The New York herald., 1922-06-16
FIRE SWEEPS OVER ARVERNE,
HUNDREDS MADE HOMELESS

, frantic because they could not find their
families.
Ambulance surgeons were kept bisy
for hours treating shock cases and hysr
terra cases taken to them by policemen.
Every child found wandering about alone
was taken to the police station or to the
public school, where were the orphans
of the Israel home. These latter babies
were calm. They knew that nosone was
searching for them. They began again
the games that the fire had Interrupted,
and at bedtime they went docilely to
bed.
The police made scores of rescues ir
the five hours that the fire swept fierce
ly along the beach and the bay. Many
persons, anxious to save their belong
ings from their homes, fingered too long
and were found by the police and the
firemen and the volunteers lying un-
conscious inside their houses. Many
were overcome in the open air. because
the clouds OF smoke hung low and
thick in the streets between the lines OF
burning houses, and 1t was not safe for
any one to linger in the burning dis
trict.
Firemen plunged in with their lines
OF hose and emerged again In a few
minutes coughing and staggering. But
every man OF them went back after
being treated. except one who was sent
to the hospital because he was seriously
burned. He was Nicholas Cullen Of
Cedarhurst.
The first recorded rescue was that OF
two women and a young girl by Patrol
man Edward Gallagher and Leroy An
drews. a taxicab driver of Hamnrels.
The women were in a cottage adjoining
the Nautilus Hotel trying to drag into
the street some of the things they
owned. They were overcome by the
smoke on the stoop of their house And
instinct prompted them to crawl back
into the burning building. There they
met the little girl coming out. She
stumbled over their bodies, and she too
was so far gone that she fell. Gal
lagher and Andrews rushed into the
house and dragged them to safety.
At the height of the fire Chief Martin
sent for the dynamite squad of the Fire
Department. thinking that 1t would be
necessary to dynamite several houses In
the path OF the fire in order to check
the flames. Before this was done. how
ever, sudden shift Of the wind drove
the flying embers back across the burn
ing area. and 1t was not necessary to
use the explosives.
that the flames would have spread even
more rapidly and that the department
could not have prevented the fire from
spreading TO adjoining and neighboring
communities. But at $50 o'clock Chief
Martin said:
1--WE are on all four sides Of the fire
and have 1t under CONTROL
stove Explosion May he Cause.
The fire started in the vicinity of the
Worthless Hotel, at Beach Fifty-ninth
street and the ocean front, some time
between and o'clock. witnesses
have told the police that they heard an
explosion which they believed was
gas stove. and that then the back part
of the hotel seemed almost Immediately
to be enveloped In flames.
Because Of the high wind ana the
fiimsy frame construction which they
encountered. the flames spread with
great rapidity, so that one alarm of fire
after another was turned in until the
buzEers In the station house numbered
six. Few fires, and only very great
ones, call for six alarms. so thai all
over the city fire companies began get
ting ready to answer the call.
Many city officials went to the fire
and did what they could in directing
the work of the fire and police depart
ments Among them were Thomas
Drennen. Fire Commissioner; Grover A.
Whalen. Commissioner OF Plant aud
Structures. and David Hirshfeld. Com
missioner of Accounts They reached
Arverne in time to see most of the fire.
They were there when the handsome
residences in Beach Fifty-ninth street,
Beach Sixtieth street and Beach Sixty
first street. the fine residential section of
the town. began burning.