The New York herald., 1922-08-12
100000 FIRE LOSS
AT SHELTER ISLAND
Between 200 and 800 Persons
Driven From Hotel P0gat-
ticut by Blaze.

GREENPoRr. L. T.. Aug. 11.-Fire, dis
covered shortly before o'clock this
afternoon on the top of the four story
Hotel Pogatticut at Shelter Island drove
between 200 and 900 guests from the
structure and was extinguished after a
three hour fight through the aid of 150
volunteer firemen who crossed the bay
from here on a ferryboat. Tho hotel
guests who included Mrs. william NJ
Calder. wife OF Senator Calder, and
their son. william M. Calder, Jr., were
mostly from New York and Brooklyn
Although all escaped without injury
some who were away from the island
lost clothing and jewels.
The loss Is estimated at 100000 and
is fully covered by insurance. The TOP
story was burned and the rest OF the
hotel drenched with water. Much OF
the furniture on the lower floors was
taken out undamaged. The hotel is unin-
kabitable and will remain closed for the
rest Of the season.
The fire was started In a cupola room
occupied by servants. The flames gained
rapid headway on the top of the thirty
year-old wooden structure and help was
summoned from here. The Greenport
volunteer firemen. nder the direction OF
L. Archie Racket, Jr.. fire chief, a hook
end ladder truck, two steamers and two
motor pumps were ferried across the
mile or water to Shelter Island, two trips
being necessary. Chief Racket and his
men were helped by modern apparatus
maintained by the Shelter Island Heights
Association. The engines were backed
up to the shore and ten streams OF
water were soon being pumped upon the
flames Boys from Camp Quimpet. near
py, formed lines and aided the firemen.
Two young women guests at the hotel,
Miss Madelon Kelz OF New York and
Miss Catherine Burns of Phila delphia.
maze their way into dangerous por-
ton OF the burning hotel and carried
out property. Most Of the summer
VISITORS were on the beaches and walk
ing about the island. There was a gen.
eral rush for the rooms after the alarm
sounded. One woman guest searched
1rantically In her smoke filled apart
ment for $4,000 pearl necklace, which
she succeeded In finding and taking out
In safety. There was nothing resem-
bling a panic among the guests.
In addition to Mrs. Calder ana her
son those at the hotel included Harold
@. Cortis, an attorney with offices at
% West Forty-third street, New York.
and Mrs. Cortis: August C. Flamnan
Assistant District Attorney of Kings
county, the family Of Henry Bemis.
manager of the Royal Ponciana Hotel
at Palm Beach. Fla: c. d. Davis. New
York; Mrs. Walter Schuttler of Chi
cago. Mr.. and Mrs. Edward Hageman
of New York, DR.. John A. Dunn OF
Brooklyn and Mrs. c. T. Hoff of New
York.
1t Is Mrs. Calder's second experience
with hotel fires within a few months.
She and Senator Calder were living at
the New Willard Hotel in Washington
last winter when a ballroom blaze
caused the flooding of many rooms and
routed out number of guests in the
middle of the night
The Hotel Pogatticut. formerly known
as the Prospect House. Is owned by
the Shelter Island Securities CORPORA
ton. holding company. George N
Webster OF 60 Wall street is president
of the subsidiary company. The hotel
Is valued at about 500 1000, and was re-
modelled a year ago with an expendi-
ture of 100000 Cottages in its i'm
mediate vicinity and the annex were
undamaged. The season Is at its
height and all accommodations were
booked for the remainder Of August
and the first two weeks In September
The only injury reported was to
Deputy Sheriff w. Forrest Conklin, a
member Of the Greenport Fire Depart
ment. who twisted his arm while work.
ing on a ladder