The Express.
London, England, 1848-08-31 00:00:00

P&C,II e
OVA bare Ixen trin to-day. Mess pork sold at II (1,11, SOc
tu~e.,
and 1, lak at 9 dola. Lard i* demand for Europa at Sc. fur ri
but tugders Aro now asking

Silt Wenn.
OSBORNE, WEDNESDAY.—The royal dialler party
yesterday inels:dcd the Duchess of Kent, the Princess of
niohe Lauftenbour., an I Princess Eliza, the Chevalier
Bunsen, Prince Lowenstein, Lady Anna Maria Dawson, and
the &ammo de Speth.

A deputation, including Mr. Brotherton, M.P., Mr.
](and-n, and Mr. Neild, had an interview with the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer yesterday in Downing-street.
lies. Hodgkin and Norton Shaw, and William
Wright, E.q , of Jamaica, a deputation to deliver a me-
morial to Biel Grey, for presentation to her Majesty, had
an interview with the noble earl yesterday at the Colonial-
office.
Mr. Tidd Pratt and Mr. Higham hed an interview
yesterday with the Chaucellor of the Exchequer.
The Queen Dowager left town yesterday for the
Isle of Wight.

•
FlRllB.—Yeeterdey morning three earful fires
broke cut in the metropolis. Om took place upon the pre-
mises IA .nsting to Mr. Harding, situate in Mill-street, near
the Grand Surrey Canal, Old Kent-road. It commenced in
the stabling and speedily extended to the cart. houses. These
premiere containing a quantity of straw, the flames rose to
a greet height, and when the engines arrived the lire had
gained complete possession of the premises before spoken of, '
and was attacking au adjoining house. The engines were '
immediately taken to the canal and set to work, but the
flames could not be conquered until the property belonging
to Mr. Harding was destroyed.—Another fire, and which
destroyed a conaiderable!auantity of property, took place in
the sugar factory belonging to Messers. Farrie, Brothers,
and Company, in Church-lane, Whitechapel. This factory,
which is one of the largest in the metropolis, is so sue
rounded with houses, that the moment the alarm of" Fire "
was sounded, the neglibeurs began to remove their furni-
ture. Fortunately, although much property was con-
sumed, owing to the peculiar construction of the pre-
mises the flames were confined to one compart-
ment. It appears that one of the workmen, on
going to what in termed the stove, a large building
used for drying the sugar, he found the interior in flames.
Havingclosed the doors, he sent for the engines, which in a
very bnef period arrived. The firemen, who were aided by
74 hired auxi lanes, continued to labour incessantly, but
they were unable to get the Herne, extinguished until the
stock in the drying stove was nearly destroyed,
and the contents of the house adjoining considerably
damaged by fire and water. The loss will fall upon
the Sun, Aube, Scottish Union, Liverpool, end Licensed
Victu ellen' Fire Offices. The cruse of the disaster has been
trace -I to a lamp basing b.cn left in theston and which came
in contact with the sugar therein.—The last fire, which was
briefly alluded to in yesterday's paper, happened at
17. King's Head-court. Holborn-hill, iu the tenure of Mr.
Thompson, a machine-ruler. The premises, which were four
floors high, were surrounded on every side by similar build-
ings. when first discovered the flames were raging in
the lower floor, and were bursting out of the windows
with such fury that it was almost impossible for any one to
pee &hug. The various parties living in the court were
aroused Irons their slumbers, and in the course of a few
minutes a most pitiable scene presented itself. Upwardsof a
dozen persons were curbing to and fro in their night dresses,
not knowing where to go to escape the violence of the
,rnes. Betore the engines arrived the flames had extended
too far for any part of the building or stock and effects to be
laved. No. 18, in the same court, belonging to Mr. Slate,
bookbind. r, received considerable damage by water and re-
moval. No. 16, let out in tenements, is likewise similarly
damaged.

