Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-04-29
New YopK. April e5.
FIRE AT THE CITY HOTEL!

Halt past IL O'Clock We have lust returned
from Witnessing an imposing add grand, though
terrific spectacle Al about ten o'clock this
morning, tie a'ar,a of fire was given, and persist
ed in Wih ST. mach diligence as to reader il Ger.
tain that thete was serious fire. Shortly after
wards We were Informed that the City Hotel-a
vast structure, a, all the world knows, occupy
ing the whole block west Of Broadway. between
Cedar aud Thames streets, was in flames. We
repaired immediately TO the scene Of the calami-
". and were so fortunate a, 10 secure a view
from an upper story, nearly opposite.
The news thar this splendid edificc, long
known. and uniyerSally popular, as one of the
best roiels in the country, was TN fire, created
very great interest, and the streets in the neigh.
borhood Mere crowded with mulliiudinous thou
saDds. before the engines coul, be brought up for
action; aud when they did successfully arrive.
although e,erv exertion within human power was
made. yet from the great heish t of the building,
and from the circumstance that the fir" coinlnrn
ced in the at,ick, 1t was long time before they
could be brought to play upon the destructive
element.
The accident is said to have been occasoned
BY some defect IN one Of the chimneys. The
smoke wss ir,t observed from, the street, issuing
apparently from some crevces bet ,een the bricks
OF the Southern gable, but no alarm was then
sivet; and even some considerable time after
wards, when the smoke was seen issuing from the
upper window easements, in large Volumes it was
not supposed that any serious Consequences would
ensue. The alarm, however, was now ,.ven,
aud il a few moments afterwards the flames burst
forth with great fury having thus. before the ar
rival of the engines, attained power which il
was difficult to arrest.
few mu:neuts after we became spectators of
the scene, an incident occurred of painful and
thrilling interest. In the attempt to check the
progress OF the fire, two individuals, one OF
whom. we believe. was Mr.. Jennings. the keep
er OF the hotel himself, had assembled the upper
story, Immediately under the roof. and before
they were aware of their danger, the fames in
vested them on every side, and precludcd their
descent by the stair case The building was so
high that no ladder could be raised to relieve
them, nor even near enough to throw a rope by
which they might descend. In this periIous ST.
tuaion, ON the verge Of the roof, and the ras
ing element making trighuu advances towards
them, they had for some time the melancholy
prospect of being crushed by the fall of the burn
ing timbers around them, or Of perish,ng IN the
flames. Long ladders were splced; out for
some moments all exertiuns TO reach them were
in vain, as the ladders could not be raised 10 the
cornice, and the persons exposed were upon the
roof, which was burning all around them-hav-
ing emerged through dormah window. At
this perilOus moment, when hope had almost fled,
a young man, by an extraordinary effort. threw a
rope from one Of the upper windows to the roof
ProvilentialIy it stuck last, and the gentlemen
were enabled to creep along the gutter. seize the
rope and fasten ii to the dormar casements.-
They then successfully let themselves down un
til they could be reached and taken into an up.
per window.
Their situation had been watched with great
ANXIETY and their GOODNESS and intrepidity during
inc trying moments OF their peril was hailed by
the llveliest acclamations Of the spectators. the
moment their safety was ensured.
Meantime the work of destruction proceeded
rapidly. The flames burst up through the roof.
ing with such violence as to throw the tiles off in
masses,whic tumbled down upon the pavement,
belo~-to the imminent danger of the firemen and
others beneath. The fire poured forth from the
dormar windows; from the gables; & in immense