Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1853-12-16
Nrw Yong. Dec. IH.P.Af

NE~- AoRR, DcC- 10 Z. NJ
At /. O'Clock yesterday afternoon, the City
Hall bell sounded an alarm of fire for the Seventh
District, which proved to DC at the immense
book establishment of Messrs- Harper Broth
ers, which is located at Nos. so, 50, 81, Sc and
IS Cliff street, and extends through to Pearl St,
occupying the same number of buildings, viz:
Nos. 325, 327, 800, 331, and 333, two of which
were just erected, and were being finished Off
The origin of the fire was owing to the instanta-
neous explosion of some camphene fluid, in a
small room of the upper story of one of the bull
dings, which was used for the purpose Of wash
ing the rollers. The flames burst through the
partitions with great fury, and swept in all direc
tions of the rooms, from building to building,
til five of them entirely envelopcd III flames.
The alarm and panic was terrific among the
male and female operatives, who barely had time
to fly for safety, and many of the girls found no
other means Of egress except from the upper sto
ry windows by the !ireinen's ladders,
As the fire appeared perfectly uncomfortable,
and kept increasing with great rapidity, the gen
eral alarm of fire given by the fire bells, and
the firemen were quickly increased
There was great anxiety to know whether the
employees of the establishment were safe.
In the various departments there were some
five or six hundred men and employed.
There were two young ladies rescued from the
flames, with severe burns about their arms and
breasts. They were taken to drug store in
Pearl street, and carefully attended to.
The injuries will probably not prove fatal. The
flames having ragged fercely for about a quarter
ola hour, it was thought they could be deaden-
ed in time to save portion of the establishment.
The fire became more and more furious and it
was out of human power to check the flames that
were sweeping all before them through the solid
block from Cliff to Pearl street.
The whole of Harpers' establishment is gone
presses, machinery, stock and everything-the
loss to the firm cannot be less than $500, 900.
Next to Harpers', on Cliff St, is Doherty card
factory, containing paper stock of S5OO,0OO.
Sixteen buildings in all were destroyed.
After burning southwark. I'm consequence of
the breeze blowing from the north-west.) the
wind changed and stayed the progress of the fire
toward Frankfort street Blowing slightly from
the southward, the flames confined to the
buildings already on fire, and did not spread fur
ther. In the meanwhile three or four houses
opposite Harpers in Cliff street, had caught fire
Efforts were made to restrain the further spread
of the confagration in this quarter, and they
were happily confined to those houses. They
were totally destroyed
The firemen have worked nobly. The walls
have fallen in several places. The whole of Har-
pers is down. No lives have been lost so fas as
heard from.
Nearly all the Insurance Companies in this ci-
ty will lose more or less by this confagration.
The fire is dreadful calamity, not only on ac-
count of the immense value of the property de-
stroyed, but ON account of the great number of
work people who arc thrown out Of employment
at this Indictment season Of the year.