Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-04-03
tFr~m the st. Louis Republican. March 81
GREAT PUBLIC CALAMITY.

Hotel Destroyed-LOss Nearly Two.
MilhOn' D0llars.S > HEF FTF#f "a
It is with the profoundest feelings of re-
gret that we prepare g record the partieu-
ed in. the headlines above. The Lindell
Hotel is destroyed by fire. That magIifi i
cent architectural pile, one of the finest of
its character in the world. and which only
yesterday was the chief adornment of our
city, is now an enormous mass of blacken-'
ed ruins. 1t is almost impossible to realize
the fact from the bare announcement. Yet
even while we write, the m d light heavens
are illumined with the glare of the burn
Ing, and the whole city qtiiyers with ex-
.citenlent and CONSERVATION. .
= Far and wide, wherever the news of the
terrible events brought this Sunday morn
ing, we are assured it will cause regret. 1t
lis apublie calamity that will be telt every
where. But in our own city the deStruc-
-tiQn oftthe prtneelV hotel almost assumes
the magnitude of an irreparable disaster.
A grand prominent feature of admiration
and attraction has disappeared from the
chief thoroughfare of our city, and in it's
place lies a drear ana shapeless pile ofreek-i
angruin.l - fkls x6a III
We can well imagine as each citizen
views this morning the vast square, where
stood the stately building, a wide scene of
-desolatiOn and destruction, The will realize
that the disaster is not one of merely a
transitOry character, but a. blow affecting
the community in the aggregate, and occa-l
,siOning regret in which each citizen par
ticipates. But we viii not pause now to
moralize on the greatness of the loss, while
as yet its very freshness prevents its ade-
Qllate realization, but will proceed to mar
rate the part culars of the memorable con-
hagratiOn SO lar as iC was possible to ascer-
tain tn. m in the wild confusion and tumult
prevailing.
THE ALARM.
The fire, according to the most reliable
accounts, first made its appearance on the
roof toward the southwest corner. 1t is
said to have commenced in one OF the ser
wants rooms, on the seventh story, but we
could ascertain no definite particulars on
this point. 1t is reported to have been dis
covered first by some of the employees of the
hotel, who conveyed the startling intelli-
.Rence to the Office. When the announce
ment was first made that the building was
on fire, it did not create that wild and sud-
den excitement which generally takes
place under su:h circumstances
This was attributable to the fact of the
fire being on the highest story, and there
was little or no evidence of IL In the lower
part OF the building. 1t is probable, also.
that the report was at first discredited. 1t
was about half-pas5 eighGOr quarter to nine
o'clock. Every thing was going ont trough
out the vast building in the usual manner.
The billiard and sitting rooms were crowd
ed with guests aud visitors; supper was
not yet over the large ball wore It's usual
animated appearance, and the lights in
nearly every window in the front of the
splendid building told that the almost in
Vulnerable apartmets had OCCUPANTS with
in. But in few moments wild change
swept swiftly through the crowded hotel.
The appalling cry of "fire," at first whiSp-
cred ia undertones, began to be spoken
aloud. The HURRY ing to and fro of employees,
the agitation visible in the faces OF the pro-
prletOrs and others who returned hurriedly
from visiting the upper stories, soon attract
ed attention aud spread. the exciting intel
Hgence. But all doubt as to the fact was
ended by the appearance OF the flames
bursting through the roof and showing
through some of the windows on the upper
story. Then the excitement gathered on
the street with the sound of many voices,
and the widest consterRation spread from
room to room, along the wide corridors,
and from floor to floor throughout the
enormous hotel.
The scene which ensued battles all de-
scription, and yet. there was not that des-
perate panic which is so generally aSsoci-
ated with such occasions. Whatever efforts
to conceal the fact may at first have been
thought necessary by the gentlemen con-
nected with the hotel in order to prevent
widespread and unnecessary alarm, was at
once abandoned when danger became evil
dent, and measures were Immediately
taken for the safety of the occupants. But
the alarm of fire needs but little prOpaga-
of hurrying feet, and the roar of voices
soon acquainted every inhabitant of the
building in the most distant apartments
with the news that the hotel was on fire,
apd then the frantic rush aud scramble for
escape commenced.
Owing to thejearly hour. but portion OF
the guests had retired to their rooms, and
hence there was not the crowd that there
would have been had the fire occurred later
in the night, but still the corridors and
cfoi,. Nrfl of hon
dered and affrigheed people that streamed
down to the lower floors, while the build
ing rang with the shouts of men and the
screams of scared women and children.
AS far, however, as the loss OF human
life was concerned there was but little dam
ger the fire was at this time only on the
roof of the building, and there was no OBJ
stasle to prevent escape, and all the people
succeeded in getting out in safety. There
were several sick persons in the hotel, who
were carried out and conveyed to some o
the houses i'm the vicinity. The alarm was
conveyed to the Fire Experimentation the
Missouri Engine house, on Washington av-
enue, and the various engines arrived with
out much delay.
THE NEWS IN THE CITY.
The flames, after bursting through the
roof, spread on all sides with great rapid
fly, and the dark sky ofnigilt began to glow
with lurid glare. Then it was that The
intelligence that the LindeH Hotel was
actually on fire. began to be generally
known throughout the city, and the Px
element spread from street to street. The
whole city seemed to awake up into &C
tivity and tumult i'm a few moments.
Vast crowds appeared on the streets al
If by magic, and streamed through alley
and thorOughfares toward the burning
building.
The widest medley of sounds filled tht
quiet air of night, and che deepening mIr
murs of myriad voices gathered like
storm.
THE CROWD.
Almost simultaneous to the arrival of tn
engines, an almost innuinerable crowC
gathered on the streets round the hotel.-
Sixth and Seventh streets, Washington
avenue and Green street, almost for tW
squares distant, were literally jamme
with thousands of excited citizens. Th
roofs of all the houses in the vicinity wer
crowded with spectators, and every avaiIa
BILE standpoint was occupied in the street;
THE PROGRESS OF THE FIRE.
The engines, when they went to wOrF
proved pOwerleSs to STAY the progress c
the flames. The great height of the build
ing rendered it almost impossible to thrON
water fairly on the roof, and even whe
this was accom- plished it was of no avail, a
it was evident the fire was spreading unde
the roof, where it could not be reached
The firemen carried the hose through tn
hall and up the stairs toward the uppe
stories, hoping to be able to play directl
on the flames, but were apparently unabl
to do so, as no effect was perceptible.
The large tanks of water, constructs
mainly for such an emergency, in the up
per story of the hotel, were also of no praC
tical use, for what reason we could nc
learn, and in fact, we could not ascertai