Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1919-09-12
Coombs Building, Known as The
Hotel Poplars, Burned in Early
Morning Fire. The Forty
Some Occupants all Safe
MANY THRILLING

Poplars hotel and apartment house was burned to the
ground. There were about forty people sleeping in the
building, all of whom got out safely or were rescued by fire.
men and citizens. The fremen soon realized that it would
be impossible to save the big four-story frame building sit
uated at Oak and Pacific avenues, in the heart of the bust
ness section of Wildwood. Their efforts were directed
toward saving adjoining property and by hard and well
directed work all adjoining property was saved except the
nearest cottage to the doomed building, on Oak avenue,
owned and occupied by Francis Devin.
The big Seacrest hotel directly opposite the Poplars and
the adjoining buildings were all saved from destruction by
hard work on the part of the fremen, various buildings being
on fire several times. Adjacent property damaged COM
prised the Marine National Bank, Hotel Seacrest, the Cald-
well brick building, the Varsity brick building owned by
Frank Dorrell, the former DR.. Miller property, the DR.. Cohen
residence, the two drug store corners and the Konowitch
hotel building, formerly the Hotel Trenton annex. The
damage to these buildings was confined to the effects of the
heat, smoke and water. The plate glass store windows of
the Pacific avenue side of the Seacrest and the buildings
adjoinging were all destroyed. These window displays be-
longed to the stores of Miss ODaniel, Melchiorres shoe re-
pairing store, DR.. Yubas' store, Caldwell jewelry store,
Sasel ladies good store and the West Jersey Electric office.
Most OF the goods on display in these windows were moved
back during the progress of the fire.
The Marine National Bank building is standing today
because it is of brick construction. Had it been of frame il
does not seem possible that it could have been saved. The
big double thick plate glass windows on the side OF the bank
building next to the Poplars were broken by the heat and
the wood work around the windows was afre several times
AS the danger of the flames sweeping the interior of the bank
was increasing Cashier EldredSe and a number of the direC-
tors of the bank assisted by citizens, commenced moving
filing cabinets and their contents to a place of safety in
Ryan's store. The adding machines and the like were also
removed. All this material was removed back to the bank
in about a couple of hours after the water was mopped up
from the floor. All securities, cash, valuable papers and
documents were safe in the big fire proof vault. The bank
opened for business as usual at nine o'clock Tuesday morn
inc The loss was heavy on the OCCUPANTS and store tenants
of the Poplar building. There was no time to save any
thing after the whistle alarm was given. The dense smoke
prevented the tenants entering their Offices or stores upon
their arrival on the scene. Everyone of the resident prac-
ticing lawyers of Wildwood had Offices in the burned build
ing and their complete law libraries, books and papers were
all consumed save what was in their safes. The three
lawyers were John Bright, City Solicitor Jonathan Hand and
Palmer M. Way. The safe of John Bright was opened on
Wednesday and the contents are said to have been little
damaged. The store tenants in the building were Lawyer
Hand, H. w. Ross, ice cream and candy; Quality restaurant,
conducted by VIM. Cozan and brother, who recently bought
the business from Mr.. Lennox; Gem Shoe Repairing shop,
James Days barber shop, Lawyers Bright and Way, Hup-
pert real estate Office. Many of the occupants of the apart
ments had narrow escapes. Mrs. Howard Coombs, wife of
one of the owners of the building, occupied a second story
corner front, and at the time had two or three relatives Wis
itins her. They were aroused by the whistle and smelled
or saw smoke. She did not think the fire was in her build
ing, but commenced to get her valuables together. She had
about 5000 in money and Liberty bonds in her hand but
laid them down to get together some important papers and
other articles. In the the meantime the door to the hallway
was opened, the smoke came pouring in, and they fed for
their lives down the fire escape. There was no time to get
the valuables lying near. This was the experience of every
body in the building. There was no time to get their cloth
ing together, and many were rescued in their night gowns.
One couple, SO the story goes, came to Wildwood a few
days before the fire with $500 to have a good time. The
was put under the carpet for safe keeping instead of
Continues IN Page Four