The Express.
London, England, 1853-03-21 00:00:00

SERIOUS FIRE IN WLNDSOR CASTLE.

WINDSOR, SUNDAY EVININO.
A very painful sensation has prevailed during the
whole of this day and the preceding night, in consequence
of the outbreak of a fire of rather a serious character in the
Castle, within a few hours after the arrival of her most
gracious Majesty the Queen and his Royal Highness Prince
Albert.
Her Majesty, his Royal Highneu the Prince, and
suite, had partaken of dinner in the dieing•room during
the evening, and whilst sitting in the adjoining room the
royal party were astonished at finding smoke issuing from
the aide walls of the apartment. The smoke increasing in
density it soon became apparent that a fire was smouldering
behind the wood-work of the dining-room. This portion of
the edifice was situated on the ground floor of the Prince of
Wales's Tower, which extended as far in one direction as
the Brunswick Tower, and near the state apartments.
The tower in which the fire commenced was a splendid
piece of architecture, and nearly faced Eton College, whilst
the beautiful Terrace and promenade stands imme-
diately in front, and under the battlements is the
tastefully laid out flower•garden and slopes, where
her Majesty and royal children frequently enjoy
walking exercise ; on the ground floor was an
apartment of great extent, and most beautifully ap-
pointed, which was used by the Queen as the dining-room.
The roof, or more correctly speaking, the ceiling was inlaid
with carved oak, delicately heightened with gold. Over this
magnificent apartment were a number of rooms, principally
used as sleeping apartments for the royal children and
attendants. Various other rooms adjoined those just men-
tioned, and the whole touched, or nearly so, the apartments
in the Brunswick Tower.

With as little delay as possible the news was communi-
cated to Colonel Phipps, woo, in return, gave the necessary
intelligence to the officers in command of the Castle.
Not a moment was new lost in collecting the
military in the town together, and various engines
of the Castle, and thine of Eton, &c., to the number
of nine or ten were brought to the scene of danger, and
set to work, from an abundant supply of water furnished
by the fire plugs, which surrounded the royal resideuee.
The frost, however, was so intense that on several occasions
the water in the hose became congealed, which greatly re-
tarded the exertions of the military and those in charge o f
the engines. Meanwhile the flames extended from the
ground floor up the staircase and having entered numerous
apartment, in the Prince of Tower the whole be-
came ignited. The parties in command ofthe engines did all
they possibly could to confine the fire within that part of
the mutate, but we regret to state without the least suc-
cess, and in • space of time comparatively brief, the
fire forced its way into the centre of the Brunswick Tower.
The military and others laboured in a moat praiseworthy
manner; hoping to subdue the conflagration ; but as the
water, which fell in tons' weight per minute, ran down the
front of the towers, in spite of the heat, it became frozen,
and immense icicles could be seen hanging from the window-
sills, and as the dames continued to shoot through the case-
ments, the sight presented was one of fearful grandeur, and
the reflection of the fire could be seen for miles distant.

The water thus thrown upon the various floors had the
effect of preventing the fire from penetrating the root If
It had not been so, owing to the great altitude of the nestle,
there is no doubt but the fire would have been perceived in
London.
Colonel Phipps, on finding that the fire remained as
obstinate as at the first commencement, and having commu-
nicated with the Prince, it was agreed that a message
should be sent to town by means of the electric telegraph
for the attendance of Mr. Braidwood, the superintendent of
the London Fire Establishment, and one or two of the
engines. Two powerful brigade engines, with a detach-
ment of firemen under the command of Mr. Braidwood,
immediately proceeded to the Nine-elms station of the Lon-
don and South Western Railway, end as soon as a special
train could be made ready the engines and firemen were
despatched to Windsor, which spot they reached in some-
thing like 40 minutes.
Upon arriving at the Castle, the main entrance gates
were thrown open, and the engines were driven through,
but no one, except the firemen and the military, were
allowed on any pretence to enter the royal residence.
The engines which had previously been at work, and also
those of the Brigade from town, were actively employed for
several howls longer, but the fire having worked its way
behind the wainscotting of the various rooms, the greatest
diSculty was experienced in attacking the exact seat et
danger; but, owing to the indefatinable exertions of the
firemen and soldiers, the fire was extinguished after a lapse
of some hours.. _ _

_
To give and thing like a correct estimate of the damage
done would be impossible at present ; but at a moderate
calculation, it must reach to many thousand pounds, for
the principal apartments in the Prince of Wales's Tower are
destroyed, and several-in the Brunswick Tower, are par-
daily consumed. The basement floors are also most seriously
damaged by water, in fact, in some parts of the royal este-
blishment, the damage by water is almost as great as that
done by fire.
As soon as the fire was safely got under, Mr. Braidwood
gave orders to have a number of engines set to work, in
order to draw the surplus water out of the lower floors,
which was accomplished, but not without considerable dif-
ficulty and labour.
Her Majesty, on finding that all danger was over, took
her departure for Frogmore (the residence of her Royal
Highness the Duchess of Kent) accompanied by the Prince
Consort. . . - _ _

A very minute examination was nude by Mr. Braidwood
with a view of learning the cause of the disaster, but the
only possible conclusion that can be come to at present is,
that some defect in one of the flues was the active agent of
mischief, which at once overthrew the rumours currently
circulated in the town that it had been caused by some
act of carelessness on the pan of one of the domestics of the

royal household.
To give anything approsimating to the feelings of her
Majesty's subjects in the town on the salvation of the
Castle becoming !sawn, would be atterly impossible, for
every one seemed partially mad with gladness that the
work of destructi:n had been confined to so small a
part of the Castle, and that the Queen and his Royal
Itighness the Prince, as well as the royal children, had
'beeped unscathed.
The brigade engines were despatched to town last night,
but the firemen ate still len in charge, for fear of another
outbreak occurring.
Mr. Deputy Barrow, of the West of England Fire-office,
Mr. Jones, the engineer, and Mr. Howell, of the same office,
rendered groat assistance in endeavouring to subdue the
fire.

INCREASE OF WAGES AT TUE ROYAL ARSENAL...es
On Saturday last, about fifty wheelers at this establish-
ment received an increase of pay, from 21s. to 245. 6d., sad
from 245. 6d. to 28s. per week.—fienitsis Mercury.