The Express.
London, England, 1864-09-15 00:00:00

NAVAL AND MILITARY.

ADMIRALTY, SIFT. 14. —Arrourrmencri.—Mas-
tin F. Inglis, to the Fisgard, for the Minotaur ; N. G.
Arquimbau, to the Flamini, for the Valiant.
Paymaster M. F. Moresby, to the Achilles.
Assistant Paymasters : R. K. Heaven and A. Hunter, to
the Achilles ; H. W. Andrews, to the Blenheim ; C. B.
Webster, to the Hastings.
Clerks : E. B. Pesch, to the Blenheim ; E. G. Ellis, to
the Tamer ; A. S. Ramsey, to the Brisk ; T. Forder, to
the Achilles.
Assistant Clerk A. Postance, to the Achilles.

ALARMING FIRE AT MAMMA CAMBRIDGE-
SHIRK-DESTRUCTION OP ONE HUNDRED
ROUSES.

The quiet town of Chatteris was a Doane of great
excitement yesterday. From some cause not ascertainable at
present,. fire broke out on the premises of Yr. Billips,
farmer, about 11 S.M. The fire-engines were soon on the spot,
and a telegram was despatched for the March engines, which
arrived about 12.30 p.m., but the supply of water was
inadequate, and consequently was soon exhausted. The
wind was extremely high, causing the flames to spread to a
most fearful extent, and in lees than the space of three
hours upwards of 100 houses were completely burnt to the
ground. It is impassible to describe the utter destitution
which prevails, several hundred individuals being deprived
of homes, and in most CUM of all they possessed.
It is supposed that one little girl, aged saves years, has
perished in the flames. Had the fire taken plain in
the Light, when the inhabitants were wrapped in
slumber, the loss of life must have been fearful in the
extreme. The fire is supposed to be the work of au incen-
diary, an unsuccessful attempt having bees made about a
fortnight since in the same spot. The police are on the
alert, and it in hoped the delinquent will be brought to
justice.

VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADES.—IT will be reMEM-
bleed that a week or two back several of the London and
suburban volunteer fire brigades, with their engines, were
present at Croydon to waist a committee of gentlemen of that
town in getting up • fir• brigade for the protection of
property in that ne;gh-oourhood Amongst the brigades
that were assembled, first and foremost was that belonging to
Frederic Hodges, Eaq., with his two celebrated steam lire
amines, " Torrent" and " Fly-by-night." A meeting, which
was very numerously attended, was held in the evening, and
Mr. Hodges, from his vast experience in fire brigade volun-
teering matters, gave the gentlemen present some good
practical hints and suggestions. He proposed to them, and
especiallyto those who were desirous of being active mem-
bers of the Croydon Volunteer Fire Brigade, that they
Mould at once undergo thorough drilling and work the town
engine, which he understood to be a very ex-
cellent one; but upon inquiry be found that
'their fire-extinguishing plant only ooneisted of one fire-
engine, which was not nearly a sufficient protection for such
• large and important town as Croydon. Since this, the
local board of health, throeJh Mr. Latham, their engineer,
have acted upon the valuable advice of Mr. Hodges, and have
ordered of Messrs. Merry weather and Sou, the old-establithed
fire.oogine manufacturing firm of Long Acre and Lambeth,
a very powerful firaenghie, larger Oven than those
supplied by the same makers for the London Fire Brigade,
as well as many hundred feet of leather hose, a quantity of
leather buckets, /cc.. in fact everything that the board
think will be of milkiest power to extinguish such another
disastrous fire as has lately happened in Croydon. The new
engine, totally unlike the old ODD, is to have a pair of 8-inch
cylinders, with gun metal valves and water ways ;
it will also have springs, with a forelocking car-
riage and high wheels, eo as to be enabled to travel
quickly over the roughest of roads, and is arranged to be
drawn by two, three, or four horses, according to the dis-
tance at which the fire may be from the DOW fire engine
station. The eagioe when worked by its full complement
of 36 men will discharge 180 gallons of water per minute to
• height of 14d feet, or about 160 feet horizontally.
There are two outlets to the engine, so that two powerful
full-sized jets may be thrown upon a burning building in
various directions. This is not the only volunteer fire bri-
gade that Mr. Hodges has spent his praiseworthy endea-
vours in assisting ; we may mention, for example, those at
Holloway, Hatobam, New-cross, and even Hastings and
Coventry, at all of which his brigade attended to do their
utmost in forwarding so important an object ; and there are
shortly to be meetings, both in London and
the suburbs—each as Brixton and Dulwich—where
volunteer brigades are about to start, and to the promoters of
these. Mr. Hodges has given his word that he will render
every assistance in his power, not only in drilling them in
their duties and allowing them the use of his valuable plant
for this purpose, but by inspecting their brigades from
time to time to see what progress they may make.
THE END OF A " GAY " LlFE.—Last evening
Mr. Richards held an inquiry at the Mile-end workhouse,
respecting the death of Catherine Long, aged 21 years, sad
of her new born male child. Inspector James Griffin said
that he knew the deceased for the last three mars. He
heard her state that she was married at • registry-race.
She had led a "gay " life with more than one gentleman.
Her first child was still alive, and in the Mile-end work-
house. She had altogether 3 children. The father of the first
bad given her 300/., and with that money she had taken
the Quee's Head, Queen-street, Reteliff, when she bad
lost it all. She was not given to drink. Last Sunday
morning wittier received information that the deceased had
been discovered in a destitute condition in a room at No. 21,
Bedford-street, Mile-end. She was removed to the work-
house, where the expired on the same night. Sergeant
Wm. Dodworth, 458 A, deposed that be was called is on
Sunday morning to the house of Mr. Byres, No. 21, Bedford-
street. The deceased was lying on a sofa in the kitchen
of that house. In a drauer in the same room witness found
the dead body of a newly-born male child wrapped up in
an old newspaper. The deceased said that the child was hers.
She had called for assistance, bat no person had ooma She
was too weak to make a very great noise. Dr. Stevenson
ordered her removal to the union-house. There was sot •
scrap of food in that portion of the house when deceased
had lived. There was some furniture in the room, but de-
ceased was very poor. Dr. James Stevenson said that the
deceased had died from exhaustion consequent on low ty-
phoid fever. That was very probably produced by want.
Dr. Robertson said that the deceased child was born alive,
and had died from want of proper care and attention. Ver-
dict unordingly.
FATAL LANDSLIP.—On Monday evening, between
40 and 50 navvies were seamed at a NM cutting on the
Stockport and Timperloy Railway, at Galley, near Cheadle,
when a mass of earth, weighing, it is supposed, about 50
tons, fell with a tremendous crash. The great majority of
the mew below contrived to escape. Three, bewever, is-
eluding John Mitchell, were buried beneath the debris.
Mitchell was killed, and the other two Ter, seriously iD-
jursd.—Manchester Guardian.
LONDON GENERAL OMNIBUS COMPANY (LIMITED).
raceiptitar week ending Sept, 11, 11,5731. Ps. 7d.