Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1836-02-25
From the Baltimore Patriot.

ANOTHER OBSTRUCTIVE L IRE IN IN.
YoRK-Methodist Book Concern Burnt.
This morning between A and 5 o.
clock, (says the New York CONNER
cial, Of Thursday, the 18th, the spa
cious five story building, known as the
Methodist Book Concern" was dis
covered to be on fire in the 2nd story,
originating it is believed in the sheet
room. The front building, 100 feet on
Mulberry street, and five stories high,
was soon enveloped in flames, owing
to the combustible nature of its con-
tents, and the fire spread so rapidly
that nothing of value could be rescued,
not even the account books, and this
with the back building also of five sto-
ries, with all their valuable contents
was entirely destroyed in few hours,
and only some broken fragments of the
walls are now standing. The injury
to the neighboring houses is not very
considerable.
The destruction Of this establishment
must be regarded as public calamity,
since this Book Concern contained not
merely their extensive printing office,
bindery, and book warehouse, but is
the sole depository ofthe bible society,
tract society, and Sunday school union
of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
All the stock prepared in sheets and
bound have been consumed. The Ste
reotype plates, probably worth sixty
or seventy thousand dollars, together
with an immense amount Of paper and
printing materials, including the great
power press, and thirty other printing
presses, are now in ruins. The loss is
estimated at tsco hundred and fify thou
Sand dOllarS,-of which we understand
only ten thousand are insured in the
Greenwich company, and some thirty
thousand dollars in the insolyent COM
panies in this city.
There had been, until the late de-
structive fire in the lower part of the
city, an.nsurance in eight offices in
this city, for ten thousand dollars each,
but when their policies expired, some
of them refused to renew their late
heavy losses having made them wary
of such high buildings. Application
had been made unsuccessfully to sew
eral of the neighboring cities for insu-
ance, and failing in this, the building
which was before " fire proof" was
made more secure by iron doors be-
tween the different parts of the build.
ing at great expense. All, however,
has been unavailing, nothing remains
but huge mass of smoking ruins. A
Waterman went through every room at
nine O'Clock, last night, and not a
spark of fire was known to be in the
house. Its origin is therefore involved
in profound mystery, especially occur
ring at the hour it did.
When it is remembered that the pro.
fits Of this establishment were exclu-
slvely devoted to the superannuated
ministers of the church, and the wild
ows and orphans OF deceased preachers
throughout the whole country, many
of whom are mainly dependent on the
benevolence of the church, it is obvi-
Gus that the large denomination to
which it belongs, will feel this shock
most heavily. 1t seems to us to call
for some tangible expression of sym.
pathy, not only from Methodists, but
from other denominations, and the APP
peal, which must shortly be made, will
no doubt, meet hearty response from
the whole christian community.
We are requested to state that the
whole edition ofthe Christian Advocate
printed for this week, has been Destroy
cd. The subscribers to that paper
throughout the country will receive an
extra in a few days, and the publica.
ton of the paper will be resumed, as.
soon as the necessary arrangements
can be completed; probably, at the
regular time ofnext week.