The Express.
London, England, 1862-07-14 00:00:00

GREAT TIRE IN LAMBETH.

One of the most extensive and destructive tiro-,
that have taken place in the metropolis SID3D the great
wharf fire is Tooley-etreet, in June, 1861, occurred yeller.
day morning in the Weetminsterbridgirroad, Lambeth, by
which • range of houses and factories, covering between two
and three acres of ground, have been entirely destroyel,
together with a large amount of valuable property. Ad.
joining the large drapery establishment of Messrs. i ho‘l,
a little to the west of the railway arch amain the
minder-road, has been carried on for many years an ezie, .
sire oil and floor-cloth manufactory, the works of
catered as far back as Heathfield-rtreet, Stanpte, end
stretching nut on each side to Mason-street on the west and
to the Upper Marsh on the south east The proprietors of
this manufactory were Masan. Buckley, tisrvey,and K nicht.
About 3 o'clock on Sunday morning, as a police-constable
was passing these premises, he perceived • strong smell of
burning oil, and on examination speedily discovered that
fire was raging with great force in the workshops and dry.
jag room at the rear of the premises. Before the arrival of
engines, the whole of the workshops and warehouses of the
floor-cloth manufactory were in flames, which were zpresd.
lug with the utmost rapidity on all sides. The engine trot;
the Waterloo-road Motion, and that belonging to Messrs.
Hodges' distillery, were the firrt to arrive at the scene,
speedily followed by the powerful steam-engine from u tee.
dos-street The experienced eye of Mr. Henderson, thy
brigade foreman, at once detected the uselessness of say
attempt, to save the floor-cloth factory, and at once directed
the firemen to use every effort to nave the premises of
Mews Harvey, the linendraper, whom warehouses, filled
with a valuable stock of summer good', bad now caught
fire. To • certain extent these efforts were sac
comfal, though a considerable portion of Mr. Harvey'. pee.
mime immediatly abutting on the drying.room of the floor.
cloth works, were destroyed, with their valuable contents,
and the extensive stock of the establishment materially
damaged by water. During the whole of this time the
flames had been making rapid progress on the western side,
and in spite of all the exertions of the firemen, aided by a
copious supply of water from the mains of the Lambeth and
Southwark companies, house after house fell • prey to the
devouring element Before five o'clock the house of Mr.
Hawley, grocer, 38, Westminster- road, was • hem of ruins,
and such had been the rapidity of the flames none of the
furniture and dock could be saved. The fire Dalt seized
upon the premises, Nos. 37, 36, 35, 34, Westminster- road,
in the respective occupation of Mr. Cox, hosier, Mr. Lyons,
clothier, Mr. Ward, shirt-maker, and Mr. Laaareth,
jeweller, and these were all speedily gutted acid their con-
tents destroyed. About this time, also, the King's Arms
public-bouse, No. 40, ignited from the mar of burn-
ing materials falling on the roof, and in less than
half an hour this house was also destroyed. While the
work of destruction was thus rapidly progressing in the
front, the scene at the rear was one of a still more destruc-
tive and distressing character. At the rear of the floor-cloth
factory were several narrow streets and courte,oecupeedchiefly
by workmen employed in the factories of Meters. Myers
Mandalay, and other large firma ; and shortly before Biz
o'clock the houses in Garden-court and Heathfield-street,
Mason-street, caught the flames. Nos. 1,2, 3,4, and 5, in
Garden-court were destroyed in • few minutes without
allowing any time for the inmates to remove any of their
scanty furniture. Nos. 17, 16, 15, and 14, in Heathfield.
street were destroyed at the same time, and the whole of
the houses in those two places that escaped total destruc-
tion were much damaged by the fire and saturated with
water. The back portions of the whole of the homes on
the eat aide of Mason-street, and on the wen side of the
Upper Marsh were also much burnt, as was likewise the
skittle ground and outhouse, of the Sun, in Mann-street.
From 5 o'clock until 8 o'clock wall after wall of the wort•
shops and houses came tumbling down, and several narrow
escapee took place amongst the firemen and police. By
9 o'clock in the morning the firemen had succeeded in alb.
duing the flames, after five hours immense exertions. It
was then found that • *quart space of ground, about 24 acres
in extent, which • few hours before had been thickly
Mudded with workshops and dwelling-houses, was now
strewed only with the burning and "mouldering heaps of
goods and furniture belonging to the late occupants, and
not a wall or timber left standing. Had it not been for the
powerful aid of the steam fire engines, of which there were
two, the destruction must have been even greater than it
has been.

