The Express.
London, England, 1849-10-24 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 24, 1849.

FIRE IN THE CITY.

Last evening, between the hours of b and 6, a fire
of a very fearful character bri,kis out on the premises in the
tenure of Messrs. Bans, Brother', and Co., wholesale dru-
gists. The property had • large frontage in King's Ilea-
oourt, Fish-street-hill, and t 'tended backwards into Lower
Thauserstrott, immediately facing St. Magnus's Church.
This clerks and numerous workpeople employed on the pre-
mises, to avoid being burned to death, were compelled Li
Jump out of the upper windows. Fortunately, none of
them, se far es could be ascertained, sustained personal
injury.
Owing to the very combustible satyrs of the stock in
trade, la the premise, the fames travelled with unusual
rapidity, so that in the epees of a very few minutes, the fire
had gained possession of the whole range of buildings, and
were rushing out of the various windows in King's Head-
csurt, as well as through the different apertures in the pro
miles in Thames-strut. The flames at that period extended
almost as far us St. Magnus's Church in one direction, whilst
is the ether, bout. after house in King's Head-court became
*AA either at the back, (rants, or roofs. Several engines
were promptly brought to the spot, but in eonsequence of the
immense body of flame with which they had to contend, a
o insiderable time elapsed before the extension of the are
was finally arrested.
LILT UT PARTICULARS.
Elevate o'CLoce rxe.—At this hoar, notwithstanding
that the powerful floating eagles belonging to the London
Fire-Begine Establishment, with numerous land machines
belonging to the same establishment, the West of Esuland
engine, and several others connected with the puish, her
Majesty's customs, and Messrs Calvin's brewery, have bees
actively employed during the time since the fine commenced,
it is not yet entirely extinguished, and it would be urerly
impossible to tell the exact amount of property destroyed.
At this hour Mr. Fogo, the chief officer of the N district of
the London Brigade, is busily engaged in endeavouring to
collect the names and ascertain the extent of the sulferen'
loam Owing to the arrest number of damages it is exceed
laxly questionable whether the whole of the losses will be
learned during the night. The whole of the Tower side of
London-bridge is completely crowded at this hour with
people looking at the firemen who are engaged in getting
the flames subsided, and it requires the assistance of a power-
ful body of police, uaderthe command of Mr. Superintendent
Median, Inspectors Howell, Mitchell, and Todhunter,
with Acting Inspector White, to keep the immerse crowd
out of danger. Had it not been fur services rendered by the
police, there is no doubt that several parsons would have
lost their lives, so eager were the populace to rush to the
seen of danger. It has been ascertained that several of the
public refreshment rooms, including Francis's Coffee Howe,
Scully's Ham and Ale Stores, although much damaged by
fire and water, are not injured to the extent to prevent bow
ono being carried on as usual. The church of St. Magnus,
at the foot of London-bridge, has escaped any damage,
except what was occasioned by the men standing on the roof
and the water from the hose of the engines.
The cause of the disaster was owing to a boy taking a
candle into the basement to draw some spirits of nitre cif,
when the fluid tan upon the ground and instantly became
ignited, too that it was with groat difficulty the youth made
his escape. It appears, from inquiries made by the
Brigade authorities, that at the time of the misfortune
there were upwards of 250 gallons of spirits of wine and
tisanes@ in the place, besides an immense quantity of
nagtka, and other equally iaaminable articles, which will,
in some measure, account for the rapt! of the
flame. Tile premises of Meters. Seise an Co., indepu-
dimly of extending from Thames street into liieg'elsead-
eisert,were nearly 50 feet high, and comprised six floors, each
of which was stored with cells, spirits, and drugs the mo.
meat the flames reached the carboys filled with spirits of
nitre and aapthe, they exploded with a fearful noise, and
then the fire extended both upwards and downwards with
the greatest impetuosity. The total number of men ww.
played cm the premises were 22, and it is not a little slags-
ler that they were to have dined together last night at
the expense of the firm, as a mark of respect for their un-
wearied menials in behalf of their emplos ere. Some of the
met drought their best clothes to the premises, and so fiercely
did the fire travel, that noosed them were able to save • sines
snide of wearing apparel. Thelon, at a moderate calculation,
will reach to some thousand pounds, but the whole of the
account books. title duds, and other valuable documents
belonging to the establishment have been saved. The Royal
Society's fire-escape has proved of great use to the firemen,
by enabling them to weed with their branches to those
parts of the building otherwise inaccessible to th'm on em
count of its great height. The spot where this fire began
was within a few feet of where the great fire of Louden in
1666 commenced.

Tin AVSTRIAII ATROCITIES.-A memorial to Lord
Palmerston, prepared by Berl Fitswithem, on the subjeet
of Auettian atrocities sad Hungarian freedom, is now
being circulated for signatures amongst the peers and mem-
bers of the Home of Commons of the liberal party. It urges
the Foreign Secretary to use every means in his reer to
put a stop to the barbarities of Hapnau, and to restore to
Hungary a canatitistMaal system. It has already been very
numerously signed ; and will shortly be made public.
FINANCIAL REFORM MEETINGS.—A series of meet-
hos on the subject of Financial Reform wall shortly be
held In the north of England, and is Scotland. It will
eammener, we believe, with Neweastthon-Tyne, sad it
• Berwick-on•Tweed, Bdiabargh, Glasgow, Dudes,
sad a seeend meeting is Aberdeen. Mr. Hume, it is ex-
pected, will attend those held in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Di. WARNEFORD has placed in the hands of the
Lord Bishop of Glolorater another thousand pounds. to pro-
mote the building of personage homes in benefices of small
value at pretest without them.
THE ALLEGED MURDER AT CHELSEA.—The body
lona 4 off Bettie on Tuesday, whisk was supprsed to be that
of the Nun WOouran, whose robbery and submquest dissp.
rene• have mom, mush eueitement in Chelsea, was
identified, upon examination, as the remains of a perms
named Dimond, who, with his wife, Ellen, were drowned
eff Alarms Stairs on the 20th ult. The inquest was
opaud, and the identity having been proved, evidence was
given proving t..Ne occurrence to have been accidental.