The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-07-14
MILLIONS LOST AS
new YORK RESORT
ISSWEPT BY FIRE
approximately 5000 Made
Homeless as Blaze Races
Part of Coney Island

New York, July l4.-(F)-The heart
Of Coney Island was three million
dollar ash pile Thursday, but the
bands play en-.
Fire that started in rubbish under
the boardwalk-Coney Islands poly
glot ACKNOWLEDGEMENT three square
blocks OF the resort late Wednesday.
While carousel sent its monoton-
Gus music piping down through roll
ing waves of smoke. the fire, below
ed by fresh breeze off the ocean
destroyed SO bungalows and houses;
six bath houses and bathing pavil-
ions; 200 parked automobiles; the
Pergola: the Streets of Bagdad'
tan amusement place.: a small
apartment building; five blocks OF
the boardwalk and most of the build
ings fronting on that section of the
two-mile promenade.
This was the principal destruction
Two score houses and several bust
ness places were damaged by fire.
AT st. Joseph's orphan home on
the boardwalk, 300 children were
lined up in fire drill as the flames
licked out in its direction. Firemen
brought the blaze under control be-
fore it could reach the orphanage.
Thousands Made Homeless
Approximately 5000 persons were
made homeless. At least 5000 bath
ers among the $4,000 in the surf at
the time, lost their clothes and per-
Sonal possessions as the fire destroy
ed bath houses in which their clothes
were lockered
Two hundred persons were injured
seriously enough to need first-aid at
tention. Only two, however, were re-
ported seriously hurt. Both were
firemen.
Every piece of fire apparatus in
Brooklyn was called OUT Darkness
was falling before the fire was UNI
der control. It was still Smouldering
Thursday.
It was the biggest fire Coney Island
ever had; and it was great free show
for the 10000 men, women and chill
dren who watched it. Even the
Dreamland fire of 1911. when prop
erty damage in the millions resulted
could not compare with Wednesday
blaze. The Dreamland fire destroy
ed an amusement place. Wednesday S
fire destroyed homes, brought suffer-
ing to hundreds, inconvenience to
thousands and damage to wide area
Twenty-Five thousand persons in
bathing suits stood along the beach
to the edge of which the fire came
and watched Where the flames
roared hottest the bathers were
forced back almost to the waters
edge.
About 1000 Lose Clothes
Many thousands. at the first sight
OF the fire, dashed for the bathing
houses and succeeded in getting their
clothes. About two thousand others
intent on watching the fire, forgot
their clothing until the flames were
cracking among the bath houses
Then it was too late.
No estimate of the personal losses
suffered by bathers could be made
1t ran unquestionably into the tens
of thousands. Adding to their loss
was their predicament of being
many miles from home with only a
bathing suit and no funds for trans
portation. Subway and streetcar
companies helped solve this dilemma
by providing free TRANSPORTATION
home to those in bathing suits. Po-
lice also Communicated buses in the
emergency.
Excitement was greatest in the
bath houses where large numbers
were preparing either to enter the
surf or to dress. At Silver's Baths,
one OF the places destroyed, several
women were In the steam room.
When they heard the cry of fire"
they did not stop to dress either be-
cause they could not immediately
find their clothing or because they
were fearful of delay. Most of them
ran into the street with towels wrap
ped about them. Persons living near
by supplied them with clothing.