The Express.
London, England, 1866-12-31 00:00:00

THE GREAT FIRE AT THE CRYBTZ
PALACE.

LATEST PARTICCLABI3.---(THIS DAY.)
During the night, and up to 12 o'clock tot*,
large streams of water continued to be poured upon 04
ruins at the Crystal Palace. The precise came of th
gre in its ornery ; but the report that it orirjanw
from the overheating of a stove in the basement is eat
credited by the officials, who are disposed to endorse ys
conjecture that the outbreak commenced in the carpantw
„buy,. swishing was reported to have been q
,de whsn ths eleploris left the building on Saturday eight.
Kr. Grove, the secretary to the company, stated eh
morning that the whole of the north-east portion el en
building may be said to have been entirely (Litre's"...
the Alhambra Court, the Assyrian Court, th
Bymnitin• Court, the Queen's apartment+, library,*
printing office. We are also informed that the building%
fully insured, but melt losses as have been experienced h
the rare collections cannot well be replaced. With the
caption of s few (how many has not been ascertained) vain
able birds, most of the live stock have perished. Itir
admitted on all sides that to the position of the large sem
at the extreme end of the tropical department, and Irma
divides that from the northern nave, must be attribute'
the safety of the other portions of the building. p,
screen itself is much scorched, and it is remarkable flat
the fire did not extend further.
The scene within the palace this morning wee a bail
one. Carpenters were present in large numbers, and*
sound of the hammer rang from one end of the build*
to the other. The men were engaged in erecting stab fit
the exhibition of goods in the platy of those which waft
either destroyed by the fire or removed to prevent a
further extension of the calamity. The for to rams
of
the stall-keepers will be rather considerable hot tha
company is rapidly striving to bring things to a pram

working. _
order.
The reports of the fire in the morning papers smuts&
some thousands to Bydenham. The young folk mourned
the loss of the gigantic Christmas-tree, and the deems el
the Mammoth tree and its tropical complains ars,
very much regretted. Some of the workmen me greet
been by the destruction of their tools. II&
Wilbee, the foreman, who had over the value of 3f. is
threepenny and fourpenny pieces locked up in his mon,
found them among the ruins this morning molten tete•
ther in a most peculiar form. An investigation is tube nods
by the company as to the origin of the dinner;
and in the meantime it may be repeated that the fire we
not in any way interfere with the general entertainments.
A number of roughs have been lodged in the dindek
station for theft during the progress of the fire.
As may be imagined, much confusion was *mind
by the removal of the books from the compaey's oaks
within the Palace to a place of safety ; but it is Nth.
factory to state that the whole of them have bees pee
served.
About the first to discover the outbreak of the fire was
a police-constable on duty in the building. He played a
hoer on the flames, and remained firm at his post, doing
so until the fire burned him so severely that he is now
under the surgeon's care."
A number of the birds and monkeys kept in the honied
wing made their escape. The pheasants were seen mien
about the streets of Camberwell during last night.

EAST INDIAN SAILW 4Y.--( THIS DAY.
-.---

This day the half-yearly meeting of shareholders
was held at the London Tavern ; Mr. CRAWFOI:9, H.P., in
the chair.
The report, which has already been published, having
been taken as read,
The CHAIRMAN congratulated the meeting en the favour•
able prospects of the company. The last bridge over the
Jumna had been completed, and a passenger could now go
from Calcutta to Delhi without changing his
carriage. They had a surplus profit of 50,0004
to divide, and a similar sum for the government, to be
paid to them as interest on the money
on whiof thech they lent
the company during the constructi line.
The number of passengers carried was less than
in the corresponding period of the previous year,
but there was an increase of 10,020 tons in the goods
carried. Out of every 1001. earned, the shareholders re.
ceived 584 per cent., the remainder, e
rn rent., being
sufficient to defray all the expenses G: magement
India and in England. (Hear.) The average expenditare
of the railways in England was 48 per cent. of the
earnings ; and, of the seven railways which had termini
in London—exclusive of the London, 'Chatham, and Dover—
per cent. ;so that they were all 10 pa written cent. better
than these seven railway compani re
es. They had ea
9,165/. this half -year on account of a bad debt, the caroms
stances of which were atated in the report. Fuld had ma&
provision against loss by fire by iIIBUTAUCCG The
audit • department in Calcutta hail been MOli
useful in keeping down expenditure. They had now sza
rived at the point when they earned thehal cent. above
the guarantee. Their neighbours, lndia Pe
ninsukr