The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-11-30
GUNB0ATS HELP
FIGHT BLAZE AT
BRIGHT0NBEACH
Searchlights Light Scene
for Firemen as Huge Park.
way Baths Burn.
FIREBCG Is SUSPECTED
One Hundred Thousand See
100000 Spectacle-Sevcral
Buildings Damaged.
rIREBUG Is SUSPECTED

h-e since the burning OF Dreamland In
1911 last" night swept the Brighton
Beach section Of the island. destroying
me Parkway Baths, 500 feet Of the
boardwalk aud damaging Mead's Casino
and the New Brighton Theatre. II 10
estimated that 100000 persons witnessed
The blase. Tho reserves Of Ave police
precincts were called 10 keep tho crowds
out Of the danger conc.
A theatrical feature Of the fire was
,hs aid given BY four United States gun
Aos.s stationed In tho lower bay. They
played powerful searchlights on the
tuildings. This made the burning sec-
ton almost As bright as day and greatly
helped the frcmen called by five alarms.
The famous Parkway Baths Of 1000
rooms was destroyed. Only . spider
ike steel structure supporting q wTter
unk. which was at the rear OF the
bvilding, remains.
Origin II Suspicious.
An investigation has been started by
Fre Marshal Thomas Brophy to deter
mine whether the fre was of incendlary
origin. as there arc certain circum-
stances connected with It that he deems
peculiar.
Soon after O'Clock Policeman
Thomas Crattock Of the Coney Island
station noticed smoke coming up
through the boardwalk opposite the Of
Ace Of the Parkway Baths. Under the
boardwalk he found a Mass of rubbish
and pieces Of timber blazing beneath the
office Crattock tried TO extingulsh the
Ere by throwing sand on II, but u had
o.. H. ,,,
alarm.
BY the time Battalion Chief William
Rogers had arrived the boardwalk and
a part Of the building. a three story
frame structure. were burning. Realiz-
'ns the fire would spread quickly he
'urned In three more alarms. which
brought Deputy Chief Ul'arn from
Brooklyn headquarters. VIIara sent in
hfth alarm on his- arrival.
This brought twenty firc companies
Hall an hour after Its discovery the hre
had doomed tho Parkway Baths building
and had jumped cast TO several smaller
hui,dings The flames shot high and a
red glow lit up the sky, drawing thou
sands from Brooklyn and Coney Island
to the scene.
Both Coney Island and Brighton
Beach had been fairly well crowded all
lay because of the holiday and the mild
weather. When Folice Captain Byron T..
Ssckett Of the Coney Island police ar
lived with the reserves the crowd had
g-own to enormous proportions and his
nall stan was totally unable to keep
the people In check. The reserves Of
four other precincts were sent TO aid
him. with fifty members Of the Coney
land Home Defence League.
Wind sends Flames East ward.
When the fire started the wind was
h.oNng from the west. After the Park
way Baths had been completely envel-
opei In flames the fire Jumped TO three
"ory franc structure adjoining the
h.ths, IN which was a salt water pool.
This was soon doomed. and the flames
s',t over to the Brighton Inn. two
tory affair managed by Vincent Radula.
Next came Robinson's drug store
'.l shooting gallery. After the ire
had consumed these the wind suddenly
al.,ed and Hubb's Hotel, a four story
hndng adjoining tho baths on the west.
rnIgh. hre. Tho hremen fought hard
10 ave the building, but 1t burned like
Under, and was totally destroyed, as
WAS carousel next door.
The ieht by the hremen then turned
70 saving the big Casino on the corner
o ,hc boardwalk and Ocean Parkway.
rPdln~ Nisc Dc8Au " ouoWch OH diS
f'gh:"n Theatre and streams we're
paled on both buildings
hs,ween the building containing the
eafousel ana the Casino Is an alleyway
containing a single track Of the Smith
5Jr"ei trolley line This alley gave the
t'omen room to work at the rear Of the
Casino and the theatre and helped to
t'fp the spread Of tho flames.
Ont Of Control for Two Hours.
Meanwhile a big section Of the board
''i6 had disappeared in smoke and flre.
H"ersi OF the little wooden pagodas
re destroyed and also the band stand.
N7en the flames began TO sweep west
mere vas a wild scramble on the part
of automobiles assembled In the park
way to get away. Brooklyn Rapid Tran
81 elevated trains. which stop at the
parkway Just below the theatre. were
forced 10 plough through a fog Of smoke
'htrspersed with showers Of sparks and
.mbers
II was nearly two hours before the fre
'uld be said TO be under control. Even
zen there were huge piles OF glowing
'noers heaped along the boardwalk that
'arestened to he famed into flame any
moment by the strong wind that had
:'ar'ed to come IN from the bay.
!, is estimated the Damage will
0nognt 10 nearly 100000 Part OF the
0rop'rty is said TO be owned by the real
'.'ate association OF which Senator Will
Am w. Reynolds n the head and part
'ne Bhghton-by-the-Ses Corporation
S AMERICAN SOLDIERS KILLED