The New York herald., 1922-01-03
FLAMES END DANCE,
RAZE WESTCHESTER
COUNTRY CLUBHOME
Members in a Bucket
Brigade Vainly Seek to
Check Fire.
WATER SUPPLY FAILS
Tide Out and Battery of En-
gines Race to the Scene
in Vain.
PLACE LOSS AT $25O,OOO
Trophies and Fine Furniture
Lost With Old Colonial
House.
WATER SUPPLY FAILS
LOSS AT $25O,OOO


Five blackened ctimneys rising
from five log cabin fireplaces are all
that is left of the fine Colonial home
Of the Westchester Country Club in
The Bronx, which was burned to the
ground yesterday afternoon with most
of its contents, including old furniture,
trophies and coats and wraps of mem
bers whose New Year dance was in
terrupted by the flames.
AS the nearest city hydrant was a
mile away and the tide was out OF
Eastchester Bay, an arm of Long
Island Sound which tl:e clubhouse
overlooked, the firemen could do little
but watch the progress of the blaze.
which was in full sweep when they
arrived. Club members and en-
ployees did what they could with
buckets, but were soon driven off. The
surrounding buildings, including ga
RACES and bowling alleys. were saved.
The Westchester is one of the Oldest
country clubs in the United States. 1t
was organized in Pelham in 1876. The
three story house now destroyed was
built In 1888. The club has slxty-five
acres commanding splendid views OF the
Sound and the rolling Bronx. Many
well known men and women are men,
bers. Among them are w. X. Wander
bilt, Jr.. Clarence II. Mackay. Edward
C. Randolph, George S. Nichols. Charles
p. Church and Thomas Potter. The
president is George Townsend Adee. a
member OF the New York Stock Ex-
change; the treasurer is Eugene II.
Rosenquest, president of the Bronx Gas
& Electric Company. and the secretary
Gilbert Ferris. All three took part in
the futile fight to save the building.
Flames Halt Dance.
About $50 persons were dancing in
the main ballroom on the ground floor.
Most of them had had luncheon at the
clubhouse and intended to stay for dim
ner and a show that was TO be staged
last night. In other words, the club
was keeping open house. with an all day
celebration of the holiday.
Smoke curling from the roof near a
chimney at the southwest corner of the
house caught the eye OF caddy at
o'clock. He told the officers and the
superintendent. Walter e. Kane. The
fire whistle sounded. The music
stopped and musicians and dancers ran
out of doors. In this rush many wraps
were forgotten and could not be recov-
cred. A trapshootlng contest on range
near the clubhouse also was called off.
The sportsmen hurried to the clubhouse
and Joined the rest OF the crowd in ANA
teur fire fighting.
Hand extinguishers were carried up
two ladders to the roof. The heart Of
the fire was found TO be beneath the
shingles and unreachable. other men
grabbed reel of hose in the tool
house and attached II to the hydrant of
the clubs private water line. There
wasn't enough pressure to raise the
water to the roof. Naturally the next
move was the formation of a bucket
brigade. Pals of water were passed
along a line across the lawn and up
the ladders A sudden. wide burst of
flame from the roof made Il impossible
to continue this.
Gale Drives Flames.
bitterly cold northwest gale sent
the fire roaring along the roof and In a
few minutes the upper part of the struc-
ture was enveloped. From Westchester
village, two and half miles away
raced Acting Deputy Chief Bernardo
cariock of the New York Fire Depart
ment and Engine 81. He turned In a
second alarm. summoning five other
engines. Engine 61 tried out the hydrant
on the club property. but the water
was insufficient. Carlock sent two en-
gines to the club pier to pump water
from the Sound. but the tide was out
and the men could not stretch "a line far
enough 10 get good stream.
In the early stages of the fire fremen
and squad OF policemen under Inspec-
tor George G. Liebers carried out some
furniture and the club records from the
first and second floors. They were un-
able to reach the paintings and antiques.
of which the club had a rather valuable
collection. When the whole house was
buried in flames and all one could do
was warm ones self by Il some of the
club members seated themselves In rock
ers that had been saved and played the
part of melancholy spectators. Alfred
Neil. an employee of the club. rounded
up the others and with mops and pals
OF water they doused the sparks that
were falling on the roofs of the other
buildings.
Firemen Fight Brsveiy.
The firemen made almost a record for
long distance hose connecting. one en-
gine company coupled TO "A hydrant at
Eastern Boulevard. nearly a mile from
the clubhouse; another took up the relay
half way to the house and third
worked near the house itself Thus they
pumped water through a mile OF hose.
But by this time. two hours after the
fire had started. the building was
wreck. A fireboat came up the East
River and found only ruins.
In one OF the trophy rooms was
collection OF arms that were heirIooms
and shotguns that had been used In
prize contests. These, Superintendent
Continued on Page Three.