Morning journal and courier., 1885-04-17
News by Telegraph FROM ALL QUARTERS. BURNING LIKE FINDER. The Buffalo Express BuiId-
 ing Gutted. FIFTY LIVES LOST BY FIRE. Penjdeh Held By The
 Russians. GENERAL GRANT ON THE MEND. Bribery In The Ohio Leg
 isIature.
GENERAL GRANT ON THE MEND.

DISASTROUS BLAZE AT BUFFALO. The Express Building Gutted Nm
 Twenty Mfnutes-Reporters Escape
 By The Windows-A Quarter of a
 Million Quickly Snuffed Out.
 BUFFALO, April 16-About 5:45 this even ing fire was discovered in the composing room of the Express building on Exchange street and in an incredibly short space of time the entire room was filled with smoke and flames which speedily shot through the entrance connecting what is known as the Express building and the end which leads into the editorial rooms. By the time the department arrived the second floors of the old and new buildings were mass of flames which belched out of the windows and ate their way upwards and downwards with frightful quickness. The acids and cheni- calls used in the engraving and etching pro cesses on the floor above which the fire origi- mated and also on the floor below in the en- graving and lithographing establishment of G. H. Dunston & Co., helped the spread of the fire and the fremen, while they worked with superhuman effort, realized that they had all they could do to prevent the spread of the fire and keep it in the locality from which it started. Scarcely twenty minutes after the fire started the ina mense five-story building was completely gutted. About 6:15 several of the floors gave way, carrying with them the large en- graving presses. Type, metal and itho- garaphing stones fell with deafening roar followed by noise that sounded like the ports of thousand muskets. The front was seen to bulge and orders were is sued to extend the fire lines. Only seven or eight minutes after this was done several immense volumes of flames of pecu- liar yellowish red color puffed up from the seething pit. Immediately after the wall was seen to topple and the top story fell outward with crash. Fortunately no one was hurt, although several fremen were within deadly proximity and there was not instant's warning.
 The building was occupied on the ground floor by the O'Neill carriage repository, the second floor by G. H. Dunston & Co.,, itho- graphers and engravers, and the three floors above by the editorial rooms of the Express, the bindery and engraving departments and the job printing rooms of Matthews, Nor throp & Co. respectively. The fire was due to the carelessness of the porter, who was lighting one of the lamps in the news room. James Ross, printer, in endeavoring to put out the flames was badly burned and also nearly suffocated by the smoke. He was rescued with some difficulty. J. N Matthews was seated in his editorial rooms, which are on the second floor, when the fire broke out. He was utterly uncon- scious of his danger until his son, who had heard of the fire and ran up the stairs through the flames and smoke, rushed into the room and hastily appraised him. MT. Mat thews came out unscathed, but his son was badly burned about the hands and neck. So quick was tke spread of the flames that the reporters barely had time to climb out of the windows and drop on to the roof of the building adjoining. Fifteen or twenty girls and men had to descend the fire escape, the flames having swept up both flights of stairs. It is estimated that the loss will be $25O, 900, insurance S13S. .OOO