Litchfield enquirer., 1853-12-15
Disastrous Fire.

< The great publishing establishment of the Harpers, extending from Cliff z to Pearl street. N. Y., was destroyeh by fire on Saturday afternoon. itcon-3 sisted of six six-story buildings, and contained vast amount of property. The fire is represented to have beena magnificent spectacle and was viewed by crowd of some 5O.OOO persons. There were nearly twenty buildings burnt, and the aggregate loss is esti1na-5 ted at $l .560, ,000, ,3on which there isa an insurance of $33S GOO The loss of the Harpers is $i, ,400. .0Oo. on which they have an insurance of $2OO, 900 divided among several ely and country offices. MessTs. C0nl- idge & Brothers, school book publish CTS, lose $loO, 900, wllicli is said a0:ba ' entirely covered by insurance. Tlless remaning losses are smaller. -. No persons lost iheIr lives. A yohhg girl was so much injured by jumping from a window thai she is not expect- ed to recover. Very many persons have been thus deprived Of their means of support at ihe commencement of winter. The Harpers' alone employ. ed 65O persons.
 The origin of the fire is asceraincd to be this. A man who had been en,- ployed to fix some pipes in one ol the. buildings, lighted lis cigar wiih a burn- ing piece of paper, and threw the pa per into what ne supposed to De pail Of water. h happened that the pail was filled with camphine, used to clesn' the rollers. or course it was at once in a blaze. and the fire, communicating toolher camphine in the vicinity spread with the rapidity of lightning. In two hours the whole establishment vas in ruins. ;S ssssa
 The fire was 50 rapid that but liiilss was saved. The accounts of the irfIl,s X :. some books, and . lew napuscripis were preserved as were allibe sieTe0-, type plates nos then in use, which arc kept in the vaults. Many valuable manuscripts and unfinished works afs gone. The number oi the Magazine lor January was nearly printed. and is burnt np, proof sheels, manuscripts, cuts and alI, 50 that entirely new naf-4 ter mus. be prepared. Tie edilion of ,I.r. Kane's account ol ihe Gtinnell Expedilion was one Of the works lost. A few copies were saved, 50 that t can be reprinted. N x 's :.,,, N .s, ,,s
 The old Walton Ho0ss Ras once called pEincely residence bniltin' l764 ' by a wealthy man of that name whose arms were formerly over the door was, when built, country Eesidenca, some ways out oitown. Oflasey years < it has been kept IS an emigrant board- ing house, whose inmates are all sud- denly cast upon sbs world.
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 MT. Silas Porter, Of NIiddIsbdry Tell dead in lis house in illat placs. onl Sat- urday eycning last. He had just gans down cellar on some srrand. md iell when at ihe iooi of ille siairs. His wife hearing ilss misc occasionsd ey s ihe lall. weut to lis assislancs. but itIss few moments liie was extinct. he Droballe caslse of his death wasan al.r isc,ipn sf lhe heaTes His ags was 56s,
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