New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-12-12
TIE OREAT ERE.

more signal calamity has never fallen upon pr
vatc business house than the terrible cOnagraOn of
Saturday, by which the extensive publishing establish
ment Of Messrs HARPER & BROTHERS was within
he short space of two hours converted into heap Of
smOlderipg ruins The fire was terrific in its ra
pidity. The alarm scarcely given, before the
whole interior Of the buildings enrelopedin flames
Il was at once that there no hope of quelng
its fierce rayages Fed with combustible materials on
every side it roarcd and ragged with volcanic fury
There was scarcely time for the occupants of tho vast
building TO escape with their lives. Fortunately, out
of TIC six hundred and fifty employees within its walls
some four hundred bad not returned from dinner
those who remained being chiefly the young women
employed in the press rooms and bindcry. Thanks to
tie daring efforts of the fremen whose first efforts
were directed to saving life, these were all rescued
from dreadful fate, though regret to learn that
one Of the number was so much injured that she died
on the way TO The Hospital
The vast property on Trnnkln.square and Cliirst,
we understand amounted TO nearly 100000 nclud-
ing the buildings printing apparatus, stereotype plates,
and the large stock applications issued by Harper &
Brothers. OF this the stereotype plates which
kept in underground vaults all which have escaped
destruction. The total loss at moderate estimate,
cannot be less than 81 100000 ofwhich only $2)OO)0
as we learn was covered by insurance. The high pre-
MUM charged risks Of this character was no doubt
an inducement with the prOprietOrs, in common with
some other eminent capitalists, TO become, to q great
extent their own insurers. We are glad to be able to
state that the safes conaiE the accountbooks and
other valuable papers of the establishment were Sc
cured OF On early stage of the coDhagration by the
courageous enterprise of the fremen
The destruction OF important works of literature and
science occasoned by this catastrophe is extensive and
disastrous in the extreme. For the last six months
the publications issued by Harper d Brpthers were
Of Interesting and valuable character, than the
usual average of their editions. The marvellous cue
cess Of their Magazine had not in any degree checked
or weakened their enterprise in the preparation Of
more permanent works, both original and reprints
These are all swept away before the relentless
element The plates however, are preserved and we
trust win speedily furnish the public with editions
Of tie books. the lOss of which would be damage to
literature.
OF the works going through the press al the time Of
the disaster compelled to give different &C
count For the most part, these are irrecoverably
lost The hopes of both author and publisher in re-
gard to them, are destroyed at one fell swoop'
Among these, the Magazine for January, the last
sheets Of which were on the press, when the fire
broke out We are informed that this was a number
on which unusual had been expended, containing
large proportion OF original articles of uncommon
brilliancy, and embeshel with even more than the
usual variety of expensive engrayipes OF this, not
only the printed sheets but the proofs manuscripts Of
the authors and other copy are clean swept away,
SO that the number viii have to be prepared from the
beginning entirely anew But with our knowledge Of
the energy of the publishers, and their cherished
wishes to meet the demands Of the public we may
venture 10 believe that another January number will
not fall far behind the close Of the three weeks which
remain for its preparation.
Among the editions of which we fear the greater
part has been lost, is the account of The United
States Grinnel Expedition in Search Of Sir John
Franklin, by Dr. NAME large octayo and work of
exceeding interest Some copies however, we know
ae preserved, that the author is not doomed to the
uphill work of supplying its place by new compo-
sition.
We have reason to hope that not many manuscripts.
LEFT b! authors for examination publication, have been