New-York tribune., 1909-05-16
c0NEY ISLAND OPENED
pFSOPT IN FULL SWING.
c.,yerstiFon Holds Shut Gates of
Lama Park for an Hour.

- leland was formally opened for the season
.5sv Estimates of attendance naturally vary
. t,l1v 10000 persons visited the pleasure resort
- c-,ords IN the afternoon were not as large as
-srv NAY have expected, but that was due, no
-. +o the fact that the Saturday half-holiday
GU ~ generally in force. AS the day wore on.
..- the arriving openers came in larger
,r,ters and by night none OF the concessionaires
- any complaint either TO the size of the
- or its desire 10 have a lively time With
s, weather to-day the island 1t is expected will
-. one Of the largest thronss in its early summer
history. 49,
,,-esr. Borough Inspector Russell. Inspector John
? o-rren whose district includes Coney Island.
- cartain Palmer, Of the Coney Island station,
+.--es out with about fifteen detectives TO visit
-lsoes On the island which operate under a COM
~, show license Concert halls shooting galleries.
-.n,c railways and similar amusement places were
loses and the tip went forth that there was to be
-sg5d enforcement OF the laws relating 10 Sunday
s-nusements
-ha crowd present earlier in the evening in
,-.ssed by trainloads Of persons who came with
-Isn+v Of money to spend. There much dis
commitment on the part Of the late-comers when
tbsv learned that they were not TO be allowed TO
snsnd their money. About fifteen excise arrests
ysre made in the first hour after midnight
F1a5eric THOMPSON mas two superstitutions and
~. NJ them delayed the complete opening Of Coney
Island b. about an hour He VIII not so anywhere
without the image Of elephant in his pocket. and
he refuses absolutely to open any show unless his
mother is present He had his little carved ivory
sIephsnt L his pocket yesterday afternoon, Luna
Pzrk had elephants heads scattered all over its
architecture and 'Stuffy' Davis had just finished
his story the elephant which started to swim
70 Staten Island and didn't. but Mrs. Thompson
vas not present Several hundred persons were
outside clanoring for admittance, but that made no
difference. Mrs. Thompson reached the island
about O'clock, and then Luna Park was opened,
completing the islands formal ceremonies.
As usual Luna Park has one show Just
BIT better and bigger than the feature the year
before This time II is Crack o DOOM IN which
whole mining village IS wiped out by a real food
Just how much water will be required TO inundate
the village has puzzled James T Pratt Robbins, the
stering press agent According 10 his figures the
tank which holds hack this catastrophe is 200 feet
long Is feet wide and 10 deep. holds ISL
CSs gallons according the best mathematicians.
the press agent not being Of them. for he
rnodestly made the total considerably less
Over in Dreamland everything was spck and
span Not being hampered by any sentimental rea-
sons the White City, was opened time. Rose
Dupree led the Hell Gate Band down TO Surf ave-
and there was a serenade for Bill Ellis,
who cane from Buffalo to see the opening. s.
Y. Gunpertz. the general manager, was hand
the first ticket sold and special messenger
was started for New York with cable message
for ex-senator Reynolds president Of the com
psny, announcing the opening.
The old ballroom at Dreamland has been turned
into restaurant. and the pony track about the
lagoon has been made into place for g free cir
The grove about the tower is now a ballroom.
and there many new shows. One Of the feat
ures this year is the village Of head hunters
Bostock's is the same as ever, except that It IS
better Jack Bonavita, whose arm was taken off
IN sections by lions and tigers three four years
ego. Is there again He IS going 10 show a lion
before and after taking q course Of his training.
Last night he took a green cub IN the exhibition
cage for the first time The cub did like it at
en and refused 10 go through its PAGES.
There are several new rides along Surf avenue
and the Bowery which bring ones heart up into
The throat and they did rushing business all day
Jack" Binns. the wireless operator who stuck
70 lis key when the Republic was sinking and Is
now st Cuney Island, may have to have his loot
arnpuLated. He was in a railroad accident a few
years ago, when his foot crushed. and ne has
been bothered considerably ever since by it The
trouble vas more aggravating while he at
and he asked recently for shore duty, the
press agent Fred Thompson got him TO take
charge OF the wireless station in Luna Park, but
II IS doubtful Il he can stay there for moro than
three or four weeks before he will have 10 give II
up for a stay in z hospital.
Seventy new policemen arrived at the island yes
terday morning, bringing an order from Cornmis-
soner Bingham that they were not TO patrol the
BoUery this year, because il is private property
Business men have registered q protest, and say
they viii carry the question TO Mayor Mcclellan
unless the policemen are put back Heretofore the
additional men sent 10 the island have done their
tour Of duty and gone 70 their homes. This year,
however. they VIII be subject to the same rules as
the regular men, and this has made necessary the
placing OF seventy beds in the already crowd
ed Coney Island station house.