Evening star., 1902-04-04
Section of Atlantic City
Burned Over Yesterday.
INVESTIGATING ORIGIN
REVISED ESTIMATE OF LOSS
PLACED AT S6T2,ooo.
Municipal Authorities Have Begun
the Work of Repairing the
Boardwalk.

ATLANTIC CITY. y. j., April 4.-The
beach front between Illinois and New York
avenues today presents a scene of utter
ruin and desolation. OF the many fine
hotels which We're situated in the district
visited by yesterdays confagration there
remain standing the unburned portion of
the Windsor Hotel at the boardwalk and
Illinois avenue, and the charred framework
of the Rio Grande Hotel on New York ave-
nue.. Between these two structures lies
blackened waste, scarcely a stick being left
to identify any one of the numerous build
ings destroyed by the fire. The shell of the
Academy of Music remains standing and
this is notable. the theater was the only
brick building in the burned area
All through the night the beach, board
walk and avenues near the scene of the
fire were patrolled by the Morris Guards
and Company L of the National Guards
During the day the soldiers were relieved
from duty. the police force of the city being
adequate to handle the crowds which visit
cd the scene OF the confagration
Improvements Will Follow.
While great sympathy is generally ex-
pressed for the sufferers by the fire. the
impression prevails that the disastrous
visitation will not be without good results
as 1t has opened the way to improvements
which 1t is conceded We're necessity. The
municipal authorities were the first to be-
SIN the work of rebuilding and today, pur-
suant to the action of city councils last
night, force of workmen was put to work
repairing the boardwalk. carload of
planks which Were to have been used in
renovatlnS another section were utilized to
reconstruct the burned portion.
Many articles of bric-a-brac and horsa-
mold furniture which Were not destroved
In the fire We're lost or broken in transit to
places of safety The beach and vacant
lots IN the vicinity of the fire are streWn
with tables, crOckery. bedding. kitchen
utensils and rugs and on New York avenue
a grand piano stands alone in about a foot
of mud " Aoo'
The police and fire departments are still
unable to discover the origin nf the 6ra
At police headquarters TODAY If was stated
tnat after careful investigation the an
thorltles Were of the opinion that the fire
nao started in the rear of the TarIton Ho
tTl' put whether II originated from the ex-
PioSlon OF gasoline stove or an oyerheat-
ed Kitchen range they were unable to say
mere is also theory that crossed electric
wires started the fire
incoming trains today brought throngs
VI visitors VINO spent most of the day
around the scene of the fire The crowds
became so great during the day that II was
decided 70 continue the militia on police
duty until tonight.
chief of Police Eldridge has received NIL
IleFous rn7FS complaints of lost baggage and the
ponce are kept busy endeavoring to trace
the missing trunks and grips
me lncurance underwriters maintain that
tHeIr estimate of the loss last night Is COR
rect, but the victims assert that this esti-
IIdte refers merely to the realty loss
Many Of them claim to carry no insnranca
and those that are insured saw the damage
20 personal property and stock will ereatIv
increase the total loss