Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1919-08-15
Wildwood Crest Pier
Burns to Ground
Tuesday Night
All of the Band Instruments
Destroyed
By WILLIAM B. GRAUEL

The nearest approach to the scenes of
destruction that one finds on a visit to
the backgrounds overseas is being Wis
tied by thousands in Wildwood this
week. There is q great church over in
Scissors, once a pretty little village Of
France, that felt the heavy blows ofthe
Hun artillery. Hundreds travel miles
upon miles to see the w~reckage. How
ever, right here On our wonderful
island, Is an assortment Of ruins that
nearly equals the damage abroad. 1t
is or was the Wildwood Crest Pier.
Fire, caused by. a defective electric
wire, broke out in a room on the second
floor near the skating rink last Tues
day night, burned the wooden structure
to the edge of the water and caused a
damage estimated at approximately
500, 600.
II SO happened that visitors to the
pier had left its attractions. Several
Wildwood firemen sustained severe
DuIu5 dOUuU tAC II anu
but fortunately no one vas seriouly in
jured. The two companies here aud
the fire-fighters from Anglesea were as
sisted by twenty sailors sent from Cape
May by Captain E. j. Gillian, on the
United States submarine Rainbo
under charge of Ensign Better. Prev
ious to the arrival of the fire companies
several members of the Crest Fishing
Club and attaches OF the pier did yoe-
man work in fighting the flames with
fire buckets and an improvised hoe.
1t was due to the quick thinking Of
Miss Helen Bridglsnd, a summer resi-
lent at the Crest, that the alarm was
spread and further damage to nearby
homes was prevented. Miss BridgmAn,
is a Philadelphia girl, some eighteen
years old and not only pretty and tan
ned but quite popular with the younger
set. She is the daughter of DR.. Fred I.
Bridgland, a widely known dentist in
Philadelphia. They are spending the
summer, as is the family custom, at
l19 Morning Glory Road. The resi-
dence of the B%ridglsnds and the doc
tors offices are located at 1881 Lehigh
avenue, Philadelphia.
Miss Bridgland, when seen at her
home yesterday, was a bit unwilling to
talk for the newspapers at first. The
reporter used his best smile and secured
a few of the details. 81 was just about
to leave the pier,'' said Miss Bridgland,
when | smelled smoke coming from a
room near the skating rink. l ran to
Mr.. Raymond Gleaves, who conducted
a store on the first floor of the pier,
told him of it and he Immediately gave
the alarm. 1t vas nothing at all, and
you newspaper fellows must not tease
me or ask me anymore questions"
Having promised Miss Bridgland
that at least one newspaper man would
not bother her anymore, the reporter
journeyed back to the ruins of the pier
for additional information. He didn't
get it, as the gentleman who claims to
being manager or something around
the pier must have felt peeved. "O'h,
there's nothing much to say about it,"
d eclared his highness, 1.-THE fire wasn't
discovered by a girl at all. 1 was here
at the time and two boys turned in the
alarm. The papers say the loss was
SIS, 900. That's all wrong. The loss is
800, 000." Thanking the gentleman we
withdrew and discovered several men
taking up a collection.
Collections always interest newspa-
permen or ex-soldiers it seems. We
requested an earfull as to what it was
all about. First thought hal perhaps
they wanted the money to build a new
pier. Not so. 1t Appeals that Prof.
Lambiase's nice band, music, his lead
ing stick and not to mention all the
instruments, had been destroyed in
the fire. The flames 'slsmbasted" Mr..
Lambiase's belongings like Dempsey
smothered up the late lamented heavy
weight Willard. The paper on which
the collections were being marked as
they came in, showsd donations of $25
and a pair of SIS marks.
Souvenir hunting is not confined to
the battle-fields. Wednesday was quite
stormy about the island and the Gu
riously inclined waited until yesterday
before visiting the remains. With the
welcome sun coming out about $50,
nearly a thousand persons were walk
ing over or hunting between the pill
ings. One little boy claimed he found
a disfigured dime and there was a rush
for the spot that put the race to Texas
to shame. In finishing up war terms,
it might be stated that one particular
lamp-post, located between Lavender