The Express.
London, England, 1852-07-27 00:00:00

TILE FIRE AT MONTREAL

The following particular, of the great fire at
Montreal, by which nearly 1,400 houses have been de-
stroyed, are taken from the Montreal Herald of July 12.
The loss occasioned be this disastrous occurrence is esti-
mated at about 800,0061.
The first outbreak took place either in a house on the
east side of St. Lawrence-street, or immediately at the hack
of it, at • point about midway between Lagauchetiere-
street and the fields. liere it burned with great fury,
among the houses on the east side of the street, extending
itself southwards to the St. Lawrence Market, which though
of wood was fortunately preserved, and northwards as far
as Mignonnestreet. St. Dominique-street is very near St.
Lawrence-street, and just at that point there was a lumber
yard owned, we believe, by Judge Aylwin, and oc-
cupied by Mr. llsley. At 10 o'clock the flames had not,
yet attained those premises, and the open space seemed to
offer the means of combating the conflagration. Unhap-
pily there had been throughout the morning no efficient
supply of water, and no means had been taken for taking
down the piles of dry wood. It was probably nearly 11,
some two hours alter the fire began, before this place began
to blaze. When it did, the greatest anxiety began to be
felt for the General Hospital, situated on the south of Dor-
chester-street, where it makes the corner with St. Domi-
nique-street. Happily, between it and the wood-yard there
was but one low wooden house, , flanked by • large ger-
des. Several gentlemen here exerted themselves with
great seal in covering the inflammable parts of
the building with blankets, and eventually the wood-yard
burnt out, without having done more than threaten the
Hospital. The latter had in the 'humanse done good ser-
vice to those parts of the city lying to the south of the wood
yard ; for its great height, and the vacant ground it stands
upon had formed a barrier against the flying sparks, and so
checked the southward march of the flames. In the mean-
time everything to the southward was going as if made of
matches, a few stone houses scattered through the ward,
generally with wooden galleries and offices, were utterly
unable to resist the heat and flakes of fire from the whole
streets of wooden houses by which they are surrounded.
The flames, aided by a very strong westerly breeze, rushed
from street to street, and from house to house, like water
pouring down a rapid. The writer saw it cross St. Con-
stant-street,
which it did without stop or hesitation, in one
broad sheet of red flame man y yards wide. This
was probably about noon, and very shortly after
it must have attained the easterly limit of the ward—St.
Deniestreet—by the wooden buildings which serve for
stables at the back. St. Deniestreet is, or rather wee,
throughout nearly its whole length, built only
.on one side,
the eastern side toeing occupied by a very spacious garden,
with a couple of wooden houses standing in it, except on
the corner of St Catharine•street, where stood the Bishop's
or St. James Church, St. James Schoolhouse, the Roman
catholic bishop's late residence and a splendid palace,
recently built for his grace, and way imetpleted within a
few weeks. All these buildings am eintignons. On the side
which larseed the besailary et flt. Ludo ward, there were rows
of very hem mime baraess, see part called Cornwall-ter-
race, eampled as the 11111111•01111 of antralmilitery officers and
others of the mestrespeetahle families in town. North of these
however, there were some less secure buildings of brick,
and farther an, again, of wood; a large block of the latter
kind being directly opposite the episcopal residence. Stone
or wood, however, seemed now to be alike feeble. The
flames ease on a quarter of a mile bread, and had speedily
seised the whole of the line of buildings in the street. At
the southern end of it, there is a short street going westerly
to the Champ de Mars, when are the general's office and
the town major's office. A strong party of the 20th
Regiment were stationed then, together with all the
clerks of the departments, and by great elution, they con-
trived to save the street, having, however, been in sufficient
danger to induce the removal of the papers. North-
ward everything wee burned, exempt soma detached hones
stand'ng in the fields. It was probably three o'clock
in the afternoon, when the wooden block at this part of the
street, took Ire. Though the street is very wide, the flames
had nosoeser mutated these house, than it rushed seems
to the ecclesiastical property adjoining. The writer was in
St. Lawrence-street when this catastrophe occurred, and
from thence, looking across the blank left by the confla-
gration, the sight was one of dismal grandeur. Suddenly
an immense column of smoke with a round dome like top,
towered up into the air, and Chem stood for many minutes,
preserving all its outlines with Feat distinctness. The
Agile, • convent for aged persons, Is situated upon the pro
longation of St. Catharine-street, eastward from the St.
Louts suburbs. This happily escaped ; but directly op-
posite, a fine large atom how belonging to Mr. Coffin,
the prothonotary, was utterly destroyed. For.
Innately, the lases were arrested at that point,
for had they managed along St. Catharine-street scarcely
a house would have been left standing in the city east of
St. Denierdreet. While this was going on in St. Denis-
street the lakes of fire had been conveyed by the wind to
a distance of half a mile, and had ignited the timber-yard
and saw-mills of Messrs. Sims and Coleman. These were
situated an the river side, and of course they did no mis-
chief; bu t they were entirely destroyed. About 5 o'clock
all seemed to be over: people summed up the lou, as the
St. Louis Ward, the ecclesiastical buildings, and Sims and
Coleman's; but still they did not do so without trembling
for the niotht. Their fears were but too well founded.
Towards 6 o'clock, or perhaps something later, it was die.
covered that the wooden buildings behind the cut
end of Notre Dame-street were in flames, and very
speedily that the Hays Howie was on fire. Hero some fur-
ther local explanation is necessary. The Hays House Hotel
was an immense block of stone buildings of four stories,
with a theatre at the back, enteeiding into a narrow lane
called Champ de Nan-street. On Notre Dame-street it
formed the corner of a lugs open Kure, of which it
made the western boundary. From the houses on the
north side of this square three was nothing but a barrack
ground and some artillery barracks to the river, the space
between the barracks and the square being occupied by two
streets, Notre Dame and St. Paul, which meet just eastward
of it. At their juncture St. Mary-street begins and runs west-
ward till it becomes the high-road to Quebec. There
are no parallel streets between it and the river, but north-
ward of it are Lagauchetiere and St. Cathitineetreets ;
running like it, the whole length of the city to the field.
We have seen the fire stopped at St. Catharine-street, at a
few yards east of St. Denis-street, and that eastward of that
street throughout its whole length there is • lot of vicar i
ground. The whole extent of this open spec? is probably

