The Express.
London, England, 1852-07-16 00:00:00

GREAT FIRE IN THE MINORIES AND LOSS
OF LIFE.

Yesterday evening, shortly before seven o'clock, a
fire of a most alarming and destructive character broke out
on the extensive premises of Megan. Coubro and Potter,
ship chasdlere and general importers, situated at No. 2,
Ilaydos-square, Minorite, which unfortunately resulted in
the sacrifice of the live. of two firemen belonging to the
Whitecrossatrett station, City.
It appears that the fire was first discovered raging in one
of the lower rooms of the lofty premises, a portion of which
had bees recently taken down for the purpose of making
room for the Blackwell Railway Extension, and no time
was lost in despatching inmeengers to the Wellelose-square
I station for the engine', which were quickly followed by
other, from St. Ilse,- axe, Watling-street, Whitecres• street,
de„ but before the engines could be properly got to wprk,
the dames had gaised a wonderful command of the
building, which waa wen filled with ignitable materiels.
Mr. Superintendent Stee4rad Inspector Marsh,of the II divi-
sion from Leman-street we also speedily on the spot with
a great body of constable". who had the greatest difficulty in
keeping back the rut muds of persons who thronged the
vicinity of the fire. Sewed engines bad • good supply of
water, and the machine Ikea Whiteeresostreet yea ordered
to take up a position in Swan-street, immediately at the
rear of the building, to gown the dwelling houses on that
side. The men had eimenmesied playing on the fire, and
John Campton sou Wing the branch, while Alfred Wil-
son, both of WhitecreeemMeet &aloe was standing by his
aide, when one of the WVaide, wane suddenly fell outwards,
burying them both Wass* the brisk. and rubbish. Mr.
Ins r Marsh and the emstaliss stead'sg rata the spot
a narrow escape. ?healers and the IBIS at the engine,
together with several of the neighbours, rushed tot heir
aid. After a few minutes they dragged out the !Helve
body of the poor fellow (Crampton), dreadfully crushed
and disfigured about the bead, and bleeding from the
wounds. Immediately afterwards they dug out the body of
Wilson, who was likewise 'haltingly mutilated and injured
about the forehead end face, but be was not quite eked.
One of the brigademen ran for a net, and both were con-
veyed to the accident ward of the London Hospital, where
Mr. R. Porter, the house surgeon, and other medical
officer', rendered every possible assistance to the man
Wilson, who sou then alive, but he expired in five minute"
afterwards.

Mr. Braidwood and Mr. Conno►tntt, of the West of
Eng-
land, were soon in attendance, and directed the Brew n in
their dangerous duties, bet the game■ were not got under
until nearly midnight, when a vast body .1 fire still re-
mained smouldering in the ruins. The origin of the
catastrophe is attributed to spontaneous combustion through
the 'measly@ heat of the weather. The firm were full*
insured. The premises nit the eastern side, in the oceii-
piney of Messrs. Putts and Co., wine coopers, were saved,
but not without serious damage by water and removals.
The occupiers n. the houses at the reared' the fire in Swan-
street and /daskell-street, were consid ratile sufferers by
removing their goods. Last night at 10 o'clock the Bremen
wire still engaged in pouring water on to the ruins, and
thousands of persons thronged the streets in the vicinity of
Ilaydomsguare. Great praise is due to the pole c autho-
rities.

ELECTION or Scornan PEERIL-I'he following
representative peers were elected at Edinbtireb yeetercl ty
—The Marquia of Tweet!dale, the Betio( Morton, the Earl
of Home, the Eul of Strathmore, the Earl 01 Airlie, the
Earl of Leven, the Earl of Selkirk, the Kul of Orkney,
Lord &afield, Lord Baltaair, Lord Oro,. Lord Sinclair,
Lord Elphinstone, Lord Blantyre, Lord Colville, and Lord
Po*womb.

CITY POLICE BTATION3.—Mr. James Anderton
has given notice of the following nation for the neat Court
of Common Council That It be nftervd to the Police
Committee to invert the *enrol polite station% within the
pollee Pariedietion of the City of London, and the place. of
conlhaemast therein fur prisoners, and report the state and
condition of the aamr to the vont, and whether they ate
' properly fitted far the purl:m.4.s intended,and were 11,1
fitted Pftvi"u'll to the mouth of 0 tub, r, 000 TI, • no-
tice 11.4 rill. tenet, to a ea.e t.•, din th
Queen
est's Bench, in which one of the City inagntratte was
ahai