MODE OF EXTINGUISHING FIRES AT SEA.
Sir,—As the danger from fire at sea is attended
with so many appalling circumstances (of which we have had
a recent instance fa the fatal and melanchol, catastrophe of
the Ocean Monarch), I beg, through the medium of your
widely-circulated paper, to submit for the public considera-
tion, and especially underwriters, the following plan. as a
cheap, simple, and efficient method of preventing the oc-
currence of such accidents. It occurred to me in the
rummer of 1840, during a casual conversation with Dr.
Montgomery, superintending surgeon, H. E. I. C. S., then
on the eve of returning to India. The principle is as
follows :
FL.me or combustion cannot goon where there it
car-
bonic acid gas.
This is one of the elementary principles of chemistry.
It may he shown in various ways. A lighted taper
plunged into • jar of carbonic acid gas is instan-
taneously extinguished; or, if we take th 3 glass of
a common *Nand burner, and close the upper end
of it by • tlit plate of glare or even by • piece of card or
pastetioeni, firmly, so completely as to prevent any current of
air through the tube, on introducing for about an inch or so
the f1...a.e of a candle at the other extremity (the glass of the
argand burner being held upright) it will shortly, usually in
the some of little more than a minute, be extieguistied,
merely by the accumulation of the carbonic said gas pro-
duced by its awn combustion. The production of carbonic
acid gas is completely at our command, for on adding dilute
sulphuric acid to chalk, we can set at liberty, in the space of
two or three minutes, enormous volumes of the to-called
fixed air. The cost of material for a ship of 1,000 tons
would sot exceed, at the utmost, 101. or 201. sterling. By
mesas of tubes proceeding from the upper deck in con.
nexion with • cistern containing.the dilute sulphuric acid, to
the quarters below where there is most likelihood of dancer
from fire; or movable hose (made of gutta percha), which
can be introdured into any part of the vessel—the oil of
vitriol, previously diluted with water, can be at once poured
over the chalk (which is thrown down in the place where
the fire rage.), and immediately, the carbonic acid being set
at liberty, the fire is extinguished ; for combustion cannot
go on in on atmosphere of carbonic acid gas.
I have been much occupied experimenting on this subject,
and tied that from five torn of chalk as much carbonic acid
may be obtained as will be sufficient to completely fill ayes-
eel of 1,000 tons burden. The expense of la3ing the tubes
will not exceed thirty or forty pounds ; and, once laid, there
is no further trouble or exi ense. I may observe also (but
experimen•s are at variance on this subject) that
it is not requisite to have an atmosphere &boo-
lutely consisting of carbonic acid gas to extinguish
flame, for some experiments show that a taper den
not burn in an atmosphere of three parts atmespheric
air and one part carbonic acid gee. Lightning conductors
.hips—surgeens also to take care of the
R—assuredly no expense (and it is but a
grudged to secure a ship and its passengers
^e of such • melancholy mishap as that of

will dc—and there teems to be everything
our emigrant ships, indeed, every ship,
ed against a calamity which r,sliy must be
dreadful which can occur to a veiled at sea.
M.D., 4, tialisbory-street, Strand,

JF THE OCEAN MONARCH.
meeting of the Liverpool Shipwreck
iety was held for the purpose of taking into
services rendered by the pieties instru-
Ithe sufferers from the conflagration on
(march. The gold medals of the society,
(of the Mint), were voted to T. Little-
, the yacht Ques n the Ocean ; Admiral
as c,naul.general at the port; Cspt. De
mender of the Alfonso; aid to Jerome, the
- of the New World. A sum of money
the crew of Mr. Littledale's yacht. Other
itended, will be rewarded as soon as the respec •
h shall lava been adjudged. A fact came
evidence brought before the society, that
e Ocean Monarch. knowing that Jerome was
• New World (which was close by), having wit-
courageous exertions when the Henry Clap was
-r New York, proceeded in a boat on board the
4 brought him to the wreck.