nearly 1,000 feet from St. Denis to Lacroix and CalAkeau.
streets, and Dalhousie-square was only divided from it on
the south side by St. Louis-street, a few houses at the east
end of which were burned. It will be teen therefore that
eastward of Dalhousie-square there was a prolonged tract
of houses, bounded on the north by Lag imlietitte-stritt
and on the south by the river. By 10 o', lock
at niaht the square was destroyed and the themes
had attacked this district known as the Quebec
suburbs. Saint Mary's-street throughout its
had a great many stone holm', including a block 1,1 2•411a4
els or eight belonging to Chief Justice Sir J 4444 Stuart ;
and there were eituate.l upon it two fine houses—one the
residence of the widow of the late Judge Reid and the
other that of— Matson, Esq., both having their backs upon
• small lane on the river bank. '1 here was also a church
known as St. Thomas, end further on a distillery soil
brewery and machine manufactory, all belonging to the
Memos. Wilson. The gaol was also situated on tic same
street, and the old gas works, which have lately Ii en occu-
pied by M'Lean and Wright as a inanufcctory of railway
eirriageo. A market, too, wet pieced in a large square olf
the street. The longitudinal tract betwei n Lagaethettere.
street and the river is about 1,100 feet at Dalhousie-meow,
but it gradually approaches the river all the way to the
gaol, of one side of which it forms the boundary.
The Hays House having taken fire communicated with
the house directly opposite, on Notre Dame-street; but
there it was stopped. It elm communicated with the
square, which consisted of well-built stunt houses, occupied
by the Hon. fieorge Moffatt; S. Benjamin, ; the mess.
14,11444 of the 10th and Artillery • and the Military Secre-
taries Officer. It then made • Chao sweep of everything
eastward between the river and Lagauchetiere-strett, the
latter of which was untouched throughout its whole !teeth
to Fapineau.road, with the exception of a how or two in the
centre and a few houses at the corner of the l'apineau-road.
From the square to the jail is a distance of some 3,000 feet,
more than hall a mile, and that space is traversml by the
following streets, viz., Campeau, St. Nicholas 1 ohntiee,
Wolfe, Amherst, Mummies. Visitation, l'auet, Disalaistrry,
Voltigeurs, St. Adolphus, Parineausoad, where is a large
.quure with a wooden market standing in it, amid
bale-
' street. It took the whole night to travel through this
space, and it was not till nine or ten in the morning that it
was checked at the St. Mary's Foundry. Had that gone,
the distillery of the Messrs. Molsuoa must Lave ioliewed.
The old Ordnance Office houses between this point and
Dalhousie-square, which are now windiest, are th,se
be-
longing to the widow of the late Mr. Justice held, and
Mr. Stetson. Both these are large stone houses, standing
in gardens, and so detached from all other buildings.
Among the property destroyed was a large quantity of
card-wood in the government wood-yarsl, between at.
Mary's-street and the river.
As to the victims, they deserve the utmost conaras.ioa.
The majority belong to the labouring classes, MTh; of *brim
have contrived, by years of tort and economy, to accumu-
late sufficient to purchase a little suburhm residence, and
some of whom had but • few articles of furniture. in
either case they were compelled to save their tew houstheld
goods by a hasty Hight to the nearest open ground, from
hence they were, in many cases, obliged to dislodge more
once. The sufferings of some them, especially of the
children, must have been intense. We have heard of seve-
ral casts of coup de soled caused by exhausting labour in
the heat; but of no fetal Case. At a rough calculation we
suppose there may have been fourteen hundred houses
burnt, which at seven inhabitants to each house would give
nearly 10,000 without houses, the probability is, however,
judging from the census returns that as many as 1i,004
must have bivouacked in the open air.

