The Express.
London, England, 1851-01-16 00:00:00

THE
MANUFACTURING} DISTRICTS.

FIRES IN MANCIIESTER.—ANOTHER
COTTON MILL BURNED.
MANCHESTER, JAN. 1,5.
The adage that " misfortunes never come single "
has had • smiling illustration here. Since I sent you an
account of the destruction of Meters. Wallies and Co.'s mill,
on Friday morning last, we have had no lees than six other
fires, one of which, last 'vendee, destroyed • considerable
' portion of the cotton factory of Messrs. Robert Moreland and
Co., Aswan.
Messrs, Robert Manland and;Co. are spinners and doublers,
and their premises, called the Ancoats bridge Mills, consist
of three parallel buiichon, on the north side of the river
Medlock, the middle and principal budding being 120 feet
long and 32 broad, and conuting of six stories and an attic.
It won in this larger budding, Idled principally with nin-
nies machinery, that the fire originated. It was discovered
about • quarter put six .'cloak in the evening—the work
people having left their employment at six—by some
penises outside the mill, who immediately com-
maniested the last that there was a strong light
In the top story to the private watchman. An
alarm wee given immediately in the neighbourhood. and
Messrs. °oiliness end Co., whose priat works are on the
opperite bank of the River Mullah, sent • private fire
engine, whim' was got lute play with considerable offset,
though some delay centred owing to the muddy bed of the
river rendering It neeneary that tn. wider eboull be laden
into tun before it could be paned through the seeing. The
town Ids engines, under the direction of Mr. Thomas Rose,
arrived at the memo of the fire about twenty minutes to omen
o'clock. At this time the fire, which had commenced at the
north end of the add, bad extended nearly the whole length
of the building, and the two upper stories—the sixth and
seventh—were a mass of limns. By the energy of the fire-
men—who succeeded di getting at the flews by taking
the hose from the engines on to the top of the adjoieing
buildings, sad directing the jets of water immediately into
the window, of the top stories—the flumes w. re much re-
d-aced by ten o'6 ek, and there was • hope that the demure
would be confined to the two top stories of the mill. 137
am accident which occurred at about this time similar to
that at the fire of Misers. Wallace end Co.'s, last week, :he
011onnt of deans was much augmented. The floor and
faker Hipp, its of the top stories appear to hive b. en so
mesh injured by the fire, that about ten o'clock they were
melongra capable of sustaining the weight of machinery upon
them as the north end, and the floor, extending along nearly
sae-half the building from the acieth end falling in, carried
down corresponding portions of the filth, fourth, third, and
second stories to the bottom of the mill. Had the fire not been
is much reduced at this time, it is probable that the Oman
would have extended to the lower stories of the other part of
the building, in which can the destruction of the entire mill
would have been almost inevitable. As it is, the fire has
destroyed nearly one ball of the larger mill, and the two
tap stories of the remainder, including the entire roof
The whole of the walls are standing, except • small portion
of the top of the western side. The outer buildings upon
the premises have not suffered, except from water. The
buildings an insured in the North of E Ireland to the
amount of 25001 ; in the West of England tar 2,0001 ;
in the Guardian C 001.; and in the Atlas fir C 001.; total,
6,800. The °mount of damage done by the fire is estimated
at about 6,0091. 1 regret to say that about two hundred
end thirty heeds will be thrown out of employment by
the calamity. The cause of the fire is not known. It is said
to have originated in some waste roviogs at the north end
of the sixth storey or the building, but how they were
ignited is • mystery. Duty waste will ignite spontaneously
if suffered to lie long in one place, bat these were perfectly
clean meiotic in • basket which the spinner lied placed in
the career, on the steam pipe. A perpendicular and hori-
zontal iron steam pipe is united in this part of the mill by
means of • curved topper pipe, to permit of the extensioa of
the iron pipes, and the spinner has tor many years used this
curved copper pipe as a ledge for his waste basket without
any accident resulting; and, indeed, it seems improbable
that the waste would take fire from any cause except that of
• spark dripped in, whether designeisly or accidentally, or
through carelessness on the part of some of the hands when
leaving work.
Two of the fires I have alluded to above occurred on
Saturi'sy afternoon, be tween four and five o'clock. One of
them, M • house in Moreton-street, Strangeways, wu named
by the Oen of the H mind of the lower storey running
into a flue, and not being sufficiently protected. The other,
also in • dwelliatelsouse, is Wiadmill street, originated in s
spark from • fire igniting some bedding. The damage done
in either cuts did rot exceed 61., the flames being confined
to the rooms in which they originated, and being eats.
giddied, with the entrance of the neighbours, before the
snivel of the firs engines. The third fire, which was more
sericw in its consequences, occurred in • four-storey build.
ing, compiled by Mr. Henry Fmk's., a leather currier,
and situated is a court near Dausgate. At • little
baton six o'clock on Sudsy morning, the two upper
storeys were discovered by • policeman to be in flutes.
Information being immediately given at the police yard, Mr.
Hoes was speedily on the spot with three engines, end sac
coded in extinguishing the Are by *bout 8 o'clock, ft having
been almost entirely confined to the two upper storeys. The
warehouse was closed at half put four on Saturday afteroun,
and, coast quietly, nothing is known en to the MIN of the
fire, though it is cocjectured to have originated from • sizing
stove in the third stony. The total denial, done to the
building end stock is estimated at about 4001. Another fin
broke out about 10 o'clock on Sande, evening in the sager
refinery et Messrs. pinyon, and Shopland, Chester-street,
Oeford-street. The workpeople succeeded in extin,uishing
the HAMS bailee the arrival of the engines, and the dagger
will not slued 201. There wee a sixth fire this morning,
but I have est yet Oa parting's,.