Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-07-21
WHIPPANY RIVER
CLUBHOUSE GOES
UP IN FLAMES
Stables, Riding Hall, Ball Court
and Carriage House Also
Destroyed.
ESTIMATED LOSS is $4,000; (;
EUGENE HIGGINS THE OWNER
Employees Save Valuable Horses
Before Arrival of Nor
rist0wn Firemen.
Especial to III. Newark star.l

| loPeclai 10 INC newark star.
YOUNGSTOWN, July 21.-Fire this
morning destroyed the clubhouse.
stables, riding hall. ball court and car
riage-house OF the Whippany River
Club, entailing a loss of $4,000.
The property is owned by Eugene
Higgins, Of New York city. The fire
was discovered by John Flattery, the
steward. who was awakened by an ex-
| plosion, which he thinks came from
the electric switchboard in the cellar
of the clubhouse He awakened the
| head waiter, Charles Sanders, the only
other occupant of the building, and they
attempted to extinguish the flames,
| which were at that time eating away
the roof of the ballroom.
Finding their efforts Intellectual, Flat
terry telephoned to Morristown for the
fremen and then rescued the books and
papers of the club, as well as the
cigars and liquors and his personal be-
iongings. The club is situated outside
the town limits and the police notified
Second Assistant Chief Robert Mack,
who went to the fire with the automo-
bile chemical engine and hose wagon
of Humane Engine Company He at
once saw the fire was beyond control
and ordered general alarm sent In.
Hunters saved.
The flames spread with great rapidity
and soon all the buildings of the group
around the clubhouse We're In flames.
John Lane, in charge of the club
stables, rescued the forty horses stabbed
at the club, taking thirty OF them out
unaidedA
The horses included fourteen polo
ponies. the property of the club: eight
polo ponies belonging to Fillmore
Hyde; four ponies, the property of Ken
meth Schley, and three to Charles Mum.
Of Orange.
| The other horses were hunters and
Jumpers, four belonging to DR.. Fred H.
Humphreys. three to Richard III. VIII
4 fams, two to Rear-Admiral Philfp III.
Cooper and two to Mrs Joseph q. willis.
There is only one fire hydrant on the
extensive grounds of the club, and this
iE supplied by small main, so that the
firemen were almost helpless before the
onrush of the flames.
| The property was offered to the club
by Mr.. Higgins, few months ago, for
s75,000 but the club would give the
owner no more than $4,000 for the
place. The grounds include a polo field.
with grand stand, training grounds, a
running track, paddocks, a steeple-
chase course and several cottages and
detached barns. The grounds have an
area of about one hundred acres The
president of the club is Benjamin
Nicoll. Richard II. Williams Is vice.
president: George e. Dadmun secre-
tary, and Francis H. Kinnicut, treas
urer.
Organized There Years Ago.
The Whippany River Club. which
was organized about seven years ago.
has more millionaire members 1t Is as
serted. than any other gentlemen's
outdoor sport club in this country. The
first clubhouse was destroyed by fire
year ago. The splendid building used
as barn. stables garage and carriage
house was then converted into a fine
clubhouse, with a largo restaurant,
| smaller rooms for select parties and q
large hall for dancing and for flower
shows by society folk of Morristown,
New York. Newark and other cities
There are about eighty millkonairee in
Morristown, and nearly all OF them
are members of the club.
| The fiat races and cross-country
meets on the private race course, with
| gentlemen riders, were social events
| as were the hunt balls, at which the
club members who rode after the
| anise-seed bog, following the hounds,
appeared in their scarlet coats. There
was lots of merriment at the popular
barn dances also.
| The late DR.. Leslie d. Ward was
fchairman of the race committee of the
club. Peter Hauck. jr., of Newark. ran
his blooded horse Essex in some of the
races. Among the wealthiest and most
prominent members of the club are
George Gould. the Hon. Mahlon Pitney.
former Governor Franklin Murphy.
John Claf1in, Douglass Robinson. broth
er-in-law of former President Theo-
dore Roosevelt: Robert A. McCurtly.
John 1. Waterbury, Jacob E. Ward of
East Orange, Alfred G. Vanderbilt.
George f. Baker, jr.. c. Ledyard Blair.
Robert A. Granniss. Otto H. Kahn. w.
Delaney Kountze, DR.. David Hunter
McAlpin, Emory McC1intock, Charles
Arthur Moore, Charles Pfizer, George
d. r. Schieffelin. Charles ScrIbner and
Louis A Thebaud. The clubs officers
are as follows: Benjamin Nicoll, pres
ident; the late Leslie D. Ward, vice.
president; George E. Dadmhn. secre-
tary; Francis H. Kinnicutt, treasurer.
Among the Newark members of the
club and guests are George G. Freling-
huysen, Charles Bradley. Peter Hauck
Jr., James Smith Sd. General e. p.
Meaney, now of East Orange, and
James Perry.
The annual flower show of the
American Chrysanthemum Society,
which has been held in Madison Square
Garden, New York City, was to have
been given at the clubhouse of the
Whippany River Club in November next
in conjunction with the Morris County
Gardeners and Florists Society The
annual dog show was to have been held
on September "a, and a race meet under
the auspices of the National Steeple-
chase Association during the same
month. A hunt meet and hunt ball
were also scheduled. but the club can
not have a new clubhouse built In time
this year.