The Express.
London, England, 1862-08-25 00:00:00

FIRES IN THE METROPOLIS.

Some years since there need to be a fine dog, '
called Jacket, who always attended every fire. Be be- I
longed to no one, and rewound no nmeter ; but as sure as ,
the engines were called out, so sure was is that the dog
would be present. The Duke of Sutherland issomething ,
like this interesting quadruped in his tastes for fires, as when
his grace is in 'airs, and any fire of note takes place, we
always see recorded the great assistance rendered by the
duke, who works as indefatigably, and with as much
energy, as the most zealous fireman. This peculiar taste
of the Duke of Sutherland is, however, likely to be
of great advantage to the public generally, but
more especially to the inhabitants of the capital.
The duce has satisfied himself that the present means
we have for putting out fires are quite inadequate to
the requirements of this vast metropolis. The London Fire
Brigade is as fine an organised body as any in the kingdom ;
the new lard steam-engines work well, and throw an un-
man weight of water in a wonderfully ahort time ; but
still them mass, it is contended, are not eyes yet suffi-
ciently powerful or numerous, and therefore the Duke of
Sutherland has induced several of his friends to form them-
selves into a committee to inquire into the best methods of
extinguishing fires. Subscriptions are asked for from the
public, and especially from the insurance offices, with the
view of making experiments, and offering premiums
for the best proposition for speedily extinguishing fires.
The melancholy deaths of Mr. Barrett and his two
daughters will do much to induce the parties to support
the very reasonable and practical proposition of the
Duke of Sutherland. Hitherto the only method generally
in use against fire is its natural themy, water ; but in the
present advanced state of chemical science, perhaps, if
attention were especially directed to the subject, some other
more effective agent may be discovered. At present, in the
vast majority of cases, when a fire occurs the premises
where it originates are generally destroyed, and the efforts of
the fire brigade seem to be directed more to prevent the fire
spreading to adjoining property this to save the house itself-
This would appear to have been the case at the late fire in
Cumberland-street, and this is one of the points to which the
Duke of Sutherland wish.* to direct attention. Some years
since a fire annihilator was invented by a Mr. Phillips, which
promised to bring about • complete revolution in the me-
thod of extinguishing fires ; but, from some cause or other,
it did sot find favour with the insurance ooropanies, sad
it fell into disuse in the metropolis. Not so, how-
ever, in the provinces, where it is still constantly in use
with vhgrat and muted success. No town, pa-haps, in
the kingdom has such a bad name for fires as Gravesend, in
Keck e insurance companies look with something like
dread on every policy issued on propert7 in that town. Of
late years the fire annihilator has been in general use, sod
with most satisfactory results, They are especially useful
before a fire has got to a too great head, and a confined
within the house. In such cues they scarcely ever fail, and
it is believed if tined these machines had been used in the late
Mr. Barrett's premises that not only the house, but also the
lives of the nufortueete gentleman and his children, would
have been saved. Last session of Parliament a considerable
amount of valuable information was collected by Mr. Han.
key's select committee on the prevention of firm ; bat the
line of inquiry was directed more as to the constitution of
the force to be employed for extinguishing fires, than to the
best means to be employed. It was shown that,: owing to
the size of the metropolis, the present fire brigade was
wholly inadequate ; that the force required to be doubled,
if not trebled • and that the extra cost would be more than
compensatedlor by the large amount of property that
would be saved. The committee's recommendations we have
already referred to, and it now only remains for parliament
to give effect to them, which will probably be dose next
session. The Duke of Sutherland proposes to carry on an
investigation on the branch of the subject which the corn.
mittee left untouched, so that in the event of legislation
being sought, parliament may be put in possession of such
information en the question of the best force to be em-
ployed, and the best means to be adopted for the extiu.
guishing of fires. The subject may not at first appear to
present many features of interest to the public, bat we am-
fees to anticipate considerable beneficial results from the
course proposed to be taken by the Duke of Sutherland. His
position and immense wealth will enable him to obtain
much valuable information, which a lees distinguished per-
sonage might fail to extract. The value of property in the
metropolis can scarcely be estimated, it is so enormous ;
but great as it is, it sinks into comparative insignificance
when compared with the saving of human life. Every year,
notwithstanding the great good effected by the machines
belonging to the Society for the Protection a Life from Fire,
a large number of lives are anomaly sacrificed, simply be-
cause the means for extiognishing fires are not sudicieutly
comprehensive and effective. The fire brigade, we are quite
willing to admit, do wonders ; but it in too much to expect
impossibilities from them. The number of ordinary fire
hand engines are too few, and we believe that at the present
time there are not more than time steam land engines in
the metropolis. Now, an it frequently happens that five or
six fires occur in different Tarts of the metropolis in a single
night, it is impossible. with the meat limited force, that
all can be properly attended to. We believe it was shown
before Mr. Heukey's select committee that a large portion
of that wealthy district known as Tybarnia was entirely
left unprotected, and that there was no fire brigade station ;
so that if a fire broke out, the only resource would be the
pariah engines, until the regular engines could be brought
from the more central pert, of the metropolis. The tsar-
.
woe companies, in order to induce the legislature to re-
lieve them from the expense of keeping up the fire brigade.
intentionally declined to create a new station in this dir
trict, and prefer to ten the risk of being called on to pay
largely for losses by fire, than extend the present system,
which they complain of as being so very costly. It is par
I sawed that the fire insurance companies will only be too
glad to assist the Duke of Sutherland in his very pease-
: worthy efforts, and that they will contribute liberally to
any exposits that may be incurred.—Observer.

