The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-07-29
FIERCE FIRE At
CONEY ISLAND
Seven Blocks in the Amuse-
ment Zone Destroyed-Loss
Exceeds 100000,
SHOW PEOPLE IN A PANIC
SURF AVENUE TANNED WITH
FREAKS OF ALL KINDS.

New York. July 2S-Coney Island was
visited by a disastrous fire early today
and seven blocks in the amusement zone
were destroyed.
The loss is es timated by the showmen
at more than H,000,O00 Tilyou's Steeple-
chase park and nearly score of small
hotels Were wiped out. and for time the
flames threatened destruction to Luna
park and Drea inland. great homes of
summer amusement and the scores of
smaller places which fringe the waters
wind to seaward aided the firemen and
probably saved the whole picturesque
area
The destruction Of steeplechase park was
a spectacular sight. Tongues of flames
leaped hither and thither. licking up
the scenic railway, the razzle-dazzle, the
dancing pavilion and the horse racing
railway. The Steeplechase and hotel and
nearly score of smaller wooden hotels
which fronted along the western side of
the park soon we're blazing
Concentrated Their Efforts.
Fire Commissioner Lantry. seeing that
nothing could be saved in the park. or
dered that all efforts be concentrated on
the east side of the flaming blocks to keep
the fire from getting into the flimsy
buildings in the BOWery and thus max
ing a fire trail to Dreamland and Luna
park. The firemen were massed at the
entrance of the BOwery and. although
japanese skating rink, a small dance hall
4.
the fire was checked. The wind had in
the meantime switched to the south and
this favorable slant of breeze aided the
fire fighters in combining the fire to
seven blocks.
The alarm of fire woke up doing Coney
Island with a start, and in few minutes
Surf avenue was damned with excited
freaks and frOHckers, chorus girls snake
ChaTmeTs. animal trainers. performers,
amusement emplOyeS-all the miscellan-
eous population of the island, i'm fact.
Inside the burning park all was excite
ment and confusion among the twO-scOre
employees who slept in house near the
entrance Carrying grips and luggage.
they SCurried to the street, and while the
exodus was in progress cry went up
that SandOra, the armless and legless
man. who eats a dozen meals a day Just
to show that he can do it without the aid
of arms and legs, was missing. Selling
a basket two employees hurried back and
found Sandora wiggIing along the floor
toward the door The wonder was
piled into a basket and, though the
flames and smoke threatened to enguif
where he remarked that his esca pc had
been effected without the loss of life
or limb
The hotels burned like finder and few
minutes sufficed to wipe them out clean.
Fire Eater First to Escape.
One of the first to escape from his
lodging place was Francesca, the fire
eater w nen Things are calm ana placid
Francesca eats fire and breathes it forth
again. all for livelihood. Sometimes he
is advertised to battle in tongues of
flame But todays cOnflagration was too
much even for Francesca, and he wisely
gave way to the firemen.
The fire put many small dance halls
and bathing pavilions out of business
and many sandwich men and frankfurter
purveyors. who stored their stands and
carts in hooks and crannies between
buildings. lost everything.
Arthur Lee. manager of Steeplechase
park, speaking for Mr.. TilyOu, said that
the loss on the park. which was complete
ly destroyed would reach $1,000 600, and
there was no insurance.
The hotels destroyed were small and
the property loss on them will not reach
much over 100000.
The police report three injured by the
fire-GOttfried Messerlie, a fireman,
struck by a falling cOTnice: Sylvester
Mead. slightly burned, and Frank Frank
lin, also burned The Coney Island post
office was damaged.
Estimates of the total loss by the show
people are somewhat in excess of the fig
ures set by the police and fire depart
ments. The fire chief. who directed the
fight, said later that ''over s2O00O0'' would
be a conservative estimate of the
damage.