The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-27
Pine BEACH SWEPT
BY ANGRY FLAMES
Eleven Large Hotels and
Hundreds Of Shops
Wiped Out.
FIFTEEN ACRES
ARE DEVASTATED
Burned Territory Now Scene Of
Dcsolation-One Lone Chin
ney Standing Therc--Ex-
position Buildings
Threatened--I 900
Homeless.
Burned Territory Now Scene Of
Especial TO The Times Dispatch. ]

j Especial to The Times-D Dispatch.1
L. Al ESTOWN ExPOSITIO
] lGROUNDs, June 26.--Fifteen acres Of
land, on which were situated many
large hotels and hundreds OF stores
and amusement places, We're swept by
fire early this morning. Flames start
ed at $780, and for an hour 1t looked
as if the loss would be more serious
than 1t even was, and buildings OF the
exposition were several times threat
ened.
The total loss estimated by the most
competent authority at Pine Beach.
will reach fully 100000. So far as is
4 known but one life was lost in the
flames. Several others are vaguely
reported missing, but 1t Is impro Bile
that they were lost.
The name OF the victim Is said to be
/ Larry Harris, a coiored boo;black, who
reached Pine Beach last night from
North Carolina and went TO sleep under
the Washington House, one Of the
burned hotels. He tried to make his
7 escape. but was cut off by the flames,
and In an effort to break through
them both Of his eyes were put out
and his body was badly burned. lie
was rescued alive, but his burns proved
fatal.
The section of Pine Beach burned is
Immediately opposite the Maryland
Avenue entrance to the Exposition!
u Grounds, extending from l06th Street
on the north. to 1920 Street, on the
South, and from Maryland Avenue
which borders the exposition on the
east, for three blocks TO the west. the
burned area. including tha streets, being
about fifteen acres.
Eleven Big Hotels Durn.
i. The more prominent hotels burned
were:
The Arcade-450 feet long three
stories high, and containing 400
rooms; owned by, the Arcade Hotel
Corporation, r, 2, Jordan, pres &
iGent: loss on building and fur
nlshngs. $4,000; no insurance.
Pine Grove Hotel-1lo rooms.
owned by w. z. Russell; loss on
building and Furnishings. $25.ooo;
no insurance.
Royal Pine Hotel-1oO rooms.
owned by ST. John and Birdsons;
loss. $4,000; no insurance
White House Hotel-sixty-four
rooms. owned by w E. Russell;
loss, $4,000; no insurance.
Hampton Roads Hotel--forty
rooms, owned by ]. L. Cooper;
loss, $4,000; partly insured. This
was one OF the oldest and best ho-
tells at Pine Beach, and Owner
Cooper only recently refused an Of
fer of $4,000 for H.
Berkley Hotel. sixty-two rooms.
owned by Lane and Taub; loss.
$4,000; no insurance.
Washington Hotel, sixty rooms,
owned by Eugene Herbert; loss,
$4,000; no insurance.
jamestown Hotel. one hundred
rooms, owned by Mrs. Beecher ard
Charles Beecher; loss, $4,000; no
insurance.
Powhaan Hotel, twenty rooms.
owned by w. E. Bowman; loss,
$4,000; no insurance. This was
one Of the best constructed build
ings at Pine Beach. and was very
handsomely furnished.
Alton Hotel, one hundred rooms,
owned by Alton Hotel Corporation;
loss, $4,000; no insurance.
Parker and Ryan Hotel. with a
general store on first floor; loss,
$4,000; no insurance.
Besides these more important hotels
a half-score or more smaller ones were
consumed by the flames. These con.
tained from ten to twenty rooms.
Among these were the Columbo, one
OF the first buildings constructed a
Pine Beach, owned by S. Lagiglia; loss
$4,000; no insurance.
The National Club, owned by w. c
Lewis. loss 10000; no insurance Ex
Eagle Hotel. owned by Alex. Siege
loss $4,000; no insurance. Empire
owned by l. Kalmanson, loss s3,5O0
no insurance. Alpine, owned by M,
McAlpine, loss $4,000 The Madison, los
$4,000 The Suffolk, loss $4,000.
Hundreds OF Shops.
Fully $50 stores and small shop.
euch as souvenir places, amusement de
vices, soda water places and saloon
were brrned
w. i. Russell, heavy real estat
operator at Pine Beach. and the bes
informed man there as to value. esti
mates the loss for these places Of bus
tness 1T least $500 each, making a totu
loss OF sl25,000 for them.
Mr.. Russell, himself, was the heavies
individual loser He figures that hi
losses will amount to between $35, 90
end $4,000. All figures given are tn
result of a careful compilation by Nj
Russell Of the actual fire losses.
The fire started on the third floo
of the Berkeley Hotel. Manager Berna
thinks from a cigarette. 1t was but
few moments before the entire build
ing was In flames and others ha
caught Those who had arisen rushe
through nearby hotels and othe
buildings known to be doomed an
aroused the many sleepers. Those /
-ff blo iocihiey Ii'Nci p"Ac'S Aau hiAhe -
get out With their lives, some Of ther
leaving the building In their nigh
clothes.
Others, too. In other hotels in thei
excitement, rushed pell-mell into til
,treets without taking time to get thei
.lothng. The residents of tho Beac
valiantly fought the onward marc
Of the flames, but for the lack g
water and fire-fghting apparatus the
.ould make little impression on 1t.
The Jamestown Exposition Fire d.
partment also soon, appeared ON IL
scene, MS did The Pocahontas Guar
rnder the command of CAPTAIN Hen1
c.. Carpenter, but their energies wei
devoted principally to protecting tt