CO Court.

OSBORNE, MONDAY.

Ifer Majesty, Prince Albert, the Prince of Wales,
and the Princess RoTal, attended by the Countess of Goias-
borough, the lion. Eleanor Stanley, the lion. Colonel Grey,
and Colonel F. 11. Seymour, went to the parish church at
Whippingham yesterd iy morning. The prayers were real
by the Rev. Mr. Shedden. The Rev. Mr. Prothro per.
formed the communion service and preached the sermon.

The Earl and Countess of Derby left St. Leonard' yrs.
terday morning for Goodwood, on a visit to the Duke and
Duchess of Richmond.

Mr. Edwud Thompson, Mr. Hirai, of Jamaica, ar..l Mr.
William Smith, had an interview with Sir John Vakington
yesterday at the Colonial-office.
The Right lion. Spencer Walpole' Secretary of State for
the Home Department, accompanied by Colonel Jebb and
Mr. Ernest Percival, left town last evening for Portland,
to inspect the Convict Establishment and Breakwater.
Mr. Wilson and Archdeacon W. Wi.liaoll3 had an inter-
view with Sir John Pakington yesterday at the Colonial-
office. Mr. Bannister had also an interview with the ri?ht
hon. baronet.

Despatches were sent off to the Governor of the Cape
of Good Hope yesterday from the Colonial-office. De.
'patches were received yesterday from the Governor.
General of Canada, and also from the Lord High Commis-
sioner of the lonian Islands.

IT IS RUMOURED IN TILE DERDYITE CLUB': that
hiqor W. Beresford, M.P., is about to resign the office of
Secretary at War for that of Paymaster Ocueral under the
present government.—Globe.

TORT MANNERS.—The young tory member, Mr.
H. G. Liddell, for South Northumberland, has
already got into a scrape. With exceeding ill taste
he made his appearance exultingly before a crowd of
Sir George Grey's friends on Thursday, assembled in
front of the Star Inn, Alnwick. A cap was thrown
up in the mob, and accidentally fell on, without at
all hurting, Mr. Liddell; whereupon he savagely
attacked a Mr. Rosa, who was nearest to him, with
a ',tick. This outrage excited the crowd, and Mr.
Liddell was only saved from its indignation and
vengeance by the interference of the Hon. Capt.
Frederick Grey. Mr. Hoes intends, it is said, to
take legal proceedings against Mr. Liddell fur the
unprovoked assault on him.

