The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-07-30
THOUSANDS FLEE
FROM SEASHORE
BLAZE
Long Beach Hotel, Near Far
ROckaway, a Ruin
GUESTS WERE TERRORlzED
Great Summer Resort Ho stelry De.
stroyed at Early Dawn Together
With Church and Cottages

NEW YORK. July 30.-The Long
Beach hotel, ON the seashore beyond
Far Rockaway. occupied by LOO
guests, burned 20 the ground at an
early hour. carrying with IL two cot
tagcs, the adjoining Congregational
church and separate building con-
tanning the servants quarters, In
which were lodged $40 servants. and
causing money loss estimated nj
fully Si.OOO.OOO. besides injurlng ten
persons and perhaps causing the death
Of two others who are thought TO be-
missing.
The IRE was discovered bursting
from the storcroom ON the top foor Of
the hotel az the west end OF the long
building.
The bcllboy who discovered II gave
the alarm 10 the elevator boys, and
the night help aud the servants rush
ed through the building ON each OF IL
I've floors pounding on the doors 90
awaken the guests THE hotel was
filled 10 H. capacity. 100 arrivals hay.
Ing been turned away the evening be-.
fore. Those chiefly In danger were
the guests on the fourth and top noors
OF the big frame structure
A west wind was blowing along the
beach aud IL carried the IRE rapidly
through the upper hallway Ii.rily
had the 90 guests on the top floor
been awakened when the flames and
n drive ~ smoke were upon them
There was no time 90 dress or 90 save
anything except the< own lives.
Down three -tnlrcascs. one In the cen.
ter OF the building aud one at either
eud. poured the crowd 81 frightened
guests few carrying anything from
their rooms. Those nearest the place
where the Ore started were able by
running out upon the yernnda 10 gain
some distance on the IRE and take
other stalrwnys when tho west stair.
way was no logger tennbie.
No attempt was made 90 check the
blaze Such apparatus AZ the hotel
was supplied with could not cope with
a IRE II this size. All the efforts o.
the management We're 90 make SURF
that every guest got out In safety II
u not believed that any were unable
% leave their rooms Not long after
the people had poured out on 81 thu
beach the roof u the structure fell In.
flaming Tor its whole length ~ i.2nO
feet. forcing draft u name that
drove the crowd back In terror
In the meantime some attempt had
been made 20 save the trunks Of
guests on the lower hpors. Poriers
aud men guests working together had
hauled out NJ many NJ 81 trunks by
the front way. not realizing the dan.
ger ln which they were working They
wcrc silll ~ their work plllng up the
trunks 81 feet In front ~ the hotel
when the falling roof shot a shower u
firs over their heads among the trunks.
which bcCnmr mass ~ flames and
burned up before they could be- pulled
back.
Rescuers taking n last trip through
the halls found no less than six per.
sons lying overcome by smoke who
would undoubtedly have lost their
lives n they had not bccn found NJ the
moment Among these were two por
ters and n colorrd iclllpoy. the rest b.
Ink guests Az were revived on being
taken Ia the open air by Dr. Bogart.
physician among the guests.
Sophia klmhall. maid Co one ~ the
women guests n the hotel. tried 10
make her escape from one Of the up
per floors down a ladder which had
been laid against the front ycranda.
She slipped IN her excitement and fell
10 the ground. breaking n leg. She
was attended by Dr J H. Bogart aud
carried with the other injured 20 quar-.
tcr- In one ~ the cottages nj n safe
distance frm the IRE.
The haste ~ some ~ the rescuors In
"a. hotel a. throw trunks out u dan.
ger caused the injury sustained by
three other ~ the hotel employees.
Frank Smith ~ Ocean side. assistant
carpenter ~ the hotel. was standing
with Allert Golden 81 Frccport n ~.
pcrlnicndcnt ~ construction. and Per.
~ Williams. n negro walter. trying 10
remove baggage that had accumulated
IN the main hallway and was impeding
the efforts ~ the crowd 60 leave the
building Several trunks pitched over
banlstcrs by others overhead came
down among them.
Smith. struck 10y the fragments ~
one. had one rib broken and n dlslo.
Gated shoulder Golden was injured In
the neck and left hand and Williams.
the ncgro. also suffered a broken rib
James Wall. n porter. was hurt by
jumping from window. Ills injuries
were Internal.
A guest. Paul Pappc Of New York.
was hurt In the same way NJ the por.
ter. Finding his escape cut OF by the
stairs, be- decided "a risk jump from
the upper story. lie was thought 90
be- seriously injured.
u. u. Devanny. n guest. Of New
York. jumped aud was seriously An.
jured. lie. like others. finding his ~.
cape cut on by the Gre. lcaped from
the third story vcrandn. lie was
picked W with a broken arw and IN.