Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-06-08
WILD LION BUSHES
INTO SPECTATORS
Al A CoNEY BLAZE
One Third of Famous New YorR
Resort Destroyed Amid Hair
Raising Scenes.

first fire disaster in its history early
today. Dreamland, the largest Of the
amusement parks. was wiped out. and
abou four blocks adjoining, covered
with booths, restaurants, hotels. NOV
ing picture theaters. n resorts of va
rious types were 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 moun to between ST.
COO, 900 and $4,000, 900. In all. abou. 200
buildings We're burned down and per-
haps 1000 persons-concessionaires and
enployes--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 q strong wind, but
for the fact that Coney Island, with a
designed for fire protection, Is bets
ter guarded against a disaster of this
kind than any other similar resort In
the world.
The fire was discovered. a tiny blaze,
in the tarred scaffolding OF "Hell
entrance to Dreamland. Twenty min
utes after a frightened Waterman had
turned in three alarms. one after an
other as fast as his thumbs could press
the key, all Dreamland-l0 acres OF
gaudy, closely packed buildings-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
mai show, and nearer yet the infant
incubator, a charity nursery. in which
were six wee infants and their at
fnnd0nfC The Nhi1dcnp uycro 70 lxor mt
in their little glass houses and 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 eaters.
The animals were in a panic. Their
roaring could be heard for many blocks
o The cracking Of the flames and
the %throbbing OF the engines. The
trainers lost nc 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 age down the
into h emergency vans which are al
way 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 leaped into the streets,
already packed by q throng Of specta-
tors. He dived straight into the mid
die Of the throng. CONSERVATION seized
the multitude and the crowd rushed
pell NELL in all directions in panic.
A mounted policeman came at the
crouching beast in the center of the
wide avenu with drawn revolver.
Twice he shot n twice he missed,
the lion backing away from the glare
and noise OF the explosion. Then sig
more mounted policemen ined up in
front Of the crowd and opened a fusil-
lade.
Backing away, snarling and leaving
a trail of blood from many wounds the
lion made his way across the avenue
into the dark wooden tunnel Of 'The
corner beneath painted scenery of
equatorial Africa, he made his
last stand. Three final volleys were
required to finish him n he ank to
the ground riddled like a 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 h carcass to bits
for souvenirs. The first man on the
scene took the tasseled tail, the three
AAOAt 0xVIOSO IUc lOIl8 11l0IlO, Blu OU HlOu
fought among themselves for the honor
OF possessing n Of his teeth.
Meanwhile, the escape of the big lion
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 nremen 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 inc concessions
which lined the narrow streets beyond
The Dreamland pier. jutting far out
into the ocean. With its burden OF
stands and booths. was swept clean ia
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 a 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 o.
sightseers thronged the concession, the
Dreamland closed up shortly after mid
night, and tho streets were nearly de.
serted by 2 o'clock. About 200 EN-.
ployes were still in Dreamland, but al
escaped without difficulty.
Coney Island has been swept more OF
less by fires ever since It became
great popular amusement place. TIL.
most disastrous blaze was one which
started in the Gave OF the Winds" II
the Steeple Chase park on the morninS