IBBERY OF THE SUFFERERS.
-, of Portman-place Maids-hill, who bad
passage on board the Ocean Monarch, with g
his family at Cincinnati, bait given the fel-
' hie escape, which we quote from the
. It will be read with interest, perticu-
;hich relates to one of his fellow-sufferers,
, who is still missing, end concerning wham
suspicions aro entertained.
was meet providential. When the first and smog
ned in games, I went forward to the forecastle,
purengers were huddled together, expressing my
attempt was made to lower the boats. The thought •
mind shot the beet chance of eicepe would be to
of the hosts away from the crowd on the tore-
n opportunky, the probability being that should
that part of the vereel, the rush would be ee
lives most necessarily be emeriti, ed either by the
e boats sent to our assistance, or for want of
who would Immediately jump overboard in the
therefore returned to the metre of the vessel,
a few minutes, some of the crew threw the
I stood into Ithe water. Another ten minutes
• late; the basses were already rushing up the
A the steerage, within reseh of the spot where I
position ; I then threw off my greet coat, and
As I fell I caught hold of the rope that attached
and sunk Into the water. On rising, an Irish.
fallen in, immediately grasped hold of me, (s-
-hould on ta ye, let me houid on to ye," and I
hie weight. This was a fearful moment, and the
gave up all hope—for I had ea frequently heard of
r lives by being clung to in the water, the reeollec-
ed scram my imagination, that I never expected
Uowever, he fortunately let go his hold,
to the surface I caught hold of the rope
and had approached within a few inches of
I heard the mate give orders to "cut away
wee done, and I once more rank with the other end
y hand. I rase for the third time, and caught hold of
p who was clinAing to the sides; I managed to climb
tumbled myself held foremost loto the boat. Con-
no swimmer, it seems almost a miracle that I or
now felt, comparatively speaking, safe• but the
A over. The ma was so rough, and the boat so full,
every moment to be swainpesl with every wave that
no airs to guide us; this, so far, was a fortunate
re. Had the men been able to etsike off when the
ropes is be cut away, she would have been beyond
row, alter having sunk with the rope end In my
• Providence hes watchedover mein a wonderfuland
cannot be too thankful. There was another circumstance
7 escape that appears providential. Owing to deli.
Ad worn a pair of thick heavy boots to protect
,ore wet on deck. These boots, for mune unseconntable
changed for a light pale only an hour or two before the
and I have thought since that had I Jumped overboard
-lc on the probability is I should have sunk be ever.

it is not requisite
lutely consisting of
•flame. for some tip,
1 1, not burn in an atn
air and one part card
are provided for ships
health of the erew—at,
trifle, would be grudg
from the contingency
fire.
If this method will
in its favour—all 01J
ought to be secured ap
held as the most drew
—WILLIAM Rain,
Aug. 30.
BURNING OF
Yesterday a met
and Humane Society
consideration the err
mental in rescuing tl
board the Ocean Mon
executed by Wyon
dale, E.g , owner of ti
Grenteli, Brazilian c
Lisboa, the cornmani
courageous Beaman 0
was also voted to the
parties, it is intended,
• tive merits of each sl
• out in the course of e,
the mat. of the Ocea
' • 'V a on board the New V
nosed his courage°.
stranded wear New'
New World, and bro
ALLEGED ROI
Mr. H. Powell,
taken a cabin pimp
view of joining his
lowing account of h
Liverpool Mercury.
lady that portion wh
named CoomSes, why
fate very grave auspit
My own escape was n
eab.na were enveloped
where all the weenie
• surprise that no enemy
then emoted my mind
stand dote to one of tl
cattle, and await an el
any boat approach tha
greet that many am
ewamping of the ho
room for all theme whe
hope of a rescue. I the
and, fortUnatel, in a
boat near to who* I
it could have been too
centre hatchway from
- • had taken up my pcei
+unwed overboard. Al
the boat to the ship, at
moo, who had also fa.
claming, Let me In
began to sink under he
poly one in which I gat
• persons losing their lii
• .ion of which flashed e
to rise mann. Ilco
• and IL I rose to
• a rewind time, and
the boat when I he
the ropes." This was
of the rope In my bane
some person's legs erla
up his hack, and tomb
sidering that I am no
004 i pltshtil it I no,
danger was out yet ow
that we expected ever
we shipped. We had
circum,tance for me.
ma•c ordered the rap
my reach when I rose
• hand. Sorely provider
ful manner. 1 cannot
00.N:tad with my ell
Cate health, I had
my te:t tram the wet
reason, I had change
ere broke out, and I
with the thick pair o
101