New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-08-16
OLD ORCHARD BURNS.
BIG HOTELS IN KJINS.
Fifty Cottages Destroyed-D0mage
$500, ,OOO-NO LiUes LOsi.

Old Orchard, Me. Aug. 15--Nearly one-nait
of Old Orchards summer hotel section along
the shore front swept by fire to-night' uiie
loss probably amounting to fully half miliioh
dollars. So far as known no lives were lost
The Hotel F1ske one of the finest on the
beach. valued at $4,000; the Hotel Emerson
valued at $4,000 with its furnishings; the Hotel
Alberta the AIdine the Lawrence House and
half a dozen smaller hotels. together with about
fifty cottages. were destroyed within two hours
All the buildings of wood and were an
easy prey to the flames which were tanned oS
a southwest breeze. The Old Orchard nre de-
partment, which consists of only one small
steam fire engine and a hose wagon, was utterly
unable to cope with the blaze when it was dis
covered and the hremen from neighooring
cities Portland Biddeford and Saco. who re-
sponded to calls for assistance, were haInpereo
for some time after their arrival by difficulty
with the hose couplings.
At 1890 O'Clock, in spite of all efforts. the
fire was still spreading to the eastward and
seemed likely to be stopped only when 1t had
exhausted the material on which it could feed In
that direction.
The fire was discovered about o'clock in the
upper part of the Olympia Hotel annex. which
was occupied mainly by servants employed In
the Hotel Emerson. 1t is supposed that an
upset lamp was the origin of the blaze Ad-
joining buildings, containing stores located
along the boardwalk beside the Boston & Maine
Railroad tracks. soon caught fire, and from
these the flames jumped the tracks and COM
municated with the Alberta Hotel and several
other large buildings near the shore
An area of about fifty acres along the beach
was soon blazing. In this were located
of the most popular of the hotels. all of
which were filed to overhowing with summer
~,
also located in this district and these. too. were
swept by the fire. Most of the guests managed
to a considerable quantity of personal eff
fects
From the Hotel Emerson the fire Ieaped across
the main avenue leading from the railroad sta
ton to the shore and attacked the Hotel Sea-
shore. This big structure. one of the oldest and
best known of the guest houses here, was soon
enveloped in flames and totally destroyed. A
considerable gap of vacant land between this
and other buildings to the west, however, served
TO cut off the further spread of the cOna grafton
In that direction The Old Orchard House and
other buildings on the edge of the camp ground
plateau overlooking the beach were saved.
\ sawmiI and lumber yard belonging to
William Z. Newer, and several coal sheds,
owned by Porter & Victor. were burned during
the early part OF the blaze The bowling alleys
Horgan's drug store McDonald's drug store and
several stores located along the boardwalk. near
the railroad station. were also destroyed
The central office OF the New England Tele-
graph and Telephone Company and the Postal
and Western Union Telegraph offices were
burned out.
The fire was placed under control at II 40
p
Biddeford Me. Aug. Accommodation
with Old Orchard was cut off both by tele-
phone and telegraph at 11:3o- 1t is reported
here that three men were killed by dynamite
used IN blowing up buildings to stop the prog
ress OF the flames The Boston & Maine Rail-
road station blown up by dynamite to ar
rest the fire in that direction. The Hotel Sea-
shore across the street from the Hotel Elmer
son, has been burned
There has been an epidemic of fires this season
a the various summer resorts. and WITHIN a
month three hig hotels have been destroyed
on July 60 the Long Beach Hotel was burned.
There were about nine hundred guests In the hotel
at the time. Less than half were injured.
or smouldering ruins two hours after the fire
started.
Fire DESTROYED the Hotel Brooklyn. at Centre
Moriches. Long Island. August IA. The build
ing was burned down and the two hundred and
fifty guests were glad 10 get ont alive
On the same day hundred and thirty guests
from New York and Philadelphia We're driven from
the Souirrel Inn at Haines Falls y. Y. by of
the most sudden and dangerous fires which ever
occurred In the Catsk Mountains. The entire
building and all the furniture and equipments were
a total loss
STATUS or 4 CONSUL.