The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-05-27
New York's Famous Play Ground
is Scene Of Costly Blaze, Loss
Being Between Two and
Three Millions
Two HUNDRED BUILDINGS BURN
DreamIand, Largest Amusement Place
and Four Blocks Adjoining, are
Wiped out-EmpIoyes Home
less and Penniless.

New York, N. Y. May 27.-Coney
Island. the play ground of New York
suffered the worst fire I'm it's history
carly today. Dreamland the largest
amusement place, was wiped out, and
about four blocks adjoining covered
with booths, restaurants hotels, NOV
ing picture theaters and resorts oi
various types. destroyed The loss is
estimated at two to three million dol
lars. About two hundred buildings
burned and perhaps two thousand per-
sons, concessionaries and employees
turned into the streets homeless and
penniless. No lives were lost. Three
persons, a fireman and two nurses,
were overcome by smoke but they
were revived without difficulty. Had
the fire started two hours earlier when
crowd thronged the concession dis
trlct, the disaster would have been an
appalling one.
Lion Escapes Into Crowd.
The fire was discovered on tarred
scaffolding of the Hell Gate" scenic
railway. close to- the entrance of
'Dreamland." The cause is not def
initely determined. but it Is supposed
the fire originated from hot tar, as
woikmen had been smearing the cause
ways to protect the scaffolding against
the weather.
The flames were visible fifteen miles
Near where the fire started was the
Boston animal show and close by an
infant incubator a charity nursery, I'm
which were six infants and attendants
The babies were taken out of their lit
tie glass cases and rushed out Of dan
ger by the police Then came the
work of taking out the animals. the
costly collection including several
dangerous man eaters. The animals
were In a panic. Their roaring could
be heard above the cracking Of the
flames and the throbbing fire engines.
4 number of the animals had been
transferred into emergency vans by at
tendants and the police, when one Of
the biggest lions broke away and div
ed straight into the strong of specta-
tors. The crowd was In panic.
Mounted policemen pursued the lion
liring at the beast. In some painted
scenery of equatorial Africa the ami
NAL made its last stand. Here he was
riddled with bullets. When the crowd
saw the lion dead they literally tore
the carcass to pieces for souvenirs
Many Animals Perish.
The first man on the scene took the
tassel from the tail, the three next di-
vided the long name a nj fifty men
fought among themselves for the hon
or Of the possession of one Of the
teeth.
Meanwhile the escape of the big lion
had cut short the work Of he animal
men and the fire was Glready In
the menagerle before their work
was completed. Sixty of the one hun
dred and five animals were left to die
by fire.
The burned area represents nearly a
third of the entire amusement city all
OF which would undoubtedly have
for the fact that Coney Island. with
high pressure water system. espe
cially designed for fire protection is
heter guarded against disaster Of this
kind than any other similar resort
In the world.
Considering tho extent and rapid
spread of the blaze II was little short
~ miraculous that none Of the sum
mer inhabitants of the burned district
lost their lives
The fire was visible all over Brook
lyn and lower New York and transit
lines brought throngs Of slghtseers to.
the fire.
Loss Of DreamIand Heavy Blow.
The fire coming at this time on the
eve Of the first great summer holiday,
Is greater loss 10 the management
than at almost any other time during
the season. Practically all of the
concessions opened their doors last
Saturday. just week ago.
William VI. Reynolds, former senator.
is said To be the principal owner of
Dreamland. When notified of the fire
ne said: IT'S the toughest piece OF
news | ever heard. Dreamland. Is
worth s2.5OO.OOO and there is less than
100000 insurance"
Great Fire al Dubuque.
Dubuque, Iowa. May 27.--A Large
tract of the yards OF the Standard
Lumber Co was made fass Of Goals
today as tho result of what Is be-
Ieved to have been an incendiary fire
hst night Firemen batled with the
hames for four hours. and at one time
II was feared the mill and every foot
OF lumber would be destroyed, entailing
loss OF several millions.
The fire was the most spectacular