Year: 1860




FIRE AT THE ASTOR HOUSE-LOSS OF LIFE.


This morning, about eight o'clock fire broke
out in the drying-room attached to the laundry OF
the Astor House. The dryness of the material
around the fire enabled the devouring element to
make rapid headway, and before the arrival of the
fremen, it had extended its ravages on all sides,
and had worked its way for some distance between
the ceiling of the first and flooring of the second
stories of the wing Vesey street, and along under
the rooms looking out into the square in the centre
of the several wings. The rooms directly over the
laundry considerably damaged by the fire, and
from the progress made at its commencement, 1t
was thought that an extensive cOnflagratiOn would
ensue, and that the entire building would be de-
stroyed. Had the fire occurred during the night,
there can be but little doubt that such calamity
wouu have resulted. The firemen worked with
their usual commendable energy and perseverance,
and the fire soon placed under control.


The bOarders in the house were, of course, con-
sderably excited for time, especially those in
the vicinity of the locality where the fire had its
commencement. But the nature of the alarm and
the damage were soon understood, and calmness
and order restored All the guests on the Vesey
street side, who desired it, had their baggage re-
moved, but in half an hour after the first alarm
the assurance was given that the rooms on that
side of the building were in no danger. The rooms
directly the laundry used as a kitchen, aud
the culinary arrangements of the hotel were thrown
into the greatest confusion. But, Notwithstanding
the arrangements in the cuisine, and the prevailing
excitement all around, the guests of the Astor were
furnished with an excellent breakfast, albeit rather
late, in the dining the Barclay street side.


We regret to record the fact that the fire was at
tended with the loss of life. Thomas Brady, an at
tdche of the house, sleeping in room near the
laundry when the fire broke out. He was aroused
and made aware of his danger, and seemed inclined
to make his escape, but by some strange fatality he
went back to bed, and was so badly burned that he
died in about an hour after his removal from the
room. No other accidents to persons or individual
property came to the knowledge of our reporter.


The damage to the building is about $1,000
There has never been an insurance upon the house,
and the loss is therefore sustained by W. B. Astor,
Esq. yhe furniture which belongs to Messrs. Stet-
Co., injured to the extent OF some S4 600.
This loss is covered by an insurance of SS0,000.


The origin of the fire is mystery, for no fire
was used in the drying room. Hot water or steam
pipes were used, and some of the iremen thought
the woodwork in some spot became charred from
the heat of the pipes and this caused the fire. This
theory seems singular, but we believe such cir.
cumstance has been known. From hot-air pipes
fires are quite common, but hot water steam
pipes are generally considered safe.


The regular business of the hotel will not be in
terrupted by the casualty, but will go on as usual
and the house will be repaired with all possible de-
spatch.