New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-11-14
PENNSYLVANIA.

The GREAT FIRE IN PHILADENPHIA. -
The particulars OF this ruinous FIRE, OF which we
announced the occurrence yesterday, are more APP
paling than the dispatch first received prepared us
FOR We Gull some details from the Phlladelphla
papers. 80
The building or factory was four stories high and
very large. When the fire was discovered, aoou'
F. NJ. there were one hundred persons engaged at
work in various parts OF IT. The fire originated near
the common stairway, and almost as soon as dlscov
cred closed up the only egress from the upper par
of the building, except through the windows. And
lives. AS soon as II was observed that the Whole
upper part of the building cut OF by the fire and
smoke the CONSERVATION of those outside was al
most as intense as of those within. The, shout OF
human an uish from within and without arose above
the roar Of the destructive element, and the scene
was most horrlfyng-old men and young boys and
girls appearing al the upper windows, htty feet nom
The ground preparing TO hazardh the desperate chance
Of throwing themselves headlong down-whlle those
below stood IN stupled horror, unable 10 CeVlse any
mt ans OF general safety.
Some Jumped heaclong, careless OF what occurred,
81 they escaped the terrible fate Of fiery death,
ana the attempts to catch them those beloH were
almost as dangerous and desperate as their own;
Some few, however. succeeded and made the !earfdl
descent without injury or hur-otheTs received very
great II not fatal injuries One John Bro wnlng,
leaped from the fourth story and broke both legs
and both arms. His daughter, who was employed
With him, rushed down stairs and met more awful
fate Her remains were taken from the burning pile
a charred, sh ipeless mass, almost reduced to en-
der. The corpse of man, supposed 10 be an Eng
hshman named Croslev, was taken out at the same
time, and no less than eleven boys and girls were
missing al the latest date Of the reports But owing
to the confusion and excitement It is impossible to
how far the reports were true. During the most
appalling par, OF the scene four boys escaped from
the fourth story by sliding down q rope.
The hre ragged all night and all that time the con
fusion and alarm and shrleking. and universal de-
struction transcribed all description.
The estimated loss OF the building and its contents
is about $S5 600 but as IL was owned by four or hve
persons, and the goods and machinery were for the
most part insured, the mere pecunlary loss IS very
trliilng compared 20 the disastrous loss OF life and
the torture of such adeath by many human beings.
Tie following letter addressed TO The Philadelphia
E,en,ng Builetm will speak for itself.
DEAR SIR: Your paper this afternoon will spread
before your readers account Of the disastrous IRE
of last night. 1t Will tel Them the loss property
sustained by Messrs. Hofner 4 Lewis, Bruner, Nc
Nutt, ponley and Others, al of whom, II is hoped,
were, as good business men always are, insured TO
the full amount of their property
IL will also tell them-and may II move them 70
active sympathy-hcw Edward CnosSley, sick
man. long out of work. unpeued by ne ant of his
/ WIFE his newborn babe and family had gone TO
work, feeble as he was, IN the morning, and was
carried home charred and blackened corse N the
evening II will tell them, TOO, how the agonles OF
poor John Browning, broken and mangle led as he Vas,
were increased when Me partial remains OF his good
and iaborious daughter were brought 10 his humble
home IN Broker court and II viii add that their
fellow work -peope. more than hundred in all, on
the eve of winter thrown out Of employment, some
with limbs broken, others with hands, faces and
bodies badly burned, and all full OF doubt and dis
These, my dear Sir, no idle mendicantS. They
are industrious people, who long after the sun had
gone down, were still toiling for their own support
and the prosperity OF the community. VIII not that
community mitigate their suffering, and try 10
suage the gref Of the sorely stricken among them
Ii can and viii, If properly invited
Let me beg YOU 10 invite your numerous readers 10
eonhce their subscriptions 10 beg YOU ami 10 your
morning contemporaries perform the same good Of
zee such an appeal Will be effective, know, and the
gentlemen Of the press we'll fitted for the Office of
aimoners. In haste yours wv ID. kELLEY.
Nnr,n M l2fh lSSi