The fire thus exteodiog over so large • space, the scene
in the neighbourhood as the morning advanced was one of
most extraordinary character. At one time, when the
Mimes seemed to defy the efforts of the firemen, and were
extending themselves in gill directions, a complete panic
seised upon the inhabitants, and in • short space of time the
roads and streets for some distance around were filled with
goods and furniture brought out of the houses for safety.

LATEST PARTICULARS.—(THIS DAY.)
The appearance presented by the ruins this morn-
ing, the smoke that up to • late boor last evening enveloped
them having partially shared away, was one of great du.
unction and desolation. A square space of ground
between two mad three acres in extent is covered with
the beret and smouldering materials of the hones,
and workshops and their contents, and the houses surround-
ins this space on each side which have escaped total destruc-
tion have their interiors laid !bare from the hack portion
having beenburned. The chief sufferer among the many
is Mr. Harvey, of Lambeth-house, the back por-
tion of whose extensive establishment, together
with the warehouses, stocked with light sum-
mer goods, has been destroyed, and that portion of his
stack which escaped the fire being spoiled by the immense
body of water poured into his premises to preserve them.
At a rough estimate his loss is stated at fully
20,00 UL Messrs. Buckley, and Harvey and Knight, the
proprietors of the two floor-cloth factories, are also
heavy losers. The greatest sympathy, however,
is felt for the families of the numerous workmen whose
houses were burnt in the rear of the premises, and who,
owing to the great heat and rapidity of the flames, were
unable to save say portion of their furniture. There are at
least 50 families who have thus lost their all, none of them
being insured, and measures are about being taken for
organising • subscription in the parish on their behalf.
The firemen having played upon the ruins the whole of
Sunday and throughout last night, they were sufficiently
cooled this morning to allow of • body of labourers being
set to work to shore up the damaged houses in the West-
minster-road, the walls of which are in • most dangerous
state.

The greatest uncertainty still prevails as to the origin of
the fire. Mr. White, of the County Fire-office, is of
opinion it commenced in the skittle-ground of the San,
Mason-street. immediately abutting on the workshops of
the floor-cloth factory, while oth of opinion it arose
in a carpenter's workshop, sitnatelt e left of the Sun.
The wind fortunately blew strongly towards the south-
east, or the whole of several streets crowded with
the houses of the workmen employed at the various
manufactories in the neighbourhood must have been de-
stroyed. As it is they have generally been much injured by
the masses of burping materials wafted by the wind on to
the roofs. Indeed, some of the houses in Stangate did
catch tire, but the flames were extinguished by the exertions
of the inmates.

The establishment of Messrs. Harvey, Lambeth.house,
has been dosed to-day. It will be some days before any-
thing like a correct statement am be made of the value of
the property destroyed.

MELANCHOLY ALOCIDINT AT THICLENH Alt —Yes-
terday aftennum a lamentable accident occurred on the
River Thames, at Twickenham. A party, consisting of
four, bad hired • boat, sod were rowing up the river, when
they came is casetare with another boat. The violence of
the communal alarmed the ladies, who lost their presence
of mind sad started up from their seats. The boat toppled
over, sod the whole party were precipitated late the river.
Notwithstanding the many efforts made, three of the four,
two ladies and a gentleman, were not recovered till life bed
bd. One gentleman, being able to swim, contrived to
reach the shore in safety.
GLASGOW MURDZ/L—SUNDAY A ITEANOON.—A
woman, hitherto knows as Mary MacDonald, has bees er
prebends& is the Broomielaw, Glasgow. Her real maw la
Yrs. Maelachlan. She acknowledges that she pledged, as
Ilatatday week, silver plate which, she says, she got from
the old man Flewhig. Her husband is also in custody. 13ba
formerly was salmi/A is Flesuing's house. _

The reports both from Preston and Blackburn
soatiatte to show an increased number of operatives requiring
amisemes from the Public. la Pennon a workroom for
femslesbas been established, sad it in maid to hare answeed
eslielectorily. It is asoerefol to add that there is a ow-
slaty of a mat addition being made to the &strewed
epteatives of Reston in a few dart. The number of per•
saes relieved last week in the Blackburn union INY 3,98;
or 68 more than in the previous week.

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