The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1911-06-01
WILD LION BUSHES
INTO SPECTATORS
AT A CONEY BLAZE
One Third Of Famous Network
Resort Destroyed Amid Hair
Raising Scenes.

New York, May 29.--Coney Island, tho
playground of New York. suffered the
first fire disaster in It's history early
today. Dreamland. the largest Of the
amusement parks, was wiped out, and
about four blocks sdjoining, covered
with booths. restaurants, hotels, NOV
ing picture theaters, and resorts of va
cious types We're destroyed.
The fire broke out at 2 o'clock in
the morning and was not under con-
troll until three and a half hours later.
The loss will amount to between ST.
100000 and $3.000.000 In all, abou. zoo
buildings were burned down and per-
emoloyes--were turned into the streets,
homeless and penniless. No lives were
lost.
One Third Consumed.
The burned area represents nearly q
third of the entire amusement city, all
Of which would undoubtedly have gone
In the teeth OF strong wind. but
for the fact that Coney Island. with a
high pressure water system. especially
designed for fire protection. is bet
ter guarded against disaster OF this
kind than ny other similar res ort in
the world
The fire was discovered, a tiny blaze,
In the tarred scaffolding Of Hell
Gate" scenic railway close to the
entrance to Dreamland. Twenty min
utes after frightened Waterman had
turned in three alarms, one after an
other as fast as his thumbs could press
the key. all Dreamland-10 acres OF
gaudy, closely packed buiid!ngs-was
one blaze. The flames, urged by a
strong wind, were visible for nearly
Is miles. Close to Hell Gate" where
the fire started, was the Bostock ami
NAL show, and nearer yet the infant
incubator, charity nursery, in which
were six wee infants and their at
tendants. The children were taken out
In their little glass houses ard rushed
out OF danger by the police.
Beasts Are Taken Out.
Then came the work OF taking out
the animals, a costly collection, in
Guiding several dangerous man caters.
The animals were In panic. Their
roaring could be heard for many blocks
above the cracking Of the flames and
the throbbing of the engines. The
trainers lost no time. While policemen
with drawn revolvers stood at the en-
trance to guard the crowd in the
streets against any beasts that might
escape, the attendants drove their
charges from cages down the runways
into the emergency vans which are al
ways ready.
All went we'll until the transfer was
nearly concluded. Then the biggest of
the lions, In panic, broke from his
bonds, smashed his way through the
barriers and leaped into the streets,
already packed by a throng Of specta-
tors. He dived straight into the mid
die Of the throng. CONSERVATION seized
the multitude and the crowd rushed
peli nell in all directions in panic.
mounted policeman came at the
crouching beast In the center Of the
wide. avenue with drawn revolver.
Twice he shot and twice he missed,
the lion backing away from the glare
and noise Of the explosion. Then six
more mounted policemen lined up In
front of the crowd and opened fusil-
lade.
Backing away, snarling and leaving
trail of blood from many wounds the
lion made his way across the avenue
into the dark wooden tunnel of "The
Rocky Road to Dublin" In black
corner beneath painted scenery of
equatorial Africa, he made his
last stand. Three final volleys were
required to finish him and he sank to
the ground riddled like q sieve. To
make sure that he was dead, one of the
policemen pulled down a fire AK from
behind the scenery and knocked the
skull in two.
Crowds Tear Up Carcass.
AS soon as the crowd was assured
that the lion was no more, they rushed
In and literally tore the carcass to bits
for souvenirs. The first man on the
scene took the tasseled tail, the three
next divided the long name. and so men
fought among themselves for the honor
of possessing one OF his teeth.
Meanwhile, the escape of the big lioI
had cut short the work Of the animal
men, and fire was already in the
menagerie before their work was COM
pleted. Sixty Of the los animals were
left to die by fire.
Almost before the firemen had their
hose connected to the high pressure
taps along the street, the great Dream
land tower, with its glare Of many
thousands Of electric light bulbs fell
into the lake and the fire swept on be-
yond the bounds OF Dreamland to the
horde Of little booths and concessions
which lined the narrow streets beyond.
The Dreamland pier, tutting far out
into the ocean, with it's burden OF
stands and booths, was swept clean to
it's steel foundation.
Considering the extent and rapid
|. spread OF the blaze, 1t was little short
Of miraculous that none Of the summer
inhabitants of the burned district lost
their lives. The only casualties re-
ported by the police were three persons
overcome by the smoke, one fireman.
and the other two nurses in the incu-
bator hospital. All three were revived
without difficulty. Had the fire started
two hours earlier when the crowd of
sightseers thronged the concession, the
disaster would have been appalling.
Dreamland closed up shortly after mid
night, and the streets were nearly de-
serted by o'clock. About 200 en-
ployes were still In Dreamland, but all
escaped without difficulty.
Coney Island has been swept more or
less by fires ever since II became a
great popular amusement place. The
most disastrous blaze was one which
started in the Gave of the Winds" in
the Steeple Chase park on the morning
of July 20. 1907.