THE MASTER OF THE ROLLB.—The following ad-
dress has been signed by a large number of the electors of
Davenport and Stonehouse who, at the recent election,
voted for the right hon. gentleman To the Right Hon.
Sir John Romilly, Kt., Muter of the Rolls, one of her Ma-
jeety's Most Honourable Privy Council, &c.—Honoured and
respected Sir,—We, the undersigned electors of the bo-
rough of Devonport and towiiibiji Or Eau Stonehouse, de-
sire thus to express and record our unfeigned sorrow and
deep unmitigated regret at the termination of your political
connexion with this borough and township. The affliction
in which we are involved by this unlooked-for event is
greatly augmented in consequence of the dishonourable
means employed by our adversaries to effectuate a result so
distressingly painful to Us and so ineffaceably disgraceful to
themselves, Had our opponents relied only, as we did, on
the profession and prevalence of known and welbdefined
political prinples, and been content eith open, undisguised
statements of opinions and purposes on questions of
national and social policy, we should have bowed
submissively to the decision arrived at, however
adverse to our anticipations and disappointing to oar
hopes ; but when we consider the deception, intimidation,
disreputable influence, and still more questionable practices
to which they had recourse, and by which they succeeded
in tinning aside many who had heretofore acted with us,
and who stood pledged to do so on this occasion, we feel
the more humbled nod mortified—that by the bare majority
of ten votes, so unworthily obtained, we should be de-
prived of a representative, who, with ability the most die
tioguished, and with seal and perseverance the meet un-
tiring, has nobly served his country, and faithfully carried
into practical expression and effect the opinions and wakes
of this constituency. The poignancy of our regret, and the
kern sensibilities of our sorrow, are vastly increased by the
knowledge we posses of your manly independence—your
high-souled integrity—your pure patriotism—your intel-
lectual and legal acumen—your unvarying kinder's; and
urbanity—your ceaseless activity in doing good—your spot-
less reputation—and the energy, consistency, and corecien-
tiouoness with which these mental and moral qualifications
migkt have been employed by you, as a member of the Com-
mons House, in furthering the interests of Britain, and in
promoting the welfare of mankind. On all these accounts,
we have, for the list five year*, gloried in you as our
chosen representative ; and now mourn that we are no longer
permitted to bail you in that honoured and desired relation.
With your determination to pass into comparative retire-
silent we dare not interfere further than we have already
done, seeing it has been so repeatedly and firmly expressed ;
it is, however, permitted us to follow you into that coveted
seclusion, with our best and cordial wishes for your abund-
ant happiness and usefulness; and to pray that in the
bosom of your endeared family, and in the circle of your
attached and admiring friends, you may realise all that
select and sacred enjoyment of which you are capable, and
to which you aspire; that in the discharge of your high
official duties, as one of the judges of the land, you ma,
continue to be distinguished by legal wisdom, blameless
integrity, and unsullied purity; and that alit'. having
' served your generation by the will of God, you may be
' gathered to your fathers in a good old age,'—departine
to the recompense of the just on high, and leaving behind
you a character and a name which succeeding generations
shall delight to remember and to honour. With profound
respect and esteem, we beg to subscribe ourselves your
sincere admirers and devoted friends. [Appended are the
signatures of upwards of one thousand electors.]
TIIE BOROUGH OP PLYMOUTH.—At a numerous
meeting of the friends and supporters of Mr. Brainy, the
chairman of the Eastern Steam Navigation Company. sod
one of the candidates for Plymouth at the late election,
held a few days since in the Freemasons Hall, Plymouth,
W. 11. Evens, Esq., in the chair, it was resolved : •• That
this meeting deliberately confirms the resolution pas.eil at the
public meeting, held on Friday, the 9th inst., viz. .—'lh2l
it expresses its regret at the circumstance of George T.
Brain, Esq., not having been returned as one of the ore.
sentativos of this borough in parliament, believing turn to
Ina in all respects a fit and proper person to repres lit them;
but at the same time it desires to record its opini,n that the
same is to be attributed to a combination of circumstances
which could not be foreseen, and which would not occur
again; and that therefore it ventures to hope that Mr.
Brain, will allow himself to be put in nomination ag.on at
the first opportunity, in which case this meeting pledge!
itself to use every legitimate exertion to procure his return.
And .brat this meeting now renews the pledge to render to
Mr. Brain a zealous cordial support."

