Evening star., 1911-05-27
WILD ANIMALS L00SED, =
KILLED BY POLICEMEN
Big Lion at Bay Is Riddled by Q
Hundred Shots.
THIRD OF RESORT IN RUINS
Two Hundred Structures Of An
Kinds, Including Great Tower
and Pier, Gone at Be-
ginning Of Season.

NEW YORK, May 2T.--coney Island.
the playground Of New York. suffered the
worst fire disaster of its history
early today. Dreamiand. the largest
Of the amusement parks. was wip-
ed out and about four blocks adtoin-
Ing. covered with booths. restaurants.
hotels. moving picture theaters and re-
sorts OF various types. were destroyed
The fire broke out at O'Clock in the
morning. and was not under control until
three hours and half later. The loss
will amount to about s3,OO00o0
In all, about two hundred buildings
were burned down and perhaps two thou
sand persons concessionaires and en-
ployes were turned into the streets.
homeless and penniless. No lives were
lost.
The burned area represents nearly q
third OF the entire amusement city. all OF
which would undoubtedly have gone I'm
the teeth OF a strong wind but for the
fact that coney Island. with a hgh-pres-
sure water system especially designed for
fire protection. Is better guarded against
disaster OF this kind than any other
similar resort In the world
Started In "Hell Gate.s
The fire was discovered. q tiny blaze. IN
the tarred scaffoldings Of Hell Gate.S .
scenic railway close to the entrarfoe to
Dreamland. Twenty minutes after
| frightened watchman had turned in three
! alarms. one after another az fast as his
thumb could press the key. all Dream
land-ten acres OF gaudy. closely packed
buildings-was one great blaze. The
| flames, urged by q strong wind. wQre
visible for nearly fifteen miles.
Close to Hell Gate" where tho fire
started. was the Ferrare. formerly Bo-
stocks, animal show. end nearer yet the
infant incubator, q charity nursery In
which were six wee infants and their at
| tendants. The children were taken out
in their little glass houses and rushed out
Of danger by the police. Then came the
work Of taking out the animals, a costly
collection. including several dangerous
| ..man-eaters" The animals were In q
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 police
men. with drawn revolvers. stood at the
entrance TO guard the crowd In the streets
against any beasts that might escape, the
attendants drove their charges from the
cages down the runways into the esner-
gency vans which are always ready.
Policemen Slay Man-Eating LION
| nearly concluded. Then the biggest or
| the Hons, In panic. broke from his bonds,
smashed his way through the barriers
and leaped into the street. already packed
by a throng OF spectators He dived
/ straight into the middle Of the throng.
CONSERVATION seized the multitude and
the crowd rushed peal-Tneli In all direc-
| tions In panic.
| A mounted policeman came at tho
| crouohing beast In the center of the wide
4 avenue with drawn revolver. Twice he
| shot and twice missed. the lion backing
away from the glare and noise OF the
| explosions. Then six more mounted
policemen lined up in front OF the crowd
| and opened O fusillade- Backing away.
| snarling and leaving a trail of blood
way across the avenue into the dark
| wooden tunnels OF the Rocky Road TO
| Dublin" In a black corner beneath
painted scenery Of equatorial Africa he
were required to finish him and he sank
| to the ground rtddled lko q sieve. To
| make sure that he was dead one OF the
+. policemen pulled down q fire ak from
| behind the scenery and Knocked the sloull
| In two.
As soon as the crowd was assured
that the lion was no more II rushed IN
and literally tore the carcass 70 bits for
souvenirs. The first man on the scene
/ took the tasseled tail. the next thrve
divided the long name. ana fifty men
fought among themselves for the honor
OF possessing one OF his teeth
Sixty Animals Die by Fire.
Meanwhile tho escape OF tho ens
lion had cut short the work OF the
animal men, and the fire was already IN
the menagerde before their work was
compaeted. Sixty OF the fO6 animals
were left TO die by fra
Almost before the ffremen had thefr
hose connected to tho high-pressure taps
along the street the great Dreamiand
tower. with It's glare OF many thousand
electric bulbs fell into the lake and the
fire swept on beyond the bounds OF
| Dreamland to the horde OF little booths
and concessions which linod tho narrow
streets beyond. The Dreamland pier.
| iutting far out into the ocean with its
broad burden OF stands and booths. was
swept clean to its steel foundations.
Considering the extent and rapid spread
| OF the blaze. II was little short of miracu-
| lous that none of the summer Inhabitants
Of the burned district lost their lives. The
only casualties reported by the police
were three persons overcome by the
sYuoke-one q fireman and the others two
nurses in the incubator hospital. All three
were revived without difficulty.
Had the fire started two hours earlier.
when the crowd of sightseers thronged
the concessions, the disaster would have
been an appalling one. Dreamiand closed
up Snortty ailef Hiluliisht, auo ti.S Sti"eAS
were nearly deserted by o'clock. About
200 employees were still in Dreamland. but
all escaped without difficulty
The fire was visible all over BROOKLYN
and lower New York. and before & O'Clock
the Rapid Transit trains were bringing a
throng of sightseers. while the boulevards
were crowded with automobiles bound
Coney-ward. The streets OF the Island
are not wide. and the incoming crowd
interfered seriously with the work of the
iremen and swamped the police reserves
Season Just Opening.
The fire. coming at this time, on the
eve OF the first great summer holiday.
assumes greater financial Importance 10
the management than at almost any
other time during the season; Practical
" all OF the concessions opened fheir
doors last Saturday. just . week ago