Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-04-10
TWELVE HOTELS
ARE DESTROYED
Flames Sweep up the Atlantic
City Boardwalk From New
York to Illinois Avenues.
LOSS $4,000, INSURANCE LIGHT
Large Part of Great Promenade
is Gone.


establishments destroyed, Young's pier
wrecked and large section of the
famous Boardwalk gone are some of
the effects of probably the most dis
astrous fire that ever visited this popu-
lar resort. The fact that the wind did
not blow direct from the ocean is all
that saved the major portion of the
city from destruction Yesterday
Fire underwriters at "a special meet
ing figured up the total loss at about
$3.50, 600, though some place it at
much higher figure. The insurance
is small, as the district was regarded
as extra hazardous and the rates almost
prohibitive, an average of per cent.
4 The city is crowded with guests
great throng coming from Baltimore,
Y New York and Philadelphia to spend
Easter week, and the burned hotels
were all except two in operation for the
season, with full list Of patrons. 1t
is remarkable that all the guests
reached places of safety, not single
life being lost. Probably dozen
persons were injured at various points
during the fire, but none of these is
supposed to be fatally hurt.
Soon after the fire was discovered
the Tarlton Hotel was a mass of flames,
which rapidly licked up the small
stores and booths along the Boardwalk
between Illinois and Kentucky avenues.
All the structures were of wood and
offered an easy mark. The line of fire
soon stretched to the Stratford Hotel,
which caught with rush and was soon
in great blaze. Tongues of fire leaped
to the Berkeley, which adjoins the
\ Stratford, and from there swept down
Kentucky avenue. The New Holland,
the Bryn Mawr, the Evard and the
Stickney quickly caught and that sec
ton of Kentucky avenue was doomed
Soon after the fire began it got be-
yond the control of the Atlantic City
Fire Department, which was working
strenuously to check its spread Phila-
delphia and Camden were wired for
aid. The Pennsylvania railroad fur
Y nished two special trains that brought
three engines from Philadelphia and
two from Camden, making the 60-mile
run in the almost record time of 55
minutes.
just as the firemen's reinforcements
Il arrived a burning brand fell on Young,s
< big ocean pier, near Tennessee avenue.
1t blaZed up like finder and great
mass of smoke and flames shot into
the air. At first it looked as if the en-
tire pier, with its numerous amusement
enterprises, must CO. But by hard
work the fire was confined to the
Marine Hall, which was soon in ashes,
cutting the pier into two parts. A
number of persons were on the pier.
but succeeded in making their escape.
In the meantime the flames had
communicated with the Rio Grande,
the Mervine and the Academy Hotels
and the Academy Of Music, at the
nf Nouy ~
beach.
Time and again the Windsor was
threatened, and for hours the firemen
succeeded in driving back the flames.
But at l.3O p III. the wing of the
Windsor nearest the blazing hotels
began to burn and in half an hour had
been consumed. The rest of the build
ing was saved, though badly damaged
by smoke and water
After nearly six hours of desperate
fighting the fremen conquered the
flames and the PHILADELPHIA and
Camden men and engines that had
done splendid work left for home.
The fire started either in the Tarlton
Hotel or Brady's lighthouses corner of
Illinois avenue and the boardwalk,
and was discovered about Q a. m.
Three acres of one of the most
crowded sections of Atlantic City were
burned over and chimneys and black
ened walls show where imposing hotels
stood
Two black walls and no more of the
y Academy of Music now stand. OF eight
notes.-the Berkeley, the Lurav, The
Norwood, the Stratford, Stickney.
Tarlton, Bryn Mawr, Mervine and Rio
Grande only the chimneys are left.
Two others, the New Holland and the
Evard, although not wholly consumed,
are virtual ruins. One wing of the
Windsor was burned and the entire
building badly damaged
The burned district extends 700 feet
along the beach and 200 feet inland
Within it, besides the Academy of
Music and the hotels mentioned, were
% stores and shops of various sorts.
restaurants and lighthouses. Not a wall
or chimney, not even charred beam,
of any of these stores and shops is left.
They were all literally reduced to
ashes.
a All the deck of the Boardwalk be.
tween Illinois and New York avenues
was burned, but the steel supports
were not damaged.
A gap 30 feet wide was burned in
Young's pier. The pier is a block
above the burned district but was Ser
afire by sparks.
Fashionably dressed men and women
carried their belongings in their arms
and on their shoulders from hotels
4 nd cottages squares away rather thar
see them burned.
Chief of Police Eldridge and hi,
force had their hands full Watching II
keep the crowd of spectators from loot
ing. Several arrests of negroes wert
made soon after the fire began. The,
were caught carrying off goods tha
were placed on the streets.
The members of the volunteer fir,
department acted as special policemen
and Go. L, National Guard of New
Jersey, was called into requisition t.
preserve order.
All of the guests Of the burned hotel
who were forced to seek other quarter
have been cared for. Those who hat
been stopping at the Luray were givel
rooms az the new Hotel Marlborough
which is under the same management
Others registered at various hotel
and clearinghouse.
A special meeting of the City Council
was held last night to take action OF
the fire and arrange for the rebuildin.
OF the burned portion CT the Board
walk.
The Morris Guards local militar,
organization, were last night sworn il
as special policemen and were place.
on guard with members Of Co. L ut tn
scene of the fire. Mayor Stoy last nigh
issued notice to the public deplorinl
the calamity, but expressing thank
that 1t was no worse.