New-York tribune., 1908-07-09
BIG CONEY ISLAND FIRE
LUNA PARK THREATENED.
Pabst Loop and B. r. L. Station
Ablase This Morning.

A fire broke out shortly after 1 o'clock this
morning in Pabsts Loop Hotel. at Coney Island
Three alarms were turned in. There were two
hundred employees snd guests in the Pabsts
Loop Hotel, and they made quick flight
The flames leaped to Vanderveer's Hotel ad-
Joining in which there were one hundred guests.
who fed to the street The Brooklyn Rapid
Transit Station caught fire next. and was burn
ing at o'clock this morning. At an early hour
the Loop and Vandeveer hotels had burned to
the ground
The fire broke out IN the wing of the
Loon Hotel. which is the property Of c. P.
Clayton. in Surf avenue West 9Th street
In about ten minutes the flames enveloped the
building and spread to George Vanderveer's
Hotel next door. The Culver line station of the
Rrooklvn Rapid Transit system is the south
side Of Pabst Loop Hotel, and to that the blaze
next extended.
Shortly after the fire started the wind. which
at first offered salvation to the ether buildings.
shifted and the fire now assumed alarming pro-
portions At 205 o'clock a. all traffic on the
Culver Line was shut off. 1t became apparent
that the frame hotel buildings near Eighth
street would catch fire.
There was intense excitement At that hour
the late crowds waiting to depart for home
and the streets were thronged with these and
with hundreds who poured into the island from
all directions at the first alarm of fire
WIND PROVES TRAITOR.
d-i1y he
the heart of Coney Island. and it was thought
that three or four street blocks might be burned
up. reaching to Luna Park After a while. how
ever. the winds shifted again. and the prospects
looked brighter for the south side of the island
The first alarm brought the regular Coney
Island service to the front, but soon as the
fire was seen tu be gaining headway second
and third alarm were sounded, and Chief Lally
resnonded to the call and took charge of the
fire.
There was a wild scene when the fire first
broke out The persons who were sleeping in
the Loop Hotel rushed to the street partly
dressed The escaping men and women were
forced to take shelter in Smith street cars
which were stalled near the rear yard or the
hotel.
The cause of the fire is not known, but It was
thought by several of the persons there that
possibly some one of the guests might nave
thrown a lighted cigar stump from one Of the
hotel windows the ashes catching on to shrub
berry which climbed round pole, igniting the
leaves.
Captain William Rogers, of the Coney Island
police station was in charge of the policemen
around the fire lines. Reserves from Fort HAM
ilton. Bath Beach. Sheepshead Bay and the
Parkville stations were summoned.
The wind finally died down to some extent
and the fremen were able to extnguish the
blaze in the Culver Station. Vanderveers Hotel
was damaged to the extent of 100000. Pabsts
Loon Hotel was also a total loss, estimated at
between 500, 900 and s150,000
AT 2 o'clock the fire under control.
OTHER CONEY ISLAND FIRES.
There have been ten large fires at Coney
Is1and since 1898 when June II Soo.OOo
damae was done to the resort, and on January
G of the same year 1t was stricken by a SZoooVo
b1aze. The other fires were as follows: April o.
1894. $4,000; May 16. 1895. S2oO,oOo to Sooo-
Ooo. September 2s. 1896 $4,000; May 2. 1892
nearly 81 100000; June q. 1899. $4,000; June
- 1900. S25O.OOO; November L. 1908. Sl.Ooooco'
and last year. on July 20, when S1.ooO'ooo DAM
age was done.