National Hotel Burned-Loss $30,000-Insurance $14,000-Three Hundred Guest Escape Uninjured-Another Fire at the Same Time-Work of the Fire Department.

About three o’clock this, Friday, morning, fire was discovered in the basement of Patterson’s paint store, on Canal street, in the three story brick block owned by J.H. Martin,. The Valley City fire department was promptly on hand and soon put out the fire, confining it to the basement. The loss was not very large, and is fully covered by insurance.

Meanwhile, about 3:30 a fire broke out in the roof of the rear of the National Hotel, from over-heating the chimney from the kitchen, because it was defective, and the Campau, on its way to the first fire stopped at the Division street reservoir ready for action, the other engines coming as soon as possible from, the first fire. At first the employees of the hotel and neighbors hoped to save the building with a few pailfuls of water as the flames made but little headway, burned very steadily, but their efforts were unsuccessful, and before the Fire Department, could work to any advantages on the fire, the flames were beyond control.

The guests-about three hundred-were in the hotel, many with baggage; all got out of the building, with nearly all their effects, and much of the furniture was removed. The small frame building, west of the hotel, part of the structure in which was Gilbert Cook’s grocery, also the dwelling north on Greenwich street, own4ed by Mrs. Moriarty, occupied by John McNab and Mrs. Welfair, and the outbuildings in the rear were all burned. The barns across Greenwich street were in great danger, and would have burned had there been any wind at the time. As it was, the utmost exertions of the bucket brigade only sufficed to have them. Had they burned, the whole block from Greenwich to Division street must have been laid waste, and many thousand dollars of property destroyed, for the supply of water was exhausted before the fire was under control, and the efforts of the Valley City, pumping from the Pearl Street reservoir, were not enough to keep- the Campau and Caswell playing steadily from the Monroe street reservoir. Is there a lesson in this fact?

The loss on the buildings is estimated at $10,000 or $12,000; insurance on hotel only, for $10,000. The hotel was owned by Canton Smith, Esq. He lived in the part over the grocery. His furniture was all saved. Messrs. Campbell & Heach, proprietors of the hotel, saved a small portion of the furniture and other effects in the hotel. Their loss, aside from being thrown out of business, is $12,000 to $15,000, insured for $2,000; he saved about half his stock-insurance $1,700. Messrs. McNab & Welfair saved all their furniture, with slight loss. Mrs. Moriarty’s loss is $500 or $600, uninsured. The fixtures in Jesse’s barber shop were nearly all removed; loss small.

The National Hotel was one of the oldest of the landmarks of the city, as it had been built, though remodeled and rejuvenated from time to time, many years. It has a most interesting history, and in the future the historian of Grand Rapids will have ample material for an extended article.

George G. Steketee suffers a loss of about $300 on the building adjoining. Insured.

11/26/1872 - ANOTHER CONFLAGRATION

An Old Landmark Burned-Loss About $12,000-Partially Insured-

The Names of the Unfortunates.

Just after 3 o’clock this morning, 26^th, fire was discovered in a building in the rear of Lord & Kimball’s second-hand furniture store on Division street, near the corner of Monroe. An alarm was given at once, and the firemen were on hand reasonably quick, and commenced playing on the flames without delay, but again when the flames were under control and there seemed no danger of their spreading to the adjoining buildings, the

WATER

and the engines had to be, sent to one to the reservoir at Jefferson avenue, and another to the canal to play into the reservoir at Monroe and Justice streets, which had been emptied. Notwithstanding the efforts of the citizens and firemen, the building in which fire commenced, the little two-story brick building on the corner of Monroe and Division streets, the two-story structure on Monroe, the old Congregational church in years gone by, were

COMPLETELY DESTROYED,

and the roof was burned of the one-story brick structure, just west of the old church building, owned by Perkins, Bros. & Co. The fire was at one time supposed to be under complete control and it was believed the old church building would not burn. So content were some of the tenants, they began to think of moving their goods back.

THE LOSSES.

Hon Lewis Porter of Washington. Owned the old church building and the one where the fire began. His loss is about $8,000. Lord & Kimball occupied the building where the fire originated as a second hand furniture store. Loss on stock about $1,500, or more, on which there is an insurance of $1,000 said to be worthless. The three stores in the old church were occupied by S.R. Brown as a drug store, Eason & Tucker as a second hand furniture store and C.C. Norton as a meat market. The second story was occupied by G. Bosch was a tailor shop. Mr. Bosch lost all of his property at the great in Holland City in 1871-and by J.C. Eason, A. Faun, Wm. Wood and W. H. Steveris, who resided there. The most of the personal property in the building was removed though in a badly damaged condition. Total insurance on it is $3,075. Loss probably not more than $2,000. Perkins Bros & Co., have $1,000 insurance on their building on Monroe and Official streets which will cover all the loss. It was occupied by P. Dykenis as a flour and feed store. Loss, $2,000; insurance, $500. E. K. Powers owned the brick block on the corner of Monroe and Division streets. His loss is fully insured. It was occupied by A. Zierlyn and jewelry store, and C. Krekel as a fancy goods store. Their stocks were nearly all saved, and their losses are covered by insurance. The second story of the building was occupied by a painter named McKay, who lost several hundred dollars of property, only saving one portrait, and a milliner whose goods were partly saved.

ORGIN OF THE FIRE.

When first discovered the fire was seen in the iron-clad building back of Lord & Kimball’s, in a sub basement in which stoves were stored. The proprietor say no fire had ever been built in the building, there were no chimneys in it, and the fire must have been the work of an incendiary. Whether some prowling villain, some drunken vagrant or some over insured man was the soalawag who set the fire, or whether spontaneous combustion caused it, are questions that are much discussed.

MISCELLANROUS

Some of the citizens say that the fire is no argument in favor of plenty of water, as last night a pailful was brought from Kalamazoo when telegraphed for, and water any handler would be no object. Some others suggest that water was plenty enough, but the firemen did not use it judiciously, and that they were not really anxious to put out the fire. Of course they will not resent the implied insult, for no one ever puts on a coat of this kind unless it fits. People will talk, and they have some chance now. Meanwhile the members of the Council are getting ready to make preparations to think of discussing the feasibility of proposing to the people of the city the propriety of talking about the proposition of eventually deciding whether Grand Rapids shall have water works or not.