Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1907-08-03
FIREATCONEYISLAND
LOSS WILL AMOUNT TO MORE
THAN 100000.
Lucky Shift of Wind Probably Saved
the Balance of Great Area-Destruo-
ton of Park a Great Sight-Tongues
of Flames Leaped High Into the
Air-Luna Park Was Saved.

New York, July SO.-Coney Island
was visited by disastrous fire early
Sunday and seven blocks in the amuse-
ment zone were destroyed.
The loss is estimated at more than
s1,OOO,OOO. Tilyou's steeplechase
park and nearly a score of small
hotels were wiped out, and for time
the flames threatened the destruction
Of Luna park and Dreamland, great
homes of summer amusement, and the
scores of smaller places which fringe
the waters edge for mile A lucky
shift of the wind to seaward aided the
hremen and probably saved the whole
picturesque area.
The destruction of Steeplechase park
was a spectacular sight. Tongues of
flames leaped hither and thiter, lick
ling up the scenic railway, the razzle
dazzle, the dancing pavilion and the
horse racing railway. The steeple-
chase and the hotel and nearly a score
of smaller wooden hotels which front
ed along the western side of the
park were soon blazing.
Fire Commissioner Lantry, seeing
that nothing could be saved in the
park, ordered that all efforts be con-
centrated on the east side of the
flaming blocks, to keep the fire from
getting into the flimsy buildings in the
Bowery, and thus making a fire trail
| to Dreamland and Luna park. The
| firemen were massed at the entrance
to the Bowery, and, although a Jap
anese skating rink, a small dance hall
and a restaurant were destroyed there
the fire was checked. The wind had
in the meantime switched to the south
land this favorable slant of the breeze
enabled the fire fighters to confine
the fire to seven blocks.
The alarm of fire woke doing COney
Island with a start, and in a few
minutes Surf avenue was damned with
excited freaks and frolickers, chorus
girls, snake charmers, animal trainers,
| performers, amusement employes-all
the miscellaneous population of the is
land, in fact
! Inside the burning park all was ex-
! citement and confusion among the two
Iscore employees who slept in a house
near the entrance. Carrying grips and
luggage, they scurried to the street,
and while the exodus was in progress,
a cry went up that Sandora, the arm
less and legless man, who eats a doz-
en- meals a day just to show that he
lean do it without the aid of arms and
legs, was missing. Selling baskets,
two employees hurried back and found
Sandora wriggling along the floor to-
ward the door. The wonder" was
piled into a basket and through the
flames and smoke threatened to en-
gulf his rescuers, he was carried to
a hotel, where he remarked that his
escape had been effected without the
loss of life or limb"
! The hotels burned like finder and a
few minutes sufflced to wipe them out
clean.
One of the first to escape from his
lodging place was Francesca, fire eat.
er. When things are calm and placid
francesca eats and breathes il
forth again, all for a livelihood. Some
times he is advertised to battle in
tongues of flames. But Sundays con
lflagration was too much even fl
| Francesca and he wisely gave way
to the firemen.
Arthur Lee, manager of Steeplechase
park, speaking for Mr.. Tilyou, said
that the loss on the park, which was
completely destroyed, would reach 81,
100000, and there was no insurance
The hotels destroyed were small
and the property loss on them will moi
treach more than $1,000
The police report three injured by
the fire.
Estimates of the total loss by the
lshow people are somewhat in excess
of the figures set by the police anC
fire departments, who say that 5000,
1000 would be a conservative estimat,
Iof the damage.