First fire and second building[edit]

The first Republican building, including all the books and files, was destroyed by fire on May 17, 1849.^[8]


The firm moved into a new, five-story building, plus basement, which had just been completed. The basement held all the printing paper, and two news presses, one an eight-cylinder and the other a four-cylinder. There were two engines and two boilers as well.^{[5]: 539 [8]}


The first floor held the counting room, two large fireproof vaults, file and paper cases, and back copies of the Republican and Democrat; second floor, a job bindery and the office of the job department; third floor, editorial rooms and the job printing office; fourth, more of the job office, material and machinery; and top floor, the news department, typesetting and makeup quarters, where some thirty-five printers, or "typos," could work. The job department included the office and back shop of the Irish News, which appealed to the many ethnic Irish in the city.^[8]