The Press.
London, England, 1853-12-31 00:00:00

CoNFLAGRATION IN NEW YORK.

IlyssowNED as New York has long since become for
the frequency and extent. of the tires by which it is
visited, there are few eahunities of this character on
reeord more serious in the value of the property
destroyed, or nusre remarkable on avemant of the
world-wide fame attained by the pnqtrietors whose
establishment has perished, than the conflagration
that broke out, on the !Nth inst. mid destroyed the
vast printing-works of the Messrs. Harper. This
Ran, known as " Harper Brothers," was the most
extensive publishing lininte in the United States, fuel
by the burning down of their premises it is feared
- that nut fewer than 1,000 wille ..trown, handsh
though happily only for u brief period, out of work.
The conflagration was occasioned by a piumher, who
was at work in One Of the lower stories, and who,
after lighting his pipe, threw the burning paper
into a vessel of camphitte which he hail mistaken for
water. Instantly the place was in flames. Fed
with combustible materials on every side, they soon
raged with veleanie fury. There was scarcely time
fssr the occupants of the vast building to escape with
their lives. Fortunately, out of the 650 eutpioyeN
within its walls, some 400 had not returned front
dinner, those who remained being chicly the young
wAnen employed in the press-roms and bindery.
Thanks to the daring etfmts of the tiremen, whose
first efforts were direeted to saving life, these were
ill rescued from a dreadful fate, though one of the
number was so much injures! that she died on the
way to the hospital. Several other persona were
more or less hurt. The ravages of the fire were
nut confined to Messrs. Harper's establishment, but
extended to the neighbouring 1 ses. Several
buildings and stores in !'earl and Cliff streets, toge•
titer with the %%alum Hotel, an extensive edifice,
built a hundred years ago by a gentleman of that
name, but which 11114 of hue been an emigrants'
boarding-114)11-e, were also completely destroyed.
The following is the estimate of the property of
the Harpers lust and saved:—Property in the build-
ings : The bindery establishment, estimated to be
worth about 641,111111 dads.; :14 Adams presses, valued
at 7501110 doll.; 11 hydraulic presses, 15,41410 debt.;
materials in the composing-rom, 15,0110 duds. ; the
stereotype foundry and electrotype apparatus, moo
(Lois.; printed sheets of the Pictorial Bibles, half of
which was owned by .1. 11. Adams, 30,4510 debt.;
steam engine and boiler, 5,0411 dols. ; stork of honks
and printed sheets, estimated in the inventory to be
worth not far from 1400,000 dots.; wood cuts, esti-
mated at 50,000 dole.; ten buildings, worth probably
150,000 dollars; stereotype plates, valued at 4110,1NN1
debt.; total property, 1,655,0011 40114. Property
saved : Stereotype plates, 400,0011 (1014. ; wOO4l cuts
(probably), 411,1MN1 doh.. ; books, paper, gild Inn& -
cellaneong, 10,1510 do's. , total saved, 450,4'5141 tbals.—
total loss, 1,..,!05,000 dada. Int this amount the in-
surance does not exceed 1500100 dial"., distributed
among a large number of companies, only one com-
pany, an 'English one, in Boston, having over 5,0410
dohs. The firm iv, however, enormously rich, and
the catastrophe, large as is the loss it will entail,
cannot of their commercial standing. Ten
buildings were occupied by the establishment of the
Harpers, five stories high, and extending through
the entire block from Franklin-square to Cliff-street,
five fronting on each side. They were also all of
recent erection.

Among the literary property consumed is an entire
edition of the January number, stereotype plates in
eluded, of Harper's Magazine, together also with a
portion of the February number ; so that the next
issue of this periodical, whose circulation is said to
exceed 154i,1tt0 copies, will necessarily be delayed for
a few weeks, until it can be rewritten and repro
&teed. Most of their heavy and valuable stereotype
plates of works are saved, having been fortunately
stowed away in vaults beneath the pavements. An
edition of Dr. Kane's "Arctic Expedition " fell a
prey to the flames ; but, fortunately, Mr. Grinnell,
the merchant, who fitted out the expedition, hail a
first copy with all the engravings, so that this
valuable work of scientific exploration need not be
rewritten. Taken in all its bearings, this terrible
conflagration has produced, in a literary sense, a loss
that is regarded as national.

The New York Daily Times gives the following
sketch of the operations of this enterprising firm :
►• The establishment of the Harpers was founded by