(From the Buffalo Republic)

Destructive Fire in Buffalo.

On Saturday evening the alarm bell struck, and in a few moments there was a rush for the vicinity of the American Hotel Block. The fire was found to proceed from the hat and cap store, No. 300 Main street, occupied by John Roth. The flames spread with great rapidity, and by the time the firemen got well to work, the whole block, consisting of three stores, was in flames from cellar to roof. Just after the flames got well on in Roth's store, breaking the glass in the store of Paul Bouyon, next to Roth's on the north. The back buildings of wood took fire. One of them, a long wooden building known as the Jewish Synagogue, was saved with great difficulty. The American Hotel was in great danger. On the side towards the fire there were four windows protected by iron shutters. During the progress of the fire, one of those shutters was curled up by the intensity of the heat, and fell off. Everybody supposed that this large hotel was to be burned, but by well and long sustained efforts, no damage of any moment was done.

Those burned out are as follows:

No. 300 Main street, Martin Roth, hat store, loss between $4000 and $5000, fully insured. No. 302, Mrs. Rose, millinery store, loss $3,600; insurance $2,800. No. 304, Henry Diehl, tobacco and cigar store; loss $800; no insurance; he has since removed to No. 402 Main street. George Reinhardt, restaurant in the basement of 304; loss about $600; no insurance. Above these stores were various rooms and offices.

Talcott & Thompson, lawyers and solicitors, loss on library $5,000; the papers of all their clients and their own, all of the most valuable description, were entirely destroyed; the loss is of course inestimable. Dr. C. C. Gay lost everything in his office, comprehended in which was a very valuable library, medical and scientific instruments, &c., on his library there was an insurance of $1000 with Hall & Brewster.----Mr. Coons, photographer, lost his entire stock of everything; no insurance; his loss will not reach $600. Dr. Strong and Dr. Treat, whose offices were in the building, lost everything.

Mrs. Wallace, milliner, who had her place of business over No. 304, lost everything she had in the world, except a sewing machine. Mrs. W. was under the impression that the fire would be confined to the store in which it originated; and her rooms being two stores from the one in which the fire was raging; with another lady she stood her ground, until to their horror and astonishment, they discovered that the stairway, their only apparent means of escape, was in flames. They were finally rescued by Mr. John B. Smith, who obtained a ladder, and, mounting it, took the frightened pair through a window and conveyed them safely to the ground.

At the time the fire broke out, the opera of the "Two Pompeys," by the Buckley's was going off at St. James's Hall, to the great delight of a large audience. As soon as the alarm bell struck, some twenty or thirty unthinking individuals started out of the hall on a run. The effect was to make many of the audience believe that the hall was on fire. It was a critical time for a panic, and only failed from some sensible people explaining the matter immediately.

The Erie Observer, Erie, PA 12 Mar 1850
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Transcribed by Linda Horton. Thank you, Linda!