Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-06-01
TOREBU|LD COMFY
BETTER THAN EVER
Chance for City Park in Hole
Where flames Took $5,-
100000 Toll.
CLEAN SWEEP AIDS PROJECT
Giant Racing Coaster Acted as a
Firebreak- -Dreamland and
30 Other Amusement
Places Destroyed.
CLEAN SWEEP AIDS PROJECT


gaped in Coney Island yesterday. Be
tween Surf avenue and the ocean and
from Sheridans Walk eastward to the
unfinished Municipal Bathing House
but single group of buildings was
standing. Dreamland and so other
amusement places had gone in the fire
that ragged in the dawn of Saturday
morning Clouds of smoke hung over
the burned area all of yesterday. and
made the yawning vacancy seem all
the greater. They shut off the view
of the ocean. and the habitue of the
Island was bewildered at the open
space that had so suddenly taken the
place of the garish fronts of hotels
and shows.
Charred timbers and scorched steel
framework were all that was left Of
structures which had cost more than
100000. They had fallen so thicllly
together and were distributed so even
ly that it was impossible from Surf
avenue, to distinguish where even such
landmarks as the Dreamland Tower
or Pixies Peak had stood. Everything
was merged in the general ruin.
a few of the ovens at which frank
furters and beef had been cooked did
indeed stand along the Surf avenue
front. and gaunt misshapen arches told
Of the bridge that had spanned the
Dreamland Lagoon, but the wooden
structures that had once been scenic
rides or shooting galleries had been so
completely burned that they no longer
retained vestiSe of their former shape
REBUILDING MADE EASY.
Tl,t Lei, nj
had to be. took the very completeness of
the destruction as one thing at any rate
in its favor. There were practically no
troublesome ruins to clear away and no
dangerous buildings to be torn down at
great cost All that was necessary was
to clear away the debris, measure out
and begin at once to get some sort of
place erected where the golden harvest
sowed by the visitors might be reaped.
What will happen to Dreamland and
the other big attractions which were
wiped out Will not be decided for a day
or two, for even Coney Island is stag
gered by loss that runs above s5,olOOo0
but dozens of small places can make
shift to begin business again almost i'm
mediately.
Just west of Sheridan's Walk Is the
Giant Racing Coaster lofty steel struc-
ture which stretches practically from
Surf avenue to the sea. 1t acted Us 9
firehreak and prevented the flames from
leaping across West Fifth street to Felt.
mans Hotel. The cafe in connection witt
It is gone, and the wooden ties were
burned to the extent of 5000 but al
ready yesterday men We're at work cut
ting away the charred tmbers. and tn,
coaster will be open for those who low,
hair-racing ride. in 10 days instead o
yesterday as it had hoped to be.
ONLY ONE PIER NOW.
With both the Dreamland steel pie
end the new iron pier at which I'll,
steamboats, used to land reduced to
row Of smouldering piles sticking VI
from the beach and ocean, the crowd
who go to Coney by water seemed T.
have lost their favorite means Of ar
rival. But George c. Tilyou of Steeple
chase Park saw his opportunity, an
the first thing yesterday morning ha
signed a contract with the Iron Steam
boat company to use his own pier, tn
only ono left in the island, for tn
rest of the season.
Senator William H. Reynolds o
Drcamland when he was asked yester
day morning, while the fire was still
fl progress, what he intended to dc
suggested that the fire had given tn
city unique opportunity to max
radical changes in the island.
This looks like a fine chance" h
said. "for the city to increase its par
space and water front"
What action the Dreamland director
lmong whom are big Tim" Sullivan
Eugene Wood. Joseph Huber and Geors
Dobson, will take. will not be known Il
Tomorrow. but II was pointed out by NJ
Reynolds that since the concessionair,
IRE practically wiped out by the fir
there would be less difficulty in obtainir
the site for park than at any other tim
The new municipal baths were practical
untouched by the flames, while Balmer
baths. in which visitors for years ha'
been numbered by the thousands. ha'
disappeared so completely that on
steps leading to the stands remain.
How the fire started was not establish'
yesterday but 1t Is known that in the HI
Gate show In Dreamland men we
working all Friday night with boiling 4
10 get it In order for the crowd expect
yesterday.