The Fires of Coney Island

By Michael Quinn

I vividly remember as a child in the 1970’s sitting in the back seat of my father’s car traveling on the Belt Parkway. Once we reached the Cropsey Avenue exit I would look out into the distance to see the rusted Parachute Jump with it’s cables drooping down hauntingly dancing with the seaside wind. It seems like everyday the skyline of Coney Island was surrounded by black smoke. This was the Coney Island of the 1970’s. A far cry from the Coney Island of today.

Family events like mom’s birthday would be held at Carolina’s Italian Restaurant. The walls of the restaurant were adorned with celebrity visitors like Robert De Niro. On the way out my brother would point out the Terminal Motel which was located across the street. In it’s dilapidated condition my brother would poke fun at the name “Terminal.” He would say things like ” The Terminal would be the last place that I would check in.” Sadly, the over a century old Terminal Motel is the latest casualty of fire.

Here is a list of some of the most significant fires in Coney Island’s history. If you can think of more I will add them to the list.

1/6/1893  W.8th st. including 3 hotels and bath houses are destroyed

6/17/1893 All building destroyed on Surf ave. south between W.11th and W.12th

5/16 1895  Four acres burn between Surf ave, Maiden Lane, Sea Beach Walk, and Arcade Walk

1896    Elephant Hotel and Shaw Channel Chutes Coaster are destroyed

5/26 1899  Sixty buildings destroyed including Feltman’s, Henderson’s, and Stauch’s. All three rebuild.

11/1/1903  Great Bowery Fire in which 14 square block are destroyed in 4 hours

7/28/1907 Steeplechase Park burns down in 18 hours. Lit cigarette thrown in a waste basket at Cave of the Winds ride was the culprit.

5/27/ 1911 Dreamland Fire which started at Hell Gate dark ride

7/14/ 1932 Boardwalk fire

9/15/1939 Boardwalk and Steeplechase Park

2/27/1944 L.A. Thompson’s Scenic Railway burns

8/12/1944 Half of Luna Park is destroyed including Kaleidoscopic Tower and Mile Sky Chaser Coaster

5/1947-10/1948 Fires continue at Luna Park. Luna is torn down in 1949

1963: Ravenhall Bathhouses

2010: Coney Island Arcade. .