The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-04-11
TWELVE HOTELS BURN
FIRE SWEEPS THE BEACH FRONT
FOR TWO BLOCKS AT ATTAIN
TIC CITY, N. j.
LOSS WILL REACH $4,000

No Lives Lost, Though a. Dozen Per-
sons Were More or Less Injured and
Burned-PhiladeIp and Camden
Send Engines to Aid in Fighting
the FIares-Militia Company Is
Called Out.
Atlantic City, N. j., April f. TwelVe
I hotels and more than score OF small
buildings adjoining the board walk,
| which is built along the ocean edge,
were destroyed by fire which swept
the beach front for two. long blocks
| from Illinois avenue to New York aV-
enue. The loss, it is believed, will ex-
| coed S750,000. In this respect the
confiagration is the most disastrous
! that has ever visited this city. The
! loss will be only partially covered by
/ insurance, as the rate OF per cent
I charged by insurance companies on
property here is regarded as almost
prohibitive.
| Fortunately, no lives were sacrificed,
| though probably a dozen persons were
slightly injured and burned during the
progress of the fire. 1t was reported
| early in the afternoon that six men
had persisted in the flames, but the ru-
NOR was without foundation. The or
igfn or the fire is unknown, but it is
said to have started either in Brady's
baths or the Tarlton hotel, which ad-
Joins the baths at Illinois avenue and
the board walk. The city is guarded
by a company of militia who were re-
Guested by the municipal authorities
to aid the police in the prevention Oh
looting. About dozen men were ar
rested during the day for robbery.
The fire was discovered shortly aft
er 9 o'clock a. M. and for nearly i've
hours RACED with such violence as TO
threaten the city with destruction. All
OF the burned buildings were frame
structures ana the flames, famed by
e. strong west wind,
Swept Along the Beach Front
with amazing rapidity. The Tarlton
hotel was soon pile of smoulderlng
debris and the flames fed on the small
stores and booths between Illinois and
Kentucky avenues until they reached
! the Stratford hotel, which was soon
; enveloped. The fiery tongues leaped
to the Berkley, adjoining, and in few
minutes the New Holland, the Bryan
Mawr, the Evard and the Stickney,
/ all located on Kentucky avenue near
the beach, were doomed. The local
fire department worked well and will
ingly, but was unable to cope with the
: flames, and it was found necessary
to send to Philadelphia and Camden
Il for aid. The former city sent three
engines and two came down from Cam
= den. The engines were brought here
on two special trains furnished by
the Pennsylvania Railroad company,
, and they made the run OF nearly gu
S miles in So minutes. Their presence
] here was of vast assistance to the 10,
4 cal firemen, but it was not until an
hour after their arrival that the fire
5 could be said to be thoroughly under
a control Just as the special train bear
, inc the Philadelphia firemen arrived
q burning brand set fire to the center
of Young's pier, near Tennessee aVen
: ue. Meantime the flames had commu
q nicated with the Rio Grande, the Mer
i, vine and the Academy hotels and the
Academy of Music, at the corner OF
New York avenue and the beach. Fol
s a few minutes Young's pier burned
fiercely but the fremen succeeded II
! Combining the Flames to Marine Hall!
j which was situated in the center of the
. pier. This structure was entirely de
stroyed, bisecting the pier. During the
, progress of the fire the widest ex
n citement prevailed among the guests
!. of the hotels which later became prey
o OF the flames. With the exception Of
the Tarlton and the Bryan Mawr, al
of the hostelries were open for the
season and most of them were fairly
p well filed. In most cases the guest:
had sufficient time to pack thei
3 trunks and grips and those who die
q not do this carried their personal eft
t fects to places of safety in the bes
q manner possible under the circum
stances. The beach appeared to b.
u the most suitable depository and man!
d nondescript heaps of clothing, beddin'
Ii and furniture appeared in the sand
20 This rendered extra vigilance neces
sary on the part of the police.
The members of the volunteer fir
e department acted as special policemen
; and Company l., National Guard o
New Jersey. was called into requis
IL ton to preserve order.
Or Strenuous efforts were made by tn
firemen to prevent the destruction Q
the Windsor hotel, which was the las
q to take fire. The wind was favorabl
ts to the firemen, but at 1870 o'clock tn
,e wing of the Windsor nearest the blai
: ing structures began to burn and i
% the course of a half hour had bee
3 consumed. The flames, however, wer
le confined to this section of the building
al though the main portion of the hote
Is badly
Damaged by Smoke and Water.
Nothing is left of the board wal
from Illinois avenue to point with
IN a few feet of Young's pier, but the iro
Oh supports. This is the portion of tn
nj walk that is mostly used by promena
- ers.
~ All of the guests of the burned b
RS tells who were forced to seek othe
er quarters have been cared for. Thos
i'll who had been stopping at the Lura
were given rooms at the new Hot
Marlborough, which is under the san
management. Others registered at v
: rious hotels and boarding houses.
was 8 o'clock before the firemen WEI
be convinced that there was no furth'
TN danger, and then the visiting engiI
. companies returned to Ph1ladelph
and Camden. The scene of the fl
40 was visited by nearly every person
n the city and policemen and soldie
to were busy keeping the crowds at
:. safe distance from the smoulderi1
''O ruins. Numerous express wagol
or
Is LATTER DAY SAINTS.
res -
ICE oeVenty-second Annual Conference
Cacciop