The Monmouth inquirer., 1925-08-20
Woman and Two Fire
men Perish

49, ~44 W. "a
guests and servants were driven to the
street in their night cl thes when fire
destroyed the frame annex Of the At
lantic Hotel at Long Branch on Sun
day.
The dead girl was Leona Allen of
No. 346 West One Hundred and TWEEN
ty-fourth street, sixteen. q waitress
Once safe from the burning servants
quarters over the dining room in the
annex, she rushed back into the struc-
ture, was overcome by smoke and
burned almost beyond recognition be-
fore her body was recovered from the
ruins.
The two dead firemen, volunteer
members Of the Phil Dalv Hose Com
pany, were Raymond Oman. nineteen.
of No. 1876 Union avenue, and Wilbur
Lloyd, forty, Of No. as Second
With Frank Hannish and William
Garden of the same company they fell
with the roof of the blazing structure
when the wall collapsed. Hannish and
Gardner were rescued, seriously
burned.
Elsie Einz and Marie Peterka, watt
ressess, were likewise injured before
they escaped from the flames.
After the collapse of the annex the
iremen succeeded in preventing the
spread # the blaze to the main brick
structure, in which the full compile
ment Of regular and weekend guests
were housed. They were able later IN
the morning to return and recover their
clothing, money and valuables in the
annex were lost.
An employe of the hotel smelled
cpo0Eo Of oh0of A % G,rnIou rn1u.:1~
and rushed downstairs to find the lower
part Of the annex ablazs. The patrol
man nearby turned in a fire alarm;
The alarm rang throughout the hotel
and the guests and servants left with
out panic. The warm night made their
flimsy attire not uncomfortable. The
whole Of the annex first floor seemed
ablaze when the firemen arrived.
While hose was being stretched and
before anyone knew what she was doing
or could restrain her, the Allen girl
rushed back into the building, pre-
sumably in an effort to recover her
things. 1t is believed she reached the
| upper floor and her own room. But
when she tried to get out she found the
stairway q W all Of flame and was over
come before she could reach a window.
The four iremen were ordered te the
roof when the flames burst through it.
They had hardly reached a position to
fight it when the whole structure caved
in. Comrades, following heavy streams
of water succeeded in reaching Han
nish and Gardner. But by the time
they got TO Lloyd and Oman, Lloyd was
dead and Oman died soon after his ar
rival at the Monmouth Memorial Hos
pital.
The owner and manager of the hotel
is Samuel CHASER. The property was
Involved in one of the first real estate
transactions which started the boom
which Long Branch in common with
other nearby seashore resorts, has ex-
lperienced during the last few weeks.
The damage to the properly was esti-
mated at about $50, 0O0. No cause of
the fire was discovered.
The hotel is three stories high and of
brick and wood construction. 1t has one
fire escape, on the extreme south side.
To check the fire spreading to the
main building, q squad of fremen were
assigned to the annex roof. taking posi-
tions where the annex joins the hotel.
They had three streams, playing them
on the blaze at the opposite end of the
i annex.
Suddenly as ladders we're being rails
ed to rescue Miss Allen, the roof gave
way with a d~eafening crash. As it pre-
cipated the IL men in the debris, the side
walls caved inward. A column of smoke
and flames shot skyward.
The rescue work began Immediately,
The trapped firemen were seen scrawl-
ing madly for footholds on the slippery
roof. There were many scenes OF heroism
as the injured were helped out. Many
firemen braved the flames and smoke
without protection to drag comrades
over the smouldering ruins.
Lloyd and Dinen were pinned beneath
~rafters. They were extricated while
streams were poured in the fire to pre-
vent interruption Of the rescue work.
Both men were badly burned, however,
before they could be gotten out. Lloyd
died in the hospital but Dinen was dead
before iremen got him there.
Guards Of honor were placed about
collins of both victims Monday night.
Lloyd's body was taken directly to the
home Of Mrs. Jeanette Lloyd, the vic
tim's mother. He was her sole support
and they lived together. Dinen's body
lay at the Flock morgue on Broadway,
Long Branch.
Services for Lloyd were held Tuesday
at the home, and for Dinen Wednesday
at 9 at Star Of the Sea church, Long
Branch. The body of Miss Allen was
taken to New York by the victim s par.
ents, Mr.. and Mrs. Wallace B. Allen,
who had been spending theirN vacation
at the Sanger house, Third avenue, with
another daughter, Z. Miss Allen had
been in the hotels employ three days,
Vacationists responded generously
to a call for contributions for the 20 wait
resses who lost all their belongings. Two
baskets were placed in the West End
Casino and were quickly filled with bills
and silver.
Poll ce Dogs, Dobermans, elbows
Boston s, Airedales, Fox Terriers
Settlers and Great Danes, Noted dogs
at stud. Dogs boarded and conditioned
A few very exceptional puppies given
to reliable people on breeding basis.
Police dogs, Dobermans, Airedales