The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1911-06-02
FAMOUS RESORT SUFFERS MOST
DISASTROUS BLAZE IN ITS
HISTORY.
AT N. Y. CONEY ISLAND
Of Smaller Shows Go Up In Smoke.
Babes Rescued From
Infant Ineubators.


the playground of New York. suffered
the worst fire disaster Of its history.
Dreamland. the largest Of the amuse.
ment parks, was wiped out and about
four blocks adjoining, covered with
booths, restaurants, hotels, moving
picture tkeaters and resorts Of various
types, were destroyed.
The fire broke out at a. m and
was not under control until three and
a half hours later. The loss will
amount to between 100000 and
s., 100000.
In the teeth Of a strong wind but for
burned down and perhaps 1000 per
I sons-concessionaire and employees,
were turned into the streets homeless
and penniless. No lives were lost.
The burned area represents nearly a
third of the entire amusement city, all
OF which would undoubtedly have gone
i'm the teeth of a strong iwnd but for
the fact that Coney Island, with a
high pressure water system especially
designed for fire protection, is better
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
Gate" a scenic railway close to the
! entrance to Dreamland. Twenty min
ltes after frightened Waterman had
/. turned in three alarms one after an
other as fast as his thumb could press
The key, all Dreamland-10 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
he fire started, was the Boster animal
/ show, and nearer yet the infant incu.
Gator, a charity nursery in which were
/ Fix wee infants and their attendants.
/ The children were taken out in their
/ title GLASS houses and rushed out OF
sanger by the police.
Then came the work of taking out
he animals, a costly collection. in.
/ 2luding several dangerous man-eaters.
The animals were in a panic. Their
roaring could be heard for many
clocks, above the cracking OF the
iames and the throbbing of the en-.
zines. The trainers lost no time
While policemen with drawn revolyers
stood at the entrance to guard the
,rowd in the streets against any
beasts that might escape, the attend
ants drove their charges from the
ages down the runways into the
MI oil
,eady.
All went well until the transfer was
nearly concluded. Then the biggest
ol the lions, in panic, broke from his
bonds, smashed his way through the
barriers and leaped into the street,
already packed by throng of spec.
tatOrs. He dived straight into the
middle of the throng. CONSERVATION
seized the multitude and the crowd
rushed pell nell in all directions in
panic.
A mounted policeman came at the
cIoachlng best in the center of the
wide avenue with drawn revolver
Twice he shot and twice missed, the
lion backing away from the glare and
more mounted policemen lined up in
front OF the crowd and open a fusil.
lade. Backing away, snarling and
leaving a trail of blood from many
wounds, the lion made his way across
tie avenue into the dark wooden tun.
nels of The Rocky Road to Dublin"
In black corner beneath painted
scenes of equatorial Africa he made
his las. stand. Three final volleys
were required TO finish him and he
sank 20 the ground riddled like a
sieve.
William II. Reynolds, a former state
senator, was the principal owner of
Dreamland. When notified of the fire
he said: We have been afraid of
this for seven years and were doing
/ our best to ward IL of. Ii is the
: toughest piece of news l ever heard.
) Dreamland is worth $4,000, 900. and
, there is less than 100000 insurance"
Coney Island has been swept more
Or less by fires ever since II became a
great popular amusement place. The
most disastrous blaze was one which
started in the Cave Of the Winds.
in Steeplechase park. on the morning
of July rs, 1907. This fire swept some
35 acres clean and caused a loss of
Sl.5O0.000. The last big fire at Coney
Island was on July s, 1908, which de-
I stroyei two hotels with a loss esti.
] mated at 100000.