THE DUKE OF SUTHERLAND AT HIS POST —OE
Sunday morning, about 7 o'clock, a fire, which at one time
threatened to be serious, broke eat at DenrohM Males.
Some of the chilibviu had been playing about • rick of
hay, and one of them having a quantity of !wirer
matches, he wu foolish enough to apply one to the hay,
which speedily ignited, and was soon eoasumed. Aa ex-
press was instantly sent to Duarobin Castle, and is • very
abort time the firovrogine from the castle was on the spot,
sad the Duke of Sutherland wee the busiest of the busy is
getting the flames extioguished. A correspondent says,
the duke wrought like • hitch," and, fortunately, the
program of the flames was stayed.-11direGurriA Commit.
A Buoys AND HERON ACT. --SODIR workMOD Hs the
employ of Mr. Wm. Davis, the mayor of Haverford west, have
been sinking a well in • field in Shut-street-lane. On finish-
ing their work last Fridsy, they had sunk to about El feet,
and there was at the time about 7or 8 feet of water. The
same urging • girl, about ten years of au, named Hannah
Evans, daughter of a widow woman residing in Shut-street,
fell into it. The shrieks of her companions alarmed George
Evens, • imuoa, who resides in on* of the souses abutting
on the field. Seeing no help near, he ran back to his
house, and quickly returned with • thin rope,
hardly strong enough to hold the weight of • heavy
man. One end of this he rapidly hitched round
• log of wood near the mouth of the well, and throwing
the other end down to the water, the brave fellow, with-
' net any hesitation, commenced his descent. The poor
°Mkt, however, had sunk before be reached the water, and
he was consequently obliged to dive to the bottom, about
7or 8 feet. After • while be found her and roes with
PENNY Taxi:mi.—ln 1882 receipt stamps at her to the surface, but his owe atemigth was nearly it:-
various rates produced 194,0881. In 1863 the duty wee re. toasted. A cumber of men had by this thus aretve4 and
domed to Id, sad this penny duty was also Imposed on they with more seal this Utowiedps berm te heel up the
draughts at orders payable ca deemed, and is the ilmacia/ raps rapidly. The cousequese wee that Evans wee jerked
year 1264-16 receipts and draught etamps produced 248,868/. about fearfully, sod hie heeds terribly mangled with the
In the year 1.867•58 the sum bad rem to 302,6241. The rope. He, however, held ea, sad peurstly he and the
peony duty was then extended to cheques on bankers, nod little girl whom be had mated win safe. gnu will be
the produce el the whets for the year eating last March was usable to work for weeks to eon*, and the case is ono la
,4
8111461. , which smistaace is richly desoeveL—Welahraeo.