Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-07-20

~a.~.er-.. sspe~The New Or
eeSSS Oaa Fe1s- w. eoooe 49,
crsyea. Hes esss eees-ansar.
me 0o6 80.
Z from the n. o. Picayune, July s.
Odf Fellow Hall. one If our most beau.
,ifai and staaely edi0css, the very centre
II Joy end music and song in our city, no
onges stands. Il took Gre little sfsss II
p. a., An inst; the devouring elements
passing thresgh its spacious halls like The
bssoo Of destruction; fee hours lsses its
massive valls iell 70 the ground With
heavy spund, which Vas heard thsoaehov.
The city and this morning nothing Of the
stately sditiee il 70 be seen except the char
red and tsuncstsd Wsa>, end ffsn the ~
cant plsce where once it stood. the scenes
of our iuya and hopes, now ascend but .
black cloud 4 amoks and eindsss. No
more ,li.aylroua IRE could have hsfslIen ~.
| or one that viii he more universally ~
srstssd By oil classes Of OR people. M
odd Fellows Hall vas completed and &C.
cupied April 20, 1862, little ever fourteen
years ago, and during all that time, mas
been, from it, very favorable l'eaeaen enc
excellent arrangements, our favoriee hall
for large assemblies 10 meet In. Il eeei
The round sum Of $225, 900. in the days
when money was gold and silver, including
the ground furniture. II WAS insured u
the city insurance offices for only $1,000
though several Of the lodges vert
partially insured for their furniture ant
regalia. Eighteen Lodges, four Encam2
mcnts and Grand Lodges, !. y
Of o. f., had their regular meetings in thi
building also several Masonic Lodges, tn
Druids, and other large. well known. an
floorlshing societies. They all last every
thing. Not . particle CT furniture, ant
none Of the valuable regalia were saved
The loss to each will be very sewers
and put them, as we'll as the whole com
munity, 10 sore inconvenience.
The fire, We understand, seems to nav
originated in one of the small Workshol
buildings in the rear, and the wind beinl
from the direction Of the river, dens
smoke blew through the hall and coqrt
Oumbers Hotel, a. fast - smoke couit
travel, and soon after came the devourin
flames. The fire companies wcro promptly
on the ground, but there does not appear I
have been any chance Of saving the build
ing from the first. II 10 almost misacl
that Gumbcls Hotel was saved. The WIN
blew strong and fresh, ~ always, throug
the wide passage looking out upon the opc
space Of Lafayette square, and only serve
10 add vigor to the flames. The front val
> fell across the street, with heavy SCUM
) that walked up oil the sleepcrs Of that pal
Of the city.
The inner wall fell against that Of Gau
bells Hotel, end that too giving way, a
fell into the court, mass Of dead brick an
mortcr. The hotel Was we'll drenched Wit
water, and large amount Of property d
stroyed or injured but the worthy host
fortunate in having escaped so we'll. Mo-
outstanding the temporary breaking up
his house and the sudden turning Of b
| numerous family Of gucsts out Of doors, !
10 calm q one who has suffered misfortune
before-sad ones, indeed, from floods ~
Ere and the dcsolations Of war 1t Pascago'
la-and already busy clearing away u
rubbish and putting tho hotel in ord
. again.