as an Afromobile, powered by hotel employees, with a separate palm trail reserved for pedestrians. 1920s and 1930s In March 1925, a massive fire burned down The Breakers for a second time. Unlike during the 1903 fire, these flames also destroyed several other buildings, including The Breakers' cottages and the Palm Beach Hotel, as well as many nearby shops. Because "sparks flying like cinders from a volcano were showering down over all of Palm Beach", according to the Associated Press, emergency responders brought dynamite to the Royal Poinciana Hotel to prevent the blaze from spreading father and ordered guests to evacuate the building, but hesitated to use the explosives due to the risk of injuring thousands of people. Although the roof of the Royal Poinciana Hotel appeared to smolder, the structure was spared from the fire. In the immediate aftermath of the fire, many guests from the destroyed lodgings sought refuge at nearby residences and hotels, with more than 300 people arriving at the Royal Poinciana Hotel. Four days after the fire, a Flagler System conference held at the Royal Poinciana Hotel led to a decision among officers and trustees to rebuild The Breakers. After The Breakers reopened in December 1926, tourists began to consider Victorian hotels as relics, instead preferring new luxuries. Consequently, attendance at the Royal Poinciana Hotel declined. The 1928 Okeechobee hurricane made landfall in Palm Beach in September of that year, substantially damaging the Royal Poinciana Hotel. Plaster littered more than 1,400 rooms and water soaked the hotel's interior. Among the worst impacted sections of the hotel was the north wing, which shifted off its foundation. Additionally, vegetation in the Coconut Grove, tea garden, and Australian pine-lined leading to The Breakers suffered extensive losses. However, the Royal Poinciana Hotel's golf course, Royal Poinciana Chapel, and tea house received only minor damage. Despite Palm Beach mayor Barclay Harding Warburton I's proclamation in late September that the hurricane would not affect the winter season, Florida East Coast Hotel Company vice-president H. E. Bemis announced on October 12 that the Royal Poinciana Hotel would not be able to open during the upcoming winter season, citing immense impacts to the building due to the storm. Although set to remain closed during the 1928-29 tourism season, repair work allowed the Royal Poinciana Hotel partially re-open on January 12, 1929, with 600 rooms usable. The building underwent additional repairs and modifications during