The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1853-12-15
Great Fire i'm New York.

Great Fire in New York.
Tie Establishment Of Mesus. Harper d
i Brothers and other buildings deStroyet
i Loss s750,OOO.
| NEW YORK, Dec. 10.-At Ii o'clock
this afternoon, the City Hall bell sounded
an alarm of fire for the Seventh District
which proved to be at the immense bool
establishment of Messrs. Harper anG
Brothers, which is located at Nos. 80, 50
"a, e6 and 80 Cliff street, and extend.
through into Pearl street occupying the
same number of buildings, viz: No. 325
327, 800, 33l and 333, two of which were
Just erected, and were being finished off
The origin of the fire was owing to the
instantaneous explosion of some camphine
fluid, in small room of the upper story
of one of the buildings, which was used
for the purpose of washing the rollers
The flames burst through the partitions
with great fury, and swept in all direc-
tions of the rooms, from building to
building, until five of them were entirely
enveloped in flames. The alarm and
panic was terrific among the male and fe-
male operatives, who barely had time to
fly for safety, and many of the girls found
no other means of egress except from the
upper story windows by the fremen's lad
| lers.
: In the various departments there were
some FIVE or six hundred men and wo-
men employed, and, as far as could be
learned, these escaped in safety, except
some three or four of the females. 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 careful
ly attended to.
The injuries will probably prove fatal.
The flames having ragged fercely for a.
bout a quarter of an honr, it was thought
that they could be deadened 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 Harper's establishment is
gone-presses, machinery, stock, and
everything-the loss to the firm cannot
be less than s5O0,OOO.
Next to Harper's on Cliff street is
Doherty's card factory, containing a pa
per stock of S500,000.
From there the fire communicated to
the adjoining houses running toward
Frankfort street, and through the Pearl
street on Franklin square.
Franklin square Hotel, No. 3s Pearl
street, FIVE story brick building, kept
by j. Rucostle, was entirely destroyed
with most of its contents.
The old Walton House, adjoining No.
326 Pearl street, was entirely burned
The first floor was occupied as hard
ware and cutlery store, and pork store.
James Kelly's bakery and dwelling
house was several times on fire, but was
extinguished.
Frederick Kenny's clothing store, No.
1913, was also several times on fire.
A New six story building, No. 335
Pearl street, adjoining Harper's estab-
ment, was entirely destroyed.
Mr.. John K. Hopple's brush factory,
No. 357 Pearl street, was also burned.
The blank book manufactory of Geo.
T. Coolidge & brother, No. 323 Pearl
street, adjoining the Harpers' buildings,
is destroyed.
After burning southwark, Gn conse-
quence of the breeze blowing froom the
northwest,) the wind changed and stayed
the progress of the fire towards Frankfort
street. Blowing slightly from the south
ward, the flames were confined to the
already on fire, and did not
spread further. In the meantime, three
'r four houses opposite Hapers', in Cliff
street, had caught FIRE.
Efforts were made to restrain the
'urther spread of the confagration in this
quarter, and they were happily confined
o those houses. They were totally de-
troyed. The whole neighborhood is yet
live with the light of the burning embers.
The smoke is very dense. The fremen {
laye worked nobly. The walls have fall
en- in several places. The whole of
Iarpers is down.
There are rumors that some lives have
'een lost, but nothing certain can yet be
,nown. L
Nearly all the Insurance Companies
this city will lose more or less by this {
onhagration. q
This fire is dreadful calamity, not on {
on account of the immense value of the l
property destroyed, but on account of the t
reat number of work people who are '
brown out of employment at this incle- q
nent season of the year.