Bad News

We have made it to the 20th century.

In looking for news about each year, good stories are best. 1900 had its share of ugly stories.

Martin Maloney had just finished building Ballengarry, his opulent home that looked like the Dublin town hall in Spring Lane. Before their first full season in the house, his daughter Catharine (Kitty) died of consumption. Kitty was taken to Switzerland by her oldest sister Margaret and their mother. While her condition seemed to improve, she died on the return voyage in her mother’s arms. The millionaire was despondent.

That same year, another young, beautiful, and wealthy, young woman, Miss Rosa Daniels of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was in “ill health”.

She attempted suicide by drowning herself in the surf at Sea Girt. The east wind made the waves unusually high, and she tried to swim out but the ocean did not want her. Three times she plunged into the angry surf, but the high seas cast her back upon the beach. Finally, she decided to give up the task after the ocean drove her southward. She was exhausted, and far from the Beach House. She dragged herself to a place where she could get shelter. She reached the Osborn House at Manasquan. and was cared for by Mrs. Zimmerman who gave her dry clothing and nursed her until her sister arrived from Martinsburg.

A performance that was fairly common at the time perpetuated ugly stereotypes:

“Minstrel performances were given at the Sea Girt camp during the week. They will be encamped there in July. They gave a black-face entertainment in the presence of the colonel, his staff and others one night, and then a performance will be given for the benefit of General Sewell and his staff.” Sewell was a prominent state senator.

Captain James Kane also had a tragedy. While he was commanding his unit at Sea Girt a few years earlier, his young son drowned in the Delaware River. In 1900, his other son was in a tent with three soldiers from their hometown of Beverly NJ. As rain poured in they were struck by lightning. All were rendered unconscious by the blast. Two, including Kane’s son, were seriously injured and the unit left for home near Burlington as soon as the boys could be moved.

Fire was always a danger to the wooden structures given the wind off the ocean, lack of sprinklers, and a lack of quality fire-fighting equipment. Vagrants also often broke into empty hotels and cottages where fireplaces and stoves would be an attractive option to stay warm in places that were largely abandoned in the offseason.

In November 1878 half of Cape May was burned out as a suspicious fire started in the Ocean Hotel, jumped back and forth across narrow streets in a swirling wind. Spring Lake had a Fire Department in 1897 with William Lucas as President and R.T. Divine as Chief. Sea Girt had none.

In 1900 several small fires preceded the big one. First Lewis’ lumber yard with three cottages reported were burned without explanation then the stables at the Monmouth mysteriously caught fire in early September. The newspapers reported R.T. Divine’s firemen were undrilled.

A 1900 ad for fire equipment. The Spring Lake Fire Department was ovematched.

Susan Urie had purchased the block of connected cottages called Hastings Square. On September 17, the laundress in one of Mrs. Urie’s cottages was preparing for the next day’s laundry. As the season ended, all of the linens in the house would need to be boiled. She placed a fair amount of wood on the warm stovetop to dry it out and retired for the evening. At around 1 AM, the wood overheated and ignited, setting the cottage ablaze. The fire quickly spread to the Essex and four other cottages.

As the fire burned out of control, the wind blew hard from the northeast and embers flew southward. Block after block caught fire. Chief Devine, knowing his men were overmatched called out to all of the departments at the Shore, Point Pleasant to Long Branch. Firefighters tried to concentrate on the Monmouth House, but the flames jumped west across First Avenue and the Carlton caught fire, along with the entire block of Lucas’ commercial property, now owned by John’s brother William. His wife Emma also lost the Lucas Cottages on Warren and briefly, the Palmer and the Allaire were ablaze. Embers caught a barn in Sea Girt, but Wreck Pond largely held back the flames. The heat burned the engine of the Spring Lake Fire Department and they had to retreat.

By morning, the lake was filled with debris, piles of steaming boards were everywhere and seven blocks of Spring Lake Beach were in ruin. The chimney of the Monmouth House stood tall alone with a smoldering heap around it, and Ocean Avenue was lined with the suitcases of the cottagers and guests who had escaped the flames. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured, owing to low population this time of year.

Nineteen buildings were destroyed, and almost every business. The tally included a restaurant, Hills Drug store, L. Hirsch’s butcher shop, Sedwick and Callais ice creamery, a jewelry store, an oriental goods store, a dry goods, Bamman’s grocery, Wolley’s Drugs, a bike shop, a fruit stand and the offices of Henry Yard’s Coast Company and Spring Lake and Sea Girt Company. The Carleton and Monmouth were total losses.

Thousands came to stare at the wreckage. While the papers all presumed Spring Lake would rebuild, the populace was shocked at the change in fortune and the sight of their beloved Spring Lake.

Mrs. Urie ($50,000), Maltby ($100,000) and William Lucas ($65,000) suffered the most damage. Only Mrs. Urie would stay around. Lucas and Maltby would take their insurance money, and fade into retirement.

Maloney resolved to make something good to honor the memory of his youngest and to help bring Spring Lake back to prominence. Within full sight of the empty lake and debris from the fire, Maloney laid the cornerstone of Saint Catharine’s Church in March 1901. He hired Trumbauer again to design the classical revival mini cathedral out of limestone and Pompeian brick and he brought in Professore Gonippo Raggi from Rome to begin the long process of painting frescoes and canvases similar to those of the finest of Europe’s churches. Within the knave of the structure, he planned a crypt for his beloved daughter with room for his entire family.

With the Spring Lake downtown moving north near OH Brown’s furniture store on Third Ave, Sea Girt residents found Mrs. Balkey’s store near the train station a bit closer than the drive to Spring Lake.