Show LOSS HALF A MILLION Offices and of American Express Company Burned New York Dec Christ Christmas meg mas packages and other valuable ex prest pres matter in large numbers V vOnt nt up In smoke today in a fire which destroyed the American Express corn com office and near th tile Grand Central station causIng a loss estimated at The flames raged for several hours in the main building and smaller structures covering the greater part of a block At the he fire was punctuated by s of oil barrels Two men wore re badly Injured The AdamS Express company bull build buildIngs t I Ings nearby were threatened but hard work by the fn men save aved t ero structures S |