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Show DIG BLAZE ISLAND Worst Fire In History oi Noted New YorK Resort PROPERTY LOSS OVER $2,00,000 No Lives Lost bnt Many " Valuable Animals Perish. J?BW YORK, May 27.-rOoney Island, tha play grounds of New York, auffatad tha wont Era disaster In ita history early today. Dreamland, tha largest of tha amusement parka, was wiped out and about four blocks adjoining, covered cov-ered with booths, restaurants, hotels, moving picture theatres and resorts of various types were destroyed. Tha lira broke ant at S o'clock in tha morning and was no under control until un-til three and a half hours later. The loaa will amount to between $2,000,000 and 93,000,000. Ia all about 20s) buildings were burned down and perhape 2000 persona -eoneesioBaift and employaes were turned into the streets homeless 'and penniless. No lives were lost. Tha burned area represents nearly a third of tha entire amusement city, all of which would undoubtedly have gone in the teeth of the strong wind but for the faet that Coney Island, with, a high pressure water system, especially designed de-signed for fire protection, is . better guarded againet a disaster of this kind than any other similar resort ia the world. , Started in Scenic Ballway. Tha fire was discovered, a tiny blase, in the tarred scaffolding vof 4' Hell Gate," a scenic railway eloea- to the entrance to Dreamland. Twenty, minutes min-utes after frightened watchman had turned in -three alarms, one after aa-other aa-other as fast aa his thumb eould press tho key, all Dreamland ten acrea ot gaudy, closely packed buildings was ona blaae. Tha flames, urged by a strong wind,- were visible for nearlsw fifteen miles. Close to "Hell Gate," where the fire started, was Ferran'a animal show and nearer yet the infant incubator, a charity nursery ia which were six wee infanta and. their attendanta. Tha ehil-drea ehil-drea were taken out in their little glass houses and rushed out of danger by the police. Then eame-the work of taking out tha animals, a eoatly collection, including includ-ing several dangeroua man eaters. The animals were in a panic. Their roaring eould be heard for many blocks above the crackling of the flames and the throbbing of the engines. The trainers lost no time. While policemen "with drawn revolvers stood at the entrance fo guard the) crowd in the street, against any beasts that might escape, the attendanta drove their ehargea from tha cages down the runway into the emergency vans, which are alwaya ready. Big-Lion Escapes. All weat well nntil the transfer was early concluded, men tne oiggeei oi the lions, in panic, broke from bis bonds, smashed his way through the barriers and leaped into the streets, already packed by a throng of specta tors. He dived straight into the mid die of the throng. Conaternatioa seized the multitude and the crowd rushed pell mall ia all directions. A mounted polieeaiaa. came at the erooehingwfceaat in the center of the wide avenue with drawn revolver. Twiea he shot and twice missed, the lion backing away from the glare and noise of the exploeions. Thea six more mounted policemen lined ap ia front of the crowd aad opened a fusillade. Haekinar awav. snarhnaT and leavins- a trail of blood from many wounds, the lion made hia way across tha avenuo into the dark wooden tunnels ot "The Rocky Boad to Dublin," and ia a black corner beneath painted scenery of equatorial Africa he made his last stand. Three final volleys were required to finish him and he sank to the ground riddled like a aieve. To make sure thst he waa dead one of the policemen pulled down a fire ax from behind the soenery aad knocked tha aknll ia two. , As sfoa as the crowd was aasoret (Continued oa page 6.) BIG BLAZE s (Continued from page !) that th lion waa no mora they rushed in and literally tore the carcass to bits for souvenirs. The first man on the seen took a tasseled tail; tb three seat divided th long mint and fifty mea fought among themselves for the honor of possessing on of hi teeth. Many Animal Parish. Mesnwhils the esrap of the big lion had cut short the' work of tha aaimal ate and th. fire waa already ia the menagerie before their work waa eon pktfd. Sixty of th 105 a a inula were left to di. bv fire. Almost before th. firemen had their hoe connected to the high pOaaure tare along the street the great Dream Is ad tour with its glare of many thoa-sand thoa-sand electric bulbs fell iato th lake and th fire swspt oa bevond the bonds of Dreamland to th horde of little booth aad eoaeesaions which lined tha B arrow streeta bevoad. The Dreamlaad pie, jutting ant far into the oeeaa with ita burdea of staada aad booths, waa swept cJeaa to its steel foundations. . |