. within so short time
MANY stories were floating around yesterday OF
SUSPICIOUS characters and oil-soaked rags ana other
things but none of the stories could be verlneo.
The structures destroyed were mostly frame
buildings and will probably ne quickly REBUILT