New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-04
ATLANTIC CITY FLAME SWEPT.
TWELVE HOTELS AND MANY SMALL BUILDINGS BURNED
LOSS PLACED AT s75o00o-NO ONE KILLED.
ENGINES CALLED FROM PHILADELPHIA AND CAMDEN.
BERKELEY.

Atlantic City. y. J., April 3.-Twelve hotels
here and more than score OF small buildings
adjoining the board walk which is built along
the ocean edge, were destroyed to-day by a fire
which swept the beach front for two long blocks
from IlIinois-ave- to New York-ave. The local
board of insurance underwriters, after meet
ing tonight announced that the total loss
would not exceed S150.GO0. and the loss TO the
insurance companies would be about Sl'5'nV.
No individual insurance company. they SAID
would sustain a greater net loss than Sf,1oo-
The loss to the municipality in damage TO the
board walk etc is estimated by the under
writer's as between $3.50 and $4,000
Charles Fraling proprietor of the Academy of
Music and drug store in the building tonight
said he was the heaviest individual loser by the
fire He placed his loss at upward of S12o.OOo.
and said he carried only $4,000 insurance He
was not prepared to say whether he would re
build Most of the fire victims expressed de-
sire TO rebuild as quickly possible.
In respect to the money loss, the nre Is the
worst that has ever visited Atlantic City Fort
unately no lives were sacrificed, though propa-
bly, dozen persons were slightly injured and
burned 1t was reported early in the afternoon
that six men. had perished in the flames, out
the rII1nor vas-vvftfout- foundation
The origin of the fire is unknown. but it is
or the Hotel Tar1ton, which adjoins the baths
at IlIinois-ave and the board walk. The city to
night is guarded by company of militia. which
was asked for by the municipal authorities TO
heIr the police in preventing robberies. About
a dozen men have been arrested for robbery
The hotels destroyed and their estimated losses
are: The Luray and annex the latter foriheriS
known as the Norwood. owned by j. = Whlts
& Son Sl2J 900: the New Holland. Mrs. NJ j.
Lee. $50 900; Stratford. Arnold W. Waldnor'
$4,000: Berkeley, Bew Brothers. s'o.ooo; Bryn
Mawr J. and f. keffer. S2J.Ho; Stickney, Mrs-
l. Y sticknev. $50 900: Evard. James T. Cor
man. S20uO0. Rio Grande. j. p killpatrlck'
$50 900. Mervine n Eens. $4,000; Academy
Hotel and Academy of Music Charles Fralinger,
So 600: windsor q. Jason Waters partly de
stroved. S250Ur. TarIton. u. Jason Waters.
$4,000
Charles Keeler. who had drug store on the
board walk at kentucky-ave.. estimates his loss
at S60 900 and Victor F'reisinger. proprietor OF
an art store at ST. James place and the board
walk saws his loss is 10000 other victims
whose losses range from $1,000 10 $4,000 are:
James A Brady. bathhouse, David John drug
gist: Nabass & kazarr. Oriental goods: names
florist Shimamura & Co, japanese novelties.
Ching Hop Hing Chinese novelties: John II.
F1ett. art store; Partridge & Richardson. mil
Iinerv and dry goods: Women's Exchange; +
p Ouinn hair dresser: NJ Meyer x Brother.
ieweIry and Richard Binder. barber Besides
these there numerous smaller booths and
several cottages on minor thoroughfares in the
rear of the board walk which We're either partly
or entirely destroyed.
ENTIRE CITY THREATENED.
The fire was discovered shortly after q o'clock
this mornine and for nearly five hours the
,,-itb tO
the city with destruction. All the burned build
ings were frame structures and the flames
famed by a strong southwest wind. swept along
the beach front with amazing rapdity- The
Hotel Tar1tOn soon pile of smoulderlng
debris and the flames fed the small stores
and booths between Illinois and Kentucky aves
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 in kentucky-ave near the
beach. were doomed
The local fire department worked well and
willingly but was unable to 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. They were brought here on two special
trains furnished by the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company which made the of nearly sixty
miles in ffty-fve minutes. They were of vast
assistance TO the local firemen. but 1t not
until an hour after their arrival that the fire
could be said to- be thoroughly under control
Just as the special train bearing the Philadel-
phia firemen arrived a burning brand set fire to
the centre of Young's Pier, near Tennessee-ave.
Meantime the Rio Grande. the Mervine and the
Academy hotels had caught fire, had the
Academy of Music. at New-York-ave. and the
beach For few minutes YOungs Pier burned
fe-celv. but the firemen succeeded i'm confining
the flames TO Marine Hall. in the centre of the
pier This structure was entirely destroyed.
bsecting the pier.
WILD EXCITEMENT AMONG GUESTS.
During the fire the widest excitement pre-
vailed among the guests of the hotels which
later became the prey of the flames. With the
execution OF the TarltOn and the Bryn Mawr
all the hotels were open for the season. and most
of them were fairly well filled. In most cases