Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-11
TOWN IS FIRE SWEPT
Business Section of Monti-
cello, N. Y, Nearly Gone.
STORES BURN LIKE TINDER
Three Large Hotels Are Entirely
Consumed.
DYNAMITE CHECKED ONRUSH
Fire Companies From Nearby
Towns Lend Aid-Loss About
100000.
STORES BURN LIKE TINDER
DYNAMITE CHECKED oNRUSH
Spectal pispatch to The star.

Special Dlspdtcn 10 lDe StaE
NEW YORK. August 1.-THE greater
part Of the business section of Month
cello, the county seat of Su iivan county.
and a favorite summer resort, is In ashes
today as the result of fire which ragged
from O'Clock last night until after mid
night
Even this morning the fire was snolaer-
ing in some sections. but the blaze had
done rs work by midnight and was under
control soon after that Wire communi-
cation to the town was practically de-
stroyed. The telegraph Office and the
tlepione exchange are burned out. In
formation about the fire came to your
correspondent this morning over the wire
that had been rigged up temporarily.
The district swept by the fire equals
about seven or e ght city blocks. 4 to-
gether about fifty buildings are de-
stroyed, including three Of the largest
hotels. the Masonic building bank build
ings, boarding houses and private dwell
ings. Many persons are homeless and are
being taken care OF by neighbors. The
local fire department was utterly unable
checked only after aid had been sum-
moned from M.dd etown, Port Jervis and
Liberty.
The fire started at o'clock in the
electric light and power house on Land
field street This building is in the rear
Of the big Palonine Hotel. With the high
wind the flames spread rapidly and soon
the hotel was In flames. The summer
guests there had little time in which to
collect their effects and most Of them lost
the greater part of the clothing. 1t was
soon seen that the hotel was beyond
saving. for the large structure was a
mass OF flames few minutes after the
fire reached it.
Leaped From House to House.
The blaze leaped from house to house,
defying all the efforts of the firemen. In
remarkably short time the fire had
swept one side of Main street from the
courthouse west. The big RockTel
house the largest hotel in Monticello, was
soon attacked and was u furnace This
motel was we'll filled with guests, who fed
before the onrush OF the fire.
The two newspaper bui d-ngs were quick
to go as were the two bank buildings.
Stores, the telephone Office and the tee
graph Office were also consumed. Board
ing houses went up like t.nder. Other
buildings burned were Johns Hardware
store, Crane & Runglers pharmacy.
Strong & Company's book store. the big
Jones' residence and the residences Of DR..
Collette and ]. Tyerson.
Calls for Help.
Hurried calls had been sent for help to
Middletown and Port Jerv.s, but II was
about two hours before the first aid ar
rived from the outside. BY IL o'clock
the blaze had swept the district bounded
by Broadway, Depot street and Bedford
avenue. The Strong block was COM
D etely gone, as we'll as the Palatine
Hotel and the Balson Hotel, larse
three-story structure. All the law Offices
in the town were burned out. as were the
bu Id ngs along Bank ard North streets:
Tha Aay nrN "a hi
Monticello Hotel. when the fl emen from
out of town arrived. Blu ldings between
the hotel and the edge of the fire zone
were torn down or blown up " tn dyna-
mite to check the flames. In this way
the Monticello Hotel was saved
Summer Boarders Work.
The summer boarders and those who
had cottages in Monticello and the vicip-
ity. did good work In assisting the fire
department. Monticello has normal
population Of ZOO. but this is augmented
greatly in the summer season by the
influx of New Yorke s. The Sitors were
untiring until the flames were under con-
troll. After the flames were checked those
who had been burned out ware cared for
by the residents whose homes were left
standing.
SO far as known here there we no
casualties of moment. One fireman was
injured. but not seriously. The sheriff. :
house was saved by Jail prisoner, who
kept playing garden hose on the build
ing.
There were reports OF looting. and the
sheriff took precautions to stop 1t. He
sWo in a large posse. and attempts
at p.llasing were thus finally stopped.
Loss About $500, 900.
Various estimates are made OF the dam
age done by the blaze. Some place it
at $500 oC0. basing their calculations both
on the value of the village destroyed
and on the loss by residents because of a
fire In the height of the summer season.