Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-04-06
$1,OOO,OOO FIRE
AT ASBURY PARK
Hotels, Methodist Church,
Big Natatorium and Board
walk Section Lost
HIGH WIND FANS FLAMES
65-Mile Gale Hampers Fire
Fighters, and Dynamiting
Fails in Emergency
AsBCRY PARK. y. j.. April 6,


-Four blocks Of hotels boarding houses
and residences. the s125,00O Boardwalk
Natatorum, part of the Boardwalk and the
First Methodist Episcopal Church were de-
stroyed by fire last night. From the Board
walk TO Grand avenue and between First
and Second avenues the fire made n clean
sweep of forty-eght buildings 1t was
driven from its starting point in the Nata-
torium by a siNty-five mile gale and laid
waste 100000 worth of property before
desperate flremen, concentrating efforts on
the church building, could do the first ef-
fective work. In a comparison of fire losses
in the city this fire was conflagration.
Panic attended the fire. Hundreds Of resi-
dents for blocks on all sides of the fire zone
packed their belongings and made for the
homes Of friends out of the path of the
flames. Sparks showcred all parts Of the
city az far north as Eighth avenue and
west almost to the sand hills. and only the
thorough soaking of shinGle roofs by the
rain that attended the gale prevented
further damage. Dynamite failed to check
the spread Of the flames. Water pressure
was all that could be expected from the
small mains in this district and hundreds
Of hremen swarme1 throughout the zone
ready for duty. but were pushed back,
house by house unable to maintain foot
ing on the roofs with hose streams which
werc whipped into spray. They could offer
no resistance.
LEAPED OCEAN AVENUE
II was the fire that Asbury Park for
years had realized one day would come.
The rain was the single redeeming feature.
Wind famed the blaze and once the fire
had crossed Ocean avenue the whole middle
district Of frame hotels, boarding houses
and residences was endangered.
The natatorium seemed ahre from wall
TO wall in an incredibly short time. Cross
ing Ocean avenue. the flames attacked the
Murphy and krug amusement hall. spread
to Days Theatre and the Devonport Inn
and then raced through that building to
the Grand Central Hotel adjoining. Step
by step the fire worked toward Kingsley
street and. though the stucco exterior of
the Winthrop offered some resistance there
was no time for a thanking movement by
the firemen and the flames quickly gained
headway.
Seven houses west from the winthrop
Fire Commissioner Leroy and his chiefs
determined to use dynamite on the Ards
ley Hotel in the hope of making stand
there The city and surrounding towns had
been secured for the explosive. When II
came Herbert q. Gardner. one of few men
in the city experienced in the use of dyna-
mite, set off two charges. The big board
ing house was only partly wrecked and II
was Of no avail. The fash fired the Ards
ley.
CITY LIGHTS OUT
Streets were filed soon after the fire
started with strange conveyances. There
was much confusion as the city lights went
ou- and the wind beat the hail and rain
into the faces of the refugees.
The Asbury Park fremen early realiz-
ing that they were unable to check the
spread of flames. sent calls to the fire de-
partments of neighboring resorts.
The fire started in the Natatorium, an