Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-08-02
FOUR BIG FIRES
STARTLE GOTHAM.
SCORE PERISH IN TENEMENT AND
500 ESCAPE FROM BLAZ-
ING HOTEL.
DAMAGE AT COMFY ISLAND
Old Buildings Go Up in Smoke and
Freaks Make a Wild Scramble
for Safety.

49,
of human life and destruction of prop
erty estimated at more than $1,OOO,OOO
were caused by fires in New York and
its immediate vicinity in the twenty-four
hours ending at S o'clock this morn
ing.
Twenty persons are dead and fifteen
suffering from injuries as a result OF the
burning of a siX-story double tenement IL
Chrystie street and financial loss re
suited from the destruction of the Ions
Beach hotel at Long Beach, L. l., today
and the Steeplechase park and other
property at Coney island yesterday. In
addition, the steamship Hamilton. OF
the Old Dominion line, came into port
yesterday with part of her hold ablaze
The Hamilton was at her dock before
any of the passengers knew there was
a fire ON board. The flames were ex-
tinguished after about $4,000 damage
had been done.
"Black Hand" in Tenement Fire
The explosion of q bomb placed, the
police believe by agents of the "Blata
Hand" in an Italian grocery store On
Chrystie street, started the hre WhlcE
swept through the teeming tenement.
The noise of the explosion caused pan,
ic. The police say that many persisted
Tearing 10 escape 10 IHe stieebS "noAc
they believed death awaited them from
the "Black Hand" A second explosion
from kerosene tank followed and the
whole lower floor was a mass OF hames.
Die in Rush for Safety.
The fire shot up the stairways, cutting
off all escape from those in the bed
rooms above Many rushed to the fire
escapes which became clogged The
house was filled with smoke, and Othe
flames drove the half crazed people to
the roof. Many were killed as they
were about to be rescued from the root.
There were many heroic rescues by lire
men.
The bodies of the dead were found in
all manner of places. -Four women
were discovered in a closet where they
had gone to hide from the flames, which
found them out. The body of woman
was found lying over a child as though
she had tried to protect it. Five were
found crowded around one doorway on
the top floor.
Coney Fire Is Serious.
The fire wave first struck Coney Island
yesterday and before it subsidized. steeple-
chase park, a score of hotels and MANY
attractions We're i'll ruins and
many persons were homeless. A dozen
firemen were overcome by smoke and
three seriously hurt The loss is $780,
900.
Freaks in a Panic.
Inside the burning park all was excite
ment and confusion among the employees,
who slept in house near the entrance.
Carrying grips and luggage, they sour
ried to the streets, and while the exodus
was in progress Il cry went up that San
Dora, the armless and leglesS man, who
eats dozen meals q day just to show
H. H. tlN niI Of
arms and legs, was missing. Selling a
basket, two employees hurried back and
found San Dora wiggling along the floor
toward the door, The wonder" was
piled into basket and though the
flames and smoke threatened to engulf
his rescuers, he was carried to a hotel,
where he remarked that his escape had
been effected without the loss of life
or limb"
Eight Hundred Escape.
The next fire was the steamship fire.
Then came the Chrystie street, tenement
disaster, and next the Long Beach ho-
tel, today, was destroyed. The 800
guests were all in their beds when the
building in safety.
The fire was discovered on the first
for shortly after 5 o'clock. Hall boys
and clerks hurried through the smoky
corridors and reused the sleeping guests.
The flames spread SO rapidly in the great
wooden structure that the guests had
barely time to seize some scanty clothing
and escape. They fed to the beaches
and were taken care of by the cottagers.
'"Ehe frightened guests huddIed togeth-
er in groups along the beach watching
the flames destroy. the hotel. Sparks
from the fire set ablaze the cottages
of A. 3. Chapman and three others and
these too We're destroyed The hotel
burned so rapidly that the employees had
no time to save any of the furniture or
contents.
The hotel burned like finder and with
in a short time was smouldering mass
of ruins. 1t was three stories high anG
nearly 600 feet in length and when
filled to its capacity, housed HOO per-
sons. The loss is about 100000.