The New York herald., 1867-04-01
GREAT FIRE IN ST. LOUIS.

The EindeH House i'm RnIns-I4oss Estirsnted
st 81 6OS.OOO-Insurnnee. S3lO.OOO.
Sr. Eour, March 81, 1857
ThoIindeil Honse tho largest building Of isssnd
this continent inot in the wosd: totally destroyed
by me las. NIGHT. Thcrs is good deal of mystery
about the origin Of the nrs; Dut the reliable
COUNTS that It broke one in Of ihe-wost front
roonsn the h story at Atsat hafpast eight O'Clock;
but tho alasm was not sounded until After nne
Al, this time the FIRE WAS confined to- two rooms
ohat oors but owing 70 tho great heghSo tho build
irg and thsdicuy Of reaching the uppev floors with
hose the fs gradually ascended until it broke through
the .xth and seventh stoes< and reached the roof
ho northwest OF TIM building From this point
tho damsssspdly theroof the
entire width Of the east sAh street 'front.'
asd theamoved rapidly do~nwards unithey envelopsd
! The entire structure.
4 Up tsshs time the flre spread acress the building Il
thsg general belief that the lower part OF the hotel
woaapos saved. But the flames reachesfthe
and inner courts mp and through which srong
currents Of air rushe they received and powerful
impetus and all hope of staying them was lost. Tho
ensrts 81 the nremsn however were not relaxed and
the fun force Of the departments steadily work
until three o'clock This morning. which all the
inner work coasamed aud considerable portion Of
he wallis had fallen In, and whaswas the stateiest,
mast imposing and handsomese hotel In tEs country
tho building owned by siYe estate OF Henry Amss
Co., Edward Eames being mo representative Of tho
property its original cost little 5000, 90
and was bought BY Ames 60. in December 1868. two
months after it was opened, FOR $373,000
The Insurance. the hoass amounts 1910 00o from
$4,000 10 Sss 600 of which Is in Eastern Offices mainly
In New York, Brooklyn and Philadelphia. The iessces
Hatcs weherford Co., whose loss on farni,ure
and stores about $3oNO0o; insured or sloo ooO But
little Of the furniture was saved.
There wsre about four hundred guests In Tie hotel
large number Of whomieonssted os families who were
boarding the house The latter lost the uest Of their
personal effects ownR to the cosfusion and excitement
which prevailed ana the disbelief that the house would
be destroyed. unsa was to- late to remove them
The loss from ths source win probably reach 500 ooo
TAs goods In the stores underneath tho hotel were al
meat totally destroyed although there abundant
time 10 save them The oss will probably be $50 900.
Tne total os2 BY the disaster win scarcely bs than
81, ,0oo, 900. The hre distance OF twenty.
seven miles from the city.
The following partial List Of Mr. Ames' insurance
on the Lindsll Hots:--9io 900 each in Pheaix and
Lorillard New York; Insurance Company Of North
AmsroA, Philadelphia; Commerce, Of Albany; and
$1,000 In sach Of the following insurance oacss:
Marine. Globe, Citizens Atlantic United statss st.
Louis. Mound City Missouri State Mutual, Home ana
Pacific
Hatch wsthsrfeld Co. had the following among
other nsurances their furnisure SIS 900 each
Continental Washington 81 Louis Excclsior So o0C
IN Pacific, National, Mississippi Valley, Ill S. Louis
ofnces, and 81, 900 in the Etna and Hartford
This IRE was the most serious calamity that has b.
fallen 81 Louia since the great nre Of 1olo, and Ia
matter OF universal regret and sorrow The value o
tho surrounding properly has already deprecated ter
to twenty per cent and the hotel not rebuilt shis
| depreciation win be feis for distance Of many
blocks.
Mr.. Ames says he shall not rebuild the hotel, bui
number Of the prominent citizens have already taken
the matter In hand and sxersiea win be made 70 eec
/ ita reconstruction.