The age-herald., 1899-05-27
TWO HUNDRED
 HOUSES IN ASHES Hall Million of COaey Island Property
 Goes Up in Smoke. B0WERY DISTRICT BURNED Five Hundred Actors and.SOubrGtteS Mlde
 Homeless by the Blaze. THE WORK OF AN iNCENDiARY A Second Attempt Before the Fire Took Root Kerosene Found on Side
 walk Near One of the
 Buildings
THE WORK OF AN LEGENDARY

New York, May 26.-Coney Island prop erty to the value of a million dollars was destroyed by fire early this morning, twenty acres in the heart of the summer resort section, the district known as the "Bowery'' being reduced to ashes.
 The 200 buildings burned were located be- tween the "Bowery" and the ocean, Tilyous walk on the west and the old iron pier on the east. These buildings ranged in size and importance from wabbly bathing pavilion" to the handsome five-story Hygeia hotel, including dancing pavilions, concert halls, stores of various kinds. res taurants and hotels of every grade. The fire made shelterless for a time tlative and transient population of about 3,500, includ- ing 800 men and women, classed as come dians and soubrettes, employed in the dis triot and silenced no less than 100 pianos which have for years assisted in merry making at Coney Island.
 Broke Out a second Time
 It was nearly a. when a policeman discovered the blaze in a cottage near the iron pier. A prompt response of the fire department in answer to an alarm had this trouble disposed of before 3:30 and the en- zines were about going away when the same policeman discovered another fire in Schefiies' Palm pavilion at the Tilyous walk end of the district. This was the start of the big fire and it spread in a northeasterly ziz-zag line toward the Fatime theater on the "Bowery" with frightful rate. Addi- tional alarms followed in quick succession until twenty engines, some from as far as south Brooklyn, were called.
 In ten minutes after the second fire started the whole Bowery district was in wild alarm Thousands immediately threatened rushed over. They were quick ly joined by the entire native and over night population of the island, some 10 900, whose eager interest hampered the fire men. It was seen that the firemen had de- termined to make the Bowery the fighting line, and then, the last hope of the south Of the Bowery, that any of their houses might be saved being gone, a pell mel rush for salvage or plunder took place. Scores of thieves broke through the fire lines and entered the district from the ocean side and their work of footing was wholesale. A crowd carrying off a piano was one sight which taught the police what kind of crooks they had to deal with.
 Only Four Were Injured So far as known only four persons were injured burned, and all will recover. Deputy Battalion Chief Kirkpatrick says he is convinced that the fire is of incen- diary origin. He arrives at this conclusion owing to the fact that the flames broke out in two different parts of the island at about the same time, both places being diff ficult of access so far as fire engines are concerned, and from the fact that upon his arrival he found traces of kerosene oil along the board walks and around both houses where the flames originated. Policeman and Fireman Injured Policeman Thomas Lynch and Bremen George Taggart and William Aldrich were painfully, but not seriously burned while rousing the sleeping occupants of several threatened buildings.
 Richard Downs and William Durkin. IS and 15 years, respectively, who. were asleep in the zaza hotel, were severely burned about the body.
 When the fire department reached the beach front they found dozen bath houses burning. They were dry as finder, and it was impossible to save them. The flames communicated quickly to the Bowery, and destroyed two blocks of 1t before they were gotten under control
 The rapidity of the fire was not to be wondered at, considering the character of the buildings. One hour after the first puff of smoke gave warning a large square filled  with buildings of all sizes and character, utilized for such purposes as photograph galleries, saloons. dining rooms, dance halls, theaters and the like, were in ruins.
 When 1t dawned upon the firemen that they had serious blaze on their hands five alarms were sounded. All Fort Hamil- ton, Bath Beach, Sheepshead Bay and four teen companies responded from Brooklyn. The police department hurried down the reserves from six precincts.
 On arriving they at once set about fight ing the fire systematically. Hose was stretched in all directions, and the firemen were told to make every effort to stop the spread of the flames, leaving the struc- lures already on fire to burn themselves out The heaviest losses are as follows:
 Feltman's dance hall, restaurant and con- cert garden, rear end badly burned; loss, $40 900.
 Henderson's dancing pavilion, bathing houses, restaurant and concert hail. 900.