WORLD : Fire Damages Historic London Hotel
Fire engulfed part of a historic hotel being restored in central London today and one fireman was injured when a section of roof collapsed, the Fire Brigade said.
One hundred firefighters and more than 15 fire trucks with aerial ladders worked two hours to control the blaze at the grand old Langham Hotel.
The Langham Hotel on Portland Place, built in 1864, was the forerunner of London’s grand hotels, constructed in the style of a Florentine palace with plaster-relief ceilings and mosaic flooring by Italian craftsmen.
More than 2,000 people attended the gala opening, including the future King Edward VII. The hotel remained a favorite of the rich and famous, including the exiled emperor Napoleon III, conductor Arturo Toscanini and author Mark Twain.
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