The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-04-04
ATLANTIC GHY AFIRE
FAMOUS BOARDWALK AND TWELVE
HOTELS DESTROYED BY
FLAMES
LOSS WILL REACH $75o,ooo
Engines Brought From PhiIadeIphin
and Camden to Fight the Blaze.
Which for Hours Threat
ems Whole City.

ATLANTIC CITY, N. j., April g. -
Twelve hotels and more than score of
small buildings adjoining the board walk,
which is built along the ocean edge, were
destroyed today by fire which swept the
beach in front for two long blocks, from
Illinois avenue to New York avenue.
The loss. it is believed, will be s750, 900.
Probably a dozen persons were slightly
injured and burned during the fire. The
origin of the fire is unknown, but it is
said to have started in either Brady s
baths or the Tarlton hotel.
The city tonight is guarded by a COM
pany of militia which was requested by
the municipal authorities to aid the po-
lice in the prevention Of looting. About a
dozen men were arrested during the day
for robbery.
The hotels destroyed and their estinat-
ed losses are:
The Luray and annex, the latter for
merly known as the Norwood, owned by
J. s. White & Son, $125,O 900; the New Hol-
land, Mrs. M. J. Lee, $4,000; Stratford,
Arnold w. Wa1dner, $4,000; Berkeley,
Bew Bros, $4,000; Bryn Mawr. J. and E.
Keifer, $25, coo; Stickney. Mrs. T.. " Stick
ney, $40, Geo; Evard, James I. German.
$40, 600; Rio Grande, J. P. Fitzpatrick,
$4,000; Mervine, J. Eels, $4,000; Academy
hotel and Academy of Music, Charles
Fralinger, $25, GOO; Windsor, G. Jason Wa
tiers partially destroyed, $25, 900.
The fire was discovered shortly after Q
O'Clock this morning, and for nearly five
hours the flames ragged with such violence
as to threaten the city with destruction.
All of the burned buildings were frame
structures.
The Tarlton hotel was soon a pile of
smoldering debris, and the flames fed on
the small stores and booths between Hi
nois and Kentucky avenue until. they
reached the Stratford hotel, which was
soon enveloped. The fiery tongues -leaped
to the Berkeley, adjoining, and in a few
minutes the New Holland, the Bryn
Mawr, the Evard and the Stickney, all
located on Kentucky avenue, near the
beach, were doomed.
The local fire department worked well,
but was unable to cope with the flames,
and it was found necessary to send to
Philadelphia and Camden for aid. The
former city sent three engines, and two
came from Camden. The engines were
brought here on two special trains fur
nished by the Pennsylvania Railroad
company. ana they made the run of near
ly sixty miles in fifty-f1ve minutes. Their
presence here was OF great assistance to
the local firemen.
Just as the special train bearing the
Philadelphia firemen arrived a burning
brand set fire to the center of Young s
pier, near Tennessee avenue. Meantime
the flames had communicated to the
Rio Grande, the Mervine and the Aead-
envy hotels and the Academy of Music,
at the corner of New York avenue and
the beach.
In most cases the hotel guests had suf-
f1cient time to pack their trunks an6
grips, and those who did not do this car
ried their personal effects to- places OF
safety in the best manner possible under
the circumstances. The beach appeared
to be the most suitable depository, ant
ding and furniture appeared on the sand
This rendered extra vigilance necessary
on the part of the police.
The members Of the volunteer fire de-
partment acted as special policemen
and Company T., National Guard Of New
Jersey, was called into requisition to pre-
serve order
Strenuous efforts were made ny the
firemen to prevent the destruction of the
Windsor hotel. which was the last t.
take fire. The wind had been favorable
to the firemen, but at 1:3O O'Clock the
wing Of the Windsor nearest the blazing
structures began to burn and in the
course of half an hour had been consum-
ed. The flames, however, were confined
to this section of the building, though
the main portion Of the hotel was badly
damaged by smoke and water.
Nothing is left of the board walk from
Illinois avenue to a point within a few
feet of Young's pier, but the iron supports
This is the portion Of the walk that is
mostly used by promenadeTs.
Mayor Stoy was not in the city wher
the fire broke out, having gone to Tren.
ton with a delegation from here to urge
Gov. Murphy to sign the new Atlantic
City charter. The governor had delayed
signing the charter because of certain
conflicting clauses. The charter, among
other things, provides for more stricr
building laws. While the delegation was
comforting with the state executive news
of the fire reached Trenton, and the gov.
ernor Immediately signed the charter
A special meeting of the city council
was held tonight to take action on the
fire, and arrange for the rebuilding OF
the burned portion of the board walk
The Morris guards, a local military or
special policemen, and were placed or
guard with the members of Company 1
at the scene of the fire Mayor Stoy to-
night issued notice to the public de-
plOring the calamity, but expressing
thanks that it was no worse.
The local board of insurance underwrit-
ers, after meeting tonight, announced
that the total loss would not exceed $3.50,
OOh, and the loss to the insurance com
panieS would be about 900, and thai
no individual insurance company would
sustain a greater net loss than $3.50. The
loss to the municipality in damage to the
board walk, etc, is estimated by the un-