The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1913-08-08
blue MOUNTAIN HOUSE
DESTROYED BY FIRE.
HEROIC EMPLOYEES SAVE EVERYBODY
THO HEH ARE INJURED.
Guests Flee In Their Night Clothes
Leaving 100000 In Property.

utdEAA aM0 III HutiH anu NduHlIE = AaEH
of about 100000.
Whipped b. gale that swept
across the Cumberland Valley. the
huge frame structure burned Il 4
terrific rate after the FIRE had driven
out every guest and employee.
The guests of the house Here
sleeping 1t 6 o'clock that morning
when q negro porter saw smoke
coming from the basement. 4 watch
man. running IN answer TO the negTo.s
call. gaN the smoke turn 10 flames
and commence to spread. The watch
man fired hIa pistol on four times
all the cartridges he had-and lhen
with the negro ran into the hotel
lobby yelling Fire"
The blaze vas coming from = room
near the elevator shaft, and before
the walters darted up the steps they
were racing With flames that leaned
up tho shaft ahead Of them.
There xere 202 sleeping guests On
the second third and fourth floors
/ The pistoi shots had awakened aome.
/ but the larRn majority slept On. not
knowing ths danger
/ Walters and bollboya pounded On
I each door an every floor and STAYED
until thu knew that those behind Ine
I locked doors we're aware thu The
hotel sRa On IRE and their I've IN
danger
The FIRE had started. nobody knows
/ how. In tn porter'g room right under
the lobby and the front stairway.
that Il NJ The stairway fell . aoon.
! Realizing TINT their escape va II
7 tie short Of miraculous. man md
women. aftsr escaping from the build
Ing. stood together In little EHouna
and offered prayers OF Thanksgiving
thai the we're alive.
1 Standing IN their bare feet 81 Iha
dew-eefered lawn OF the biz hoIal.
garbed IN Their night clothes md
seanty wearing apparel. aeores n
women sefs tearleaa. despite fhs fael
that the Id sacrificed Jewels s#tIz
mated n xaIuf II 100000.
On all aIdsa The heroism Of tha bel
boya and negro portera Wa IHadndl
They participated In many daring
reseuea and carried numerous -
sons 10 safety down ladders.
/ Ralph : Faples. general traffle
manager II The Western Maryland.
whose RIfe and mother .lnzIaK ssre
guests n tHe Hue Mountain HaaHe.
waH Informed Of the fire an hour Il
ter Il - discovered. lie tonE nsf=
sonal charge of moving the refugees
10 Baltimore The Grst train IefI
Blue Mountain at 730 o'clock md
took l. of he routed guests n
Baltimore.
A special train of Ave coaches and
two baggage cars was made ~ II
HageratoXn and took nearly - of
the guests to the city. arriving II
O'Clock. Scores Of guests In the meanz
time had accepted the invitations -
tended b the Bnena Vista Hotel md
a dozen cottages and remained nsaf
tho scene Of the FIRE,
The original cost OF the Blue Noun
tain HnnHs Naa about S2b0,0on. aid Il
could hardly be duplicated no. for
that sum.
The house vas built something
more than % years ago by the Blue
Ridge Hotel Company, composed Of
Baltimore capitalists including Cen
James !. GarY. GIlmor Meredith md
lChrisIlan Dexrles. and II waa backed
Originally b the Western MARYLAND
Railroad Company. which RaH Hunz
posed 10 have guaranteed it bonds
The railroad company did not. IN fact
guarantee The bonds. and the courts
30 held. but guaranteed the interest
on them Tor 20 years. This interest
was regularly paid until the exuIFa=
tion Of the 21=year period. when naY=
ments ceased
As = result of the cessation Of hond
interest payments. the company Kent
Into the hands of receivers. aud IN
1907 the property was sold at fTaez
ton Of Il original cost b. Christian
DeYriee and \. winsiow Williams.
the receivers. 10 II. A. MccomaH md
Charles 5. Lane. of Hageratown. and
Alonzo mnriook. Of Baltimore. Who
formed The blue Mountain House
Company 70 operate IT, As Hoon n
the sale NaH ratified by the courts The
new purchasers spent about $4,000
In renoYaIIng the building and making
improvements.
After being remodeled II vas oper=
ated By bond { Gibbons, OF baltimore
and was very successful. and. i II
said. earned fair dividends OF IL
smaller capitalization. This year had
been it biggest under Its present
management and promised 10 BE- the
biggest IN the career OF the hotel.
In It's nalmy days the Blue Noun
tain HonHe Kae known far and vide
and numbered among its guests At
one time Of another some of the most
distinguished men of the country. Is
registers bore the names of men and
women from every State In the unIon.
Cardinal Gibbons used TO go there
frequently years ago. 1t has also
been the meeting place OF important
conventions and gatherings Of bust
ness and professional men. The Mary
land Bar Association has met there
a number oT times and the State Bank
ers' Association has also held It an
nual gatherings there. One Of them
was held there only few weeks ago
The insurance on the building md
Its equipment amounted to 100000.
which Has but little more than It's
present owners had spent In improve
ments On the property after they
purchased t. That would hardly
serve a. nucleus OF building fund
for another structure along the same
lines, although 1t was stated that
nothing had been determined b the
hotel company as to it's future course.
Good manners is the art OF making
those people easy with whom We con
- n. -