The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-07-10
s5OO,0OO FIRE SWEEPS
THOUSAND ISLAND PARK
Biz Columbian Hotel and 100
Cottages GO-Many Are
Homeless.
AGED WOMAN SAVES LIVES
Boy Wrapped in Blankets
ShOvels Burning Shingles
on Roof Till lie Drops.

ALEXANDRIA BAY. y. Y. July Sire
at Thousand Island Park this after
noon destroyed the Columbian Hotel
and more than 100 cottages and small
business buildings. The Wellesley Hotel
was considerably damaged. The loss is
roughly put at 100000. Several per-
sons were injured. but none was hurt
fatally.
The parks fire fighting equipment
was entirely Inadequate and the en-
gines and men summoned from nearby
resorts were little more successful In
their attempt to stop the sweep Of
the flames.
The firc was not brought under con-
troll until late tonight. when 1t prac-
tically burned itself out. The loss was
the most severe ever suffered from
fire In the Thousand Island region.
Som" Of the buildings destroyed. be-
sides tho Columbian were the william
Tousey. Rothschild. Lewis. q. r. Green.
Bernard Mems. Mitchell Myers t'ree-
mainland Brown cottages and the build
ings Of the summer school.
The saving OF the Wellesley Hotel
from complete loss IL credited to n
seventeen year-old youth. Paul Crouch.
OF Cortland, y. Y. Crouch got blankets
and wound them around him and then.
with coal shovel. stood on the peak of
the wing Of the hotel most exposed TO
the flames from across the street and
shovelled Off burning shingles. He was
exhausted when others reached the
peak and relieved him Of his self-ap-
pointed duty carried him TO the street.
The boy was unconscious for several
hours afterward.
Another person whose work in the
excitement into which the fire threw
the colony won for her great praise was
Mrs. William Tousey OF Syracuse, 81
years old and well known To all the
! summer residents. To her the cottagers
give credit for saving at least two lives.
Mrs Tousey went about exploring
cottage after cottage to satisfy herself
that no one was inside. In one cottage
he upper floor OF which already was
burning. she found Mrs. Anna Namm
and Mrs. Eager overcome by the
smoke and lying unconscious ON the
floor The aged woman got help and the
two whom she had found were carried
to the street and revived.
Mrs Lena kimore OF Oswego fell
on her way to a boathouse and her
arm was broken. Mrs. Tousey pushed
through the crowd. lifted Mrs. Kill
more and directed that she be carried
to a private yacht tbe Eldorado. lying
near by. Mrs, klmore was taken on
the yacht to Clayton.
Leroy Mitchell. son Of Homer
Mitchell. was another OF the injured.
He was severely burned about the
arms when a boiler Of the Columbian n
Hotel exploded Robert Hanlineen and
Harry IIardenbrook were thrown to
the ground from the top OF "A fifteen
foot ladder when the crowd pressed
against It. Sanford Kent was one OF
several who were overcome by heat
and smoke.
Tho fire started abou, o'clock in
the store Of Harold II. Halicr in the
Wellesley Annex, directly back Of the
Columbian. Mr.. and Mrs. Haller were
attending the funeral of Mrs. Lewis
Benedict In the Thousand Island Park
Chapel and the store was locked. Joseph
Rothschild, who discovered the fire
when the store already was burning
briskly. ran to the chapel and rang the
chapel bell. Residents including Frank
Sweeney. Harry Iiardenbrook. William
Touscy--a grandson OF the aeed woman
who did 80 much afterward-and Paul
Duncan broke into the store.
Five minutes later the volunteer fire
fighters had a stream on the blaze and
were using hand extinguishers in a vain
effort to confine the fire to the store.
Swiftly the fire took in the whole
group Of buildings at the rear Of the
Columbian. and the big frame hotel it
self began burning. Then the summer
school OF the Thousand Island Park AS
sociation and the Wellesley Annex took
fire and the flames flashed from cottage
to cottage. \ fifteen mile wind from the
west carried the flames.
Yachts and steamboats, brought the
apparatus and men Of three nc!ghboring
fire departments.
Many men and women were overcomn
by the heat or tainted as they Were
struggling to carry heavy furniture and
trunks from the cottages. and physi-
clans were kept running.
In an attempt to save the Columbian n
tablccloths and bedding were soaked in
water and used both to protect the hotel
itself and to protect those who We're
working to save II.
The proprctors Of the Columbian
placed the loss Of the building at $780,
900, with insurance OF about half that
amount. The furnishings were insured
for 100000. The baggage in the .Colum-
hlan and In some Of the cottages was
saved. Arrangements We're made to-
night for some Of the homeless cot g..
tagers to sleep on the dock The guests
of the Columbian saved most of their
personal property.
The management of the Columbian l.,
considering the immediate purchase 1T
the Murray lin Hotel at Murray Isle