Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-11-02
COSTLY FIREWORKS.
Coney Island Swept by Worst
Fire in History.
About 300 Buildings Burned With
Loss at Least a Million.
Two Dead, One Dyins-scores Injured
500 Homeless.

New York, Nov. lin a blaze that
bafIied the firemen several hours, to-
+, day, the BoWery at Coney Island, was
again laid in ashes.
| Two lives so far are reported to be
| lost, one man mortally injured, score
of others hurt, 300 buildings restroyed
| 500 persons made homeless and more
| than 100000 damage done. How many
more dead are in the ruins was not
known, tonight. The casualty list was
as follows:
Dead:
Stein, Lizzie, Six years old.
Unidentified negro
MORALLY injured:
Reuben, Albert, dying in Kings Coun-
| ty hospital.
Severely injured:
Thomas Boyle, Mrs H. Dexter. Lizzie
Granger Mary Gregor, James Murray
Mrs. George Watson, Sadie Behrs
Thomas Scotsman, fireman, George
Gordinade, George. Fitzgerald Kenne-
dy, roundsman, injured while rescuing.
1t was fire marked by rescue not
alone by the police, but by citizens.
Before it had been an hour under way
the police could do nothing more than
try to keep the $4,000 sightseers out of
danger. Reserves from all the pre-
cincts within 20 miles We're brought
there, while Deputy Commissioners
Ebstein and Piper took general charge.
The fire engines found it impossible
to get in action for nearly four hours.
The alarm came from the Hippo
1rnrlon hull ~,
summer for a merry go-round. The
firemen thought it would all be over
in a moment, but the blaze had gained
Roadway. 1t crept under the building,
under the raised street around the pill
ing, and 10 minutes later the Albatross
Hotel was afiame. From that time on,
While a general alarm brought every
fireman within 10 miles, the fire seemed
to jump from walk to walk and from
himsy building to timsy building.
With the lack Of water the fire had
the forest of wooden structures at it's
mercy and all that could be done was
to save life if possible and furniture.
The burned area extended from Till
you's walk south to Jones' walk, where
a brick wall saved the rest of the resort
and from the Bowery to the ocean a
distance of several blocks. For two
blocks the flames cut a swath west
ward of the Bowery, reaching to Surf
avenue, the principal thoroughfare of
the resort. In all this territory but two
buildings We're standing, tonight, I'M
touched, although all around them was
4 waste of smoking timbers, masses of
brick and twisted iron, half destroyed
chimneys and wrecked pillars. Those
two buildings, both of frame, addly
rough, stood at the intersection of the
stl Get on which the two finest build
ings along the Bowery stood. These
were the MUS hall of Frank r. Hen
derson and the dancing pavilion of
Louis Stauch. both entirely destroyed.
Henderson's place was erected two
years ago of steel and brick and cost
0e50,000. Its exterior was supposed to
be fireproof. Stauch's pavilion, just rs
strongly built, was valued at like
sum.
Most Of the burned buildings had ten
ants who lived on the island the year
round and about 500 people were turn
ed out Of their homes
Two men, Frank Comfy, a salesman.
and Peter A. Shelly, a bar tender. are
under arrest suspected of knowing the
cause of the fire.