Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-05-29
GREENLAND GONE.
Burns with 2O()iher Shows
On Co|ney Island.
Hotels and Bath Houses in Ashes
Loss May Reach 100000.
SixBabies and Nurses Rescued from
incubator House No Lives Lest.

Wv "a ~ -hSa go " ii0il hetS iis7aAh
broke over Coney Island Saturday
morning that portion of the thickly
built city of wood and Hath and pplas-
ter which had lain between Fifth and
Tenth streets and Surf avenue and the
ocean was a level ruin.
All of Dreaniland and 20 other shows,
concessions, hotels and bath houses
had burned TO ashes. The money loss
was variously estimated at from 81
900, 900 to 100000 00.
No lives We're lost, although one of
the animal show helpers was missing
till . o'clock. He was julius LONDON,
q nephew of s. Steinherg, one of the
show proprietors, who was accustomed
to sleep in Ferrari's place. 1t was
thought that he must have been burned
to death in the structure. At about 8
O'Clock. however, he suddenly appeared
among the firemen. He said that he
had escaped from the enclosure almosp
among the first.
The blaze started at Las o'clock, and
the first alarm did not reach the fire
house till two minutes before o'clock.
| This gave the fire 10 minutes Roadway.
land by the time the engines reached
the park flames were shooting through
| the roofs of the buildings.
Bernard Baiuch, the Waterman sta i
toned at the Surf avenue gate said
that the first news he had of the fire
was when a man ran up from the out
side of the park and told him that a
building was burning. He explained
that he told the man to run around to
the engine house on West Eighth
street, and then ran in to notify the
people that he knew were inside.
Fire Marshal Brophy said that the
main cause of the fire being so strong
was that the men who first saw it re-
manned trying to fight 1t instead of
turning in an alarm Immediately. He
estimates the loss at $2,000,000. Build
ings and equipment We're covered by
insurance to the extent of 100000.
The rescue of six infants in the in
cu5ator house in Dreamland, as well
as the two women nurses who We're
attending the babies. by Police Ser
geant John j. klinck of the Cone.y
Island precinct showed good head
work and bravery. When the first
alarm was given the first thing Klinck
thought of was the incubator house.
The policeman ran in the park, and
n al<ing his way TO the life giving de
vice he lifted out the infants. and
taking two ia his own orms and
handing the others 10 the nurses they
made their way to Surf avenue in
safety. The infants were taken to the
home of DR. Pierce on Eighth street.
Dr. Pierce said that the babies had
not inhaled bit Ct smoke At the
asylum IL was said that they We're
apparently none the worse for theie
experience. -Four Of the babies are
girls and two are boys.
Luckily for Luna Park, Steepleehase
and the rest of Coney Island, the wind
last night shifted from the south
east till it blew offshore Only the off
shore breeze saved the rest of the is
land. For the fire which started in the
Hell Gate of Dreamland and reared
through the buildings adjoining on
both sides simply burned itself out.
raging to the two Ranking streets and
SURF avenue on the north and the
beach on the south. The high-pressure
system failed to work at all adequate
ly. One of the three pumps got over
heated and had to be shut off The
others worked badly. and at times in
stead of the regular 150-pound pres
sure the ffremen could get but so
pounds at the MOBILES.
1t was not till every available engine
between Coney Island and Bergen
street. Brooklyn, had been brought to
the fire that anything like real fire.
quenching pressure was had AS it
was, the only buildings saved in the
area were the three at the corner of
Surf avenue and Fifth street and tho
backs of these structures were burned
away.