The Express.
London, England, 1862-11-21 00:00:00

GREAT EIRE IN WHITEIGGAR.',

Lad evening, noon after five o'clock, :t lire br.,10•
out in the extensive oil, tallow, and turpentine wareh.,,,,"
belonging to Mears. Price and Co., William-street, Whit,.
friars. The warehouses of Miners. Price rover a large are.
of ground, extending from William-street down to the
waterside, about 600 yards in depth rod 100 in width ,
bounded on the west by the premises of the Cite (4,
Works, and on the east by the coal depot of &siva Capel,
and the warehouses of the Yorkshire Iron Company. These
warehouses were filled with corks of oil, tallow, and to:.
pentine—an immense stock being kept on hand. The 'ma.
men, while proceeding with the business, were alarmed) e
the sudden outbreak of flames in the sperm oil wareh ni.:.
and before any effectual aid could be obtained the .1,0,
warehouse was in flames from the basement to the roof.
The flames were so fierce, and the heat so intense, as entirely
to preclude any attempt to extinguish the ire on put
of the numerous workmen employed, and in less than nf-
teen minutes from the first alarm being given tie alvde
range of warehouses, extending from the counting-bc--e
down to the water's edge, were in one man of flame•, tL•.
roof and floors falling in succession with loud serest•.
There were four bargee lying alongside the wharf attached
to the warehouses, laden with oil, turpentine, &e., she h
also speedily fell a prey to the flames- In cousequence of
the extent and inflan•mability of the stock in Messrs. Privo's
premises, and its contiguity to the City Gas Works, thr
greatest alarm prevailed in the neighbourhood fr,r4
fear of an explosion. Fortunately, however, the
wind blew in a southerly direction, divertinz the
flames from the large gasometer overlooking Me•srs.
Price's premises. During the progress thus mad.
by the flames a large number of the Brigade es;iars
had arrived from all the stations in London, attracted l.y
the strong reflection, as also the new steam engine belong.
lug to Mr. Hodges, the distiller. The two floating eaglets ;
were also brought up the river, and moored off the of
devastation. From some unaccountable caw* there mat for
some time a short supply of water for the land engiats.
and the tide being low, it was also some time before the
floating engines could be got to work. The firemen ha,u
at last got their engines into play, they found it quits
useless to make any attempt to save the lower wartime.'
of Messrs. Price, and directed their efforts to the ape,
warehouses, counting-house, and dwelling houses, wind
were with much difficulty preserved.

By this time the fire had obtained possession of the ail
depot of Mean. Cassel, occupying a long range of preens.
These were speedily destroyed, and the fire next &twice
the back portions of the homes Nos 11, 12, 13, and It, It
Chatham-place, but by gnat exertion on the part id the
firemen the damage done was confined to the roofs sod the
back rooms upon the upper doors. The firemen were nets.
gently occupied from their arrival until 10 o'clock at night,
at which time the fire was well got wider, and all further
danger at an end. A few of the casks of oil were got out of
the burning warehouses and rolled into Williameneet bat
with this exception the whole of the valuable steams cot
aumed. It is impossible to estimate the value of the pro.
perty destroyed, but it will probably amount to 40,10 W. st
50,0001. Mesas. Price were insured, but the loss will. it I
expected, far exceed the amount of the insanace. Then
warehouses of Messrs. Price were destroyed by fire 17 yen
ago, when several explosions took place, and some cf to
firemen lost their live

The concourse of people attracted by the fire, whin
could be seen from all parts of London, was intone.
Blackfriars -bridge, from which the best view of the weal
could be obtained, was crowded to excess, and the tide bag
low the foreshores on each side of the river were no
thronged by spectators. The ,river between Waterloo ad
Blackfriars bridges was crowded with wherries, and the
barges lying alongside the various wharves were also filW
with people. The scene altogether much resembled its
great Tooley-street fire in June, 1861.
At 12 o'dock last night all fear of the further spread d
the fire being at an end, Captain Shaw, Mr. Renders" dr.
Hodges, and a body of the Brigade, made as close an mow
tion of the ruins as possible, but the intense heat throes
out from the still burning ruins, and the dangerapi cos.
dition of the walls of the 'destroyed warehouses, made the
a work of great difficulty end danger. It was fond
that the fire was still raging fiercely in the vaults rus
ning under the warehouses, and it was again fond seer
eery to bring the brigade steam engines, and also that it
Mr. Hodge, into operation, and at 1 o'clock this morsig
large bodies of water were being poured into the preens
without making any perceptible diminution in the tens,
which were shooting up with great force in all director".
Mr. Arthur Price, the resident partner in the firm, with t
large staff of his clerks and workmen, were rendering ewo
assistance to the firemen. During the height of the fire i
appears several of the firemen were severely injured by the
falling debris, and three of them engaged in playing re Oa
backs of the houses in Chatham-place from the roof of Mr.
Capers coal depot, were at one time completely oinked
in a dense cloud of smoke, and narrowly escaped with the
Brea. All the books of the firm were saved, but were man
damaged by water and removal.
The origin of the fire cannot yet be ascertained, but it e
thought to have arises from spontaneous combustioe.
OFFICIAL REPORT, hc.—(THIS DAY.)
This fire, it is to be regretted, has been attended with
greater destruction of property than was at first anticipate/
Subjoined is the official report furnished by Captain Shaw:
Meows. C. Price and Co., oil refiners, Wiliam street
Blackfriars—Three warehouses of two storeys destroys!,
root of adjoining house damaged by fire, and front of sae•
houses opposite and in yard severely wombed, sod three
barges in the river severely burned.
13 and 14, Chatham-place, M. H. Bonthell, lodV
house keeper—Back windows burned out aid roof &mold
by fire. Insured in the Phoenix sod Sun Fireoffices.
No. 12, ditto, Mr. R. Keyser, hotel keeper and apid
merchant—Similar damage. Insured in the Seas FllO-OEIOI
No. 11, ditto—J. Fisher, wine and spirit mercbaat—
Same damage. Insurange not known.
No. 9, ditto, Mr. IL Keyser, hotel keeper db.
11 Royal), back front scorched, and contents slightly &curl
by water, he. Insured in the Sun Fire-office.
Mr. Thorium Hodson and Mr. W. W. Mahon, with Me.
Chas. White, of the County; Mr. Lsngbam, of the Loyal,
and other officials, were busily engaged during the morsel
in finding out the cause of the fire and the extent of propotl
consumed, but nothing of a positive character could be
;leaned.