History of Buffalo, New York, USA

From the Buffalo Daily Courier.

It becomes out painful duty to record the most disastrous conflagration, which has ever visited our city. The American Hotel, the Park Church, and numerous stores and dwellings contiguous to both are now in ruins. The blow has been a heavy one, and will awaken our citizens to the necessity of some measures being taken for their better protection from fire. Had there been a supply of water, sufficient to keep the engines in constant play, without the necessity of ceasing in order to change, from one resevoir [sic] to another, the fire might have been extinguished in the building where it took.

The fire broke out, at about half-past two, on yesterday morning, in the building next above the AMERICAN HOTEL, occupied by L. B. SHEARS, as a restaurant, and for six hours its course of destruction was unstayed. A heavy gale was blowing from the south-west, and fears were entertained, not alone by the faint-hearted of our citizens, that the devastation...

Buffalo, a city, port of entry, and seat of justice of Erie county, New York, is situated at the eastern extremity of Lake Erie, 2 or 8 miles S. from the commencement of Niagara river : W. from Albany 364 miles by the Erie canal, and 325 miles by the Central railroad, (both of which terminate in this city,) 470 miles N. W. from New York, 22 miles S. S. E. from Niagara Falls, 103 miles N. E. from Cleveland, 290 miles N. by E. from Detroit, and 697 miles E. by N. from Chicago. Lat. 42° 53' N. ; Lon. 78° 55' W. It is regularly, and for the most part, handsomely built, partly on an elevation, and partly on a marsh or low ground, intersected in the southern part by Buffalo creek. This latter portion is the seat of the principal business. The site rises gradually as it recedes from the water's edge, and at the distance of 2 miles becomes an extended plain, 60 feet above the level of the harbor, affording delightful views of the city, lake, Niagara river, and Canada shore. The streets are...