Destructive fire in New York.
--
Loss of Life--A large fire broke out in the
Rainbow Hotel, Beekman street, New York, on the morning of the 7th instant, during which a large amount of property was destroyed, as well as several lives lost.--The flames were discovered between 2 and 3 o'clock A. M., in the basement of the hotel, and in ten minutes the whole structure was in flames.
The New York
Express says:
‘
An alarm immediately given awake
Mr. Hewell, the proprietor of the hotel, who, with great presence of mind, proceeded to arouse the inmates until, beaten back by the intense beat of the fire and the dense volumes of smoke, which filled every spot in the vast structure, and which threatened suffocation at almost every breath, he was obliged to leave the burning edifice for his own safety.--There were at this time eighteen boarders at the house, besides six servant girls,
Mrs. Parker, the housekeeper, and
Thomas Henderson, the barkeeper.
These, with the exception of two of the boarders, named
McKenzie and
Simmons, were removed from the building with the aid of ropes and ladders, and the humans exertions of the firemen, who arrived early on the ground and went to work with a hearty will.
It is feated that these unfortunate boarders have fallen victims to the conflagration, as they slept on the third floor, and the smoke rendering it almost impossible to leave the house by the usual modes of egress.
This supposition has been confirmed, as neither of the men have since been soon or heard from.
McKenzie was an Englishman, between 70 and 80 years of age — a well educated, intelligent gentleman, and who had at one time been secretary and aid-decamp to the
Duke of
Wellington during his Peninsula campaign.
Simmons was a much younger man, was also an Englishman, and engaged in the fruit business.
Capt. Munk, also a boarder at the establishment who has been in the city for some time on recruiting business, was taken out of the building.
He is very seriously burned about the body.
The flames rapidly spread to the adjoining buildings on the west, No. 29 Beekman street, and to 163, 165, and 167 William street, and to 63 and the rear of 61 Ann street. The firemen were early on the ground, and notwithstanding their utmost efforts, five buildings were totally destroyed and several others badly burned.
The aggregate losses in Beekman, William, and Ann streets, including stock and buildings, and damage by water, will probably reach $150,000.
Among the sufferers occupying the other buildings are
C. W. Baker, printer, loss $70,000, insurance $35,000,
G. C. White, envelope manufacturer, $15,000, insurance, $10,000;
Messrs. Thorp, dealers in upholstery, &c., loss $8,000, fully insured;
F. E. Wellington, importer of brass, loss $8,000, insured.
There were also a number of other sufferers.
Three of the buildings belonged to the estate of the late
James Connor and were insured for $26,000.
’