FATAL BOILER EXPLOSION AT EUXTON.
.
A melancholy catastrophe took place ea Pride,
pee at the Areariding Mill, at Huston. As slat vane
owe an two maaafutarin.g establishmellißlMO enseike
se tit, esteades and modern erected Wl* beilearlag be
Its ooriley, situate about a quarter Odeon, to the wed
lithe high road from Wigan to Nuts,. Odd adjoining the
peer YArtuor. Coatisaing 011? 6•006.0 hem the Euxtaa
got, Ole. Nestles's) along the banks of the Yarrow for
skeet threequarters of a mile further west, we motive at
Atenji,4, Mill, the proprietor of which is Mr. George
muds. It is en odd and rather irregularly-built mill,
eevoig selently had additions made to the original
wido. It consists of three storey., and the machinery
6, r./in-ilea by a 15-borne power water.wkeel and a 12-
b„,,w pow. r steam engine. The water-wheel is supplied
hem the mill race, the latter running immediately behind
at h • north end of the mill, and the river Yarrow in frost
of the building.
Duo ore from SO to 90 hands employed, there being
about lot looms and d,021) spindles at work. Adjoining
ou end of the mill is • one .storey building, inelading
—mot. the waterwheel, next the engine-house and smithy,
eon the boil, r (the cause of the accident), and, lastly, •
owe ea. Wiling apparatus. The boiler is a cylindrical
• , soh eta ends, and has scarcely been in use sin months.
It four longitudinal stays, two at each end. It
c elesOateel at 30-horse power, and war guaranteed to bear
r. ours- of ddlbs. per inch, the makers being Messrs.
j Me of Preston. It hail affixed on the hack
• common safety valve, and at the front was fitted one
of oe,.ry's improved spring balances foe regulating the
roue. There was also attached a glass gauge, for indi•
tenser the depth of water, so that all reasonable precaution
lied Mot taken to prevent so unfortunate an occurrence as
se„ are have to • •
The hind. of the mill leave work for dinner at half-past
p.hrii'elock. and return at a quarter past one, three.
gairters of an hour being allowed both fur breakfast and
Loser. The accident took place as near a quarter-past one
w all be "hulloed, part of the hands being in the mill,
and the rest about to enter. The dinner-bell had been
eioq, the person who attends to that duty having gone
direst toes the hell to the water. wheel to set it in motion.
13.•,.4ine-tvnter, a few minutes previous to the ezploeion,
sied al
to his boiler, and had gone into the engine-
boo, to oil the machinery previous to starting it. Two
p tOOI •
.sioiced at half-past twelve o'clock that the water-
s
• • indicated a depth of from nine to ten inches over the
!le in the i..arf, and the engine-tenter tested the pressure
jar 5a..66 4-.loe to ,tart the engine, when he found it, as
ow
66 tie could calculate, ealbs. to the Inch. We ought to
sit!, that the spring gauge (Avery's) was mewed down to
clot ISIS'.. to the inch, so that the pressure mast Lave
been ander dist.
Tice flout cad of the building or shed is which the boiler
wo,l was unenelosed, is within about ten yards of the edge
et the earth bank of the Yarrow, which is only about oven
ia width, and is crossed he re with some planks for
the commence of those hands who live in Chernock
g:, hard. me the opposite side. Eautly opposite the boiler
tad, on the south bank of the Yarrow, and about twenty-
awe eards' douse' from the boiler end, there unfortuaseely
joy a vtart balk of timber and some felled oak trees. At
ego '.me of the explodes five persorm were tittles, WO
etc !.... of timber and .me or two others playiag skeet.
The espession drove outwards the frost cad of the boiler
with a Maim:dons none, hearing which the eagise-
triOr and manager (Mr. James Atkiame) rushed out,
Se firmer being caught with a piece of stone firming
pert of the shower of water, slates, bricks, stenos, pot-
ties. of the boiler, Ike., which were carried across the
Tram, user the holge of the field adjoiniag, to the
