Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-02-18

The Guests nnsi Servants Escape, gsrt i.ase
.iMYhe.r CiGthin.-I.Oss SeIOO.OOO

TIE Guests .nd Servants Escape. Iiu, Lose
!siiYhe,r Ciofiiin.-I.oss 1:IOO,0OO.
\ special despatch from Buffalo, N. V,
says :" Another great disaster has oc-
cured to-day. and one oi wl,ic,. causes =
loss that will be severely fcIt' in Buffalo,
through the destruction b. fire OF the mag
niiiccnt hotel erected BY the Hon. II. v.
Pierce iii Prospect :,ven.Is. fhe fire was
first discovered abut.I t..o clock. when
smoke WAS seen l.ati,hg i.um the tall
tower of the hotel .ibo,u the sixth
story. Those who wcnU III. iu:o that
part Of the buil,iin. found that the bag
gage room, situaioi oil the main elevator,
III the top story, and close by the
tower or cupola Wa, on Ire. Iilc hotel
was provides! with Il iiIe cX:inguishinG
apparatus, but when IA .:ttenp. was
made to use it the cylinders turrt. The
fire department vas GA the ground
promptly, but twenty ti!ues the number
OF engines could not save the building.
The wind was blnw:;.: i gale and had u
clean sweep over the structure from the
lake. The flames. spreadiD" rapidly,
were lannG.l into actual lcrOcity, and their
roar coull be heard for some distance.
Twenty patients were in the iniirnary or
medical and surgical department.. tw" Of
WHOM had undergone serious operations
only II few hours before. They were all
safely removed.
"Nhcn the first alarm was given there
WIS very great excitement among the in
mates and it looked at one time IL; though
some of them wOul! sacrifice their lives III
their caGerncsS to save their effects. by
the cool conduct OF the employees, how
ever, they were all induced finally to get
ont, and not any too s;'On, for within ID
minutes the tower fell, crushing through
the roof, when the flames had full sway,
soon reaching the first story. Frequent
explosions We're heard. probably caused by
TIE cracking Or bursting of the stone and
marble wGrk OF the interior. In the coarse
of two hours all that remained OF the
beautiful structure WAS Il heap OF ruins.
DR.. Pierce narrowly escaped bcin. con-
s,ln1ed in the building. He was in the dis
pensary when told the house WAS on fire,
and ran up five flights Gi stairs us quick us
he could, and was almost overpowcrsd by
the smoke and flames. The boardcrs were
unable 10 save their effects AMI their losses
vary from few hundred to so, go. Mr..
II. G.. Walton, Of the Bank oil Commerce,
had a collection Of paintings valued ut
$1,000. None OF the inmates, are heavily
insured. Dr.. Pierce estimates his loss
ut s40O, COO. lie is insured for
$500, 400, mostly in Eastern companies.
He will doubtless rebuild the ;,otcl, tut i'll
all probability not "r as elaborate q scale
as wa, observed iii It's original COrsiruc-
tion. Several tiremc'i were injured hy fall
ing walls. but only one, W'u. Tanner, was
seriously hurt, lie WAS buried ;il.'!er a rOr-
ton OF the tower. Work was "Din:..anccd
on the building in June. 1876, ant. it was
formally opened Tor business in May, 1873.
Ii had a frontage 90: 20 feet, with Wing
extensions ni i!5 feet. WIS 2i5 feet i'll
depth, six stories iii height, and :jS
feet in height iuclndiay The tower.
It was completely and elegantly fur
nisllc,l throughout The total cost "i the
finished structure aggregated nearly $780,
900. The origin Of The tire is :. mystery,
the most plausible Theory bai!lt that n.
ignition by a Gas jet. The house WAS fully
c iuippeh with fire cxIir%uis!Iers, bat the
tank blrstin:: rendered! tlla;n useless