The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-28
.CONEY ISLAND FIRE PROVES DISASTROUS Lion Breaks Loose and Gre
 ates Excitement OVER s2,oOo,ooo LOSS
Early Morning Fire in New York's Famous Playground Wipes Out One-Third of Dream
 land Park

New York, May 27-Coney Island, the playground of New York. suffered the worst fire disaster of it's history to- day. Dreamland, the largest of the amusement parks, was wiped out, and about four blocks adjoining. covered with booths, restaurants, hotels, nov ing picture theatres and resorts of varied types were destroyed.
 The fire broke out at ? o'clock in the morning and was not under control until three hours and half after wards. The loss will amount to be- tween s2,OOO,OOO and $S,OOo,OoO.
 In all about 200 buildings were burned and perhaps 2000 persons-con- cessionaries and employes-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 in the teeth of strong wind put for the fact that Coney Island with a high pressure water system, especially designed for fire protection, guarded against a disaster of this kind. The fire was discovered, a tiny blaze, in the tarred scaffolding of He'll Gate" scenic railway close to the entrance to Dreamland. Twenty minutes after ward a frightened watchman had turned in three alarms one after an- other and as fast as his thumb could press the key. All Discrimination acres of gaudy, closely packed build ings-was one blaze.
 The flames, urged by a strong wind, were visible for nearly D miles, Close to Hell-Gate," where the fire started, was the Bostock animal show and near CT yet the infant incubator, a charity nursery, in which were six infants and their attendants. The children were taken out in their little glass houses and run out of danger by the police.
 Then came the work of taking out the animals, a costly collection includ- ing several dangerous man eaters. The animals were in a panic Their roar ing, could be heard eor maiis blocks above the cracking of the flames and throbbing of the engines. The train CTS lost no time, while policemen with drawn revolvers stood at the entrance to guard the crowds against any beasts that might escape, the attendants drove their charges from their cages down the runways into the emergency vans which are always ready. All went well until the transfer was nearly con cluded.
 Then the biggest of the lions in panic broke from his bonds, smashed his way through the barriers and leaped into the street. all packed by a throng of spec tators. He dived straight into the mid de of the throng. Consternation seized the multitude and the crowd rushed Dell mell in all directions in panic.
 A mounted policeman, with drawn re- volver, came upon the crouching beast in the center of the wide avenue. Twice he shot and missed, the lion backing away from the glare and the noise of the explosion; then six more mounted policemen lined up In front of the crowd and opened a fusslade. Backing away, snarling, and leaving a trail of blood from many wounds, the lion made his way across the avenue into the dark wooden tunnels of "The Rocky Road to Dublin"
 In a black corner, beneath painted scenery of equatorial Africa. he made his last stand. Three final volleys were re- quired to finish him, and he sank to the ground riddled like a sieve To make sure that he was dead, one of the po- licemen pulled down a fire ax from be- hind the scenery and knocked the skull in two.