quint 01150 yards. The scene at this Moment cannot be
deeenbed; the *bower of debris darkened the atmosphere,
sad the Mee of the mill hands who had run out of the mill
sad wiriest aware of the extent of the bumbler, were most
henowiug. Seem Idea may be formed of the force of the
esplison„ whew we state th it the whole of the hoot end of
the toiler, with the mention of a piece 21 Ochea by.l6, was
tern sway, sod meried, together with about ono-hair of the
wen tine (nesesartag 12 feet 8 inches long, and abotat 3 has
f meioses diameter) moose the Yarrow. Two piemegefthe
boo, r poem were carried ► distance of about 100 peak sad
the masseuse onus, consisting of tire-place and fiee.ablet 25
yards, the outer rim of the tire-place catching the edge of
the wall, which bounds the south aide of the stuns. A
wheelbanow was carried over the river, ow one
hedge. and through another, and finally deraited
lest yards from where it originally stood. The beery
iron frame and fire-place desire were also carried maw the
titer, posies a few yawls te the west of the germs Attie'
es there belt of timber, ow we hedge mad &fee. emther,
rup she peweelam ka ks
Ys. ligemerge, mad sestig about
sillia hem the ea which
the ass= shads to bed the tames we eterlett a similar
domes, these' in a uses dime Mae bee the hailer front.
&Wad the Wks of timber and elk use% ashms.oesmed, is
a swallow, which was oworei with Moose. sham belling I
water, de., the grass holes dienisuseil t. ere salsas of about
one hundred yards. The isailisls red pme•bass were
telly removed a shwa &stars% renting I. tie bed of the
Yarrow. The lon which surround the boiler wen all
thrown down, sad a portion of the roof of the shed carried
away. The boiler itself rebounded after the explosioo, and
saw lays about four inches further in the boiler-house than'
its original place, it being prevented going further in that
&rectum by an embankment behind the boiler-bouse,wkdok
forms the footpath at the south side of the mill-race.
The persons who were sitting on the balk of timber fogad
theobelres at that moment in a shower of steam, boiling
wane stone., brick., slates, fragments of boiler-plates, de..
and two of them received such injuries as to cause their
death the rime evening. Two others were also injured,
one seriously, and the other not so bad. The following are
the parties injured .
Ve Calderbanls, 12 years, short-time hand in the mill;
his bead injured by a brickbat, also seeded. He bad hem
ploy se at the end of the plank which crosses the=l
and 163.3 found laid there in a dying state. Ile wee
home, and died about 5 o'clock.
William Dickinson, 18 years, weaver, who set on the balk
of timber—se:tilled and injured in his side and abdomen by
a portion of the debris. He walked a few yards and thea
lay down, war removed home, and died about eight o'clock
Wt night.
Jobs Eilgeley, about 60, labourer, family employed he
mill, who sat on a balk of timber near to Dickissm,
injured by being forced over a balk of timber, wad
in between it and one of the oak trees—regosemy
though not impossible.
James Hodgkinsors, 75, mot miller, employed at a null
close by fed out of the same mill-race, aide of seek vet,
and bruised on his head, not mach scolded, and likely to "-
toter.
A messenger was despatched soon after Ste szplesies
toot place for medical aseistanee to Cheraile whoa Kt.
Retby, jun. surgeon, quickly returned, was is age.
stant attendance on the injured during the erasing.
Such was the force with which the states and ether
broken materials were carried that a pieces of date, abseil $
holies in length, entered the balk of timber to the dig& ef
two inches.
As to the cause of the accident, we forbear to speculate.
The boiler, as we before stated, is a new as• • the plates
are three eights of an inch thick, it is 30 kriteria, and 6
bet 9 inches in diameter. No doubt a full inqry will
take plus into the came.—Prestas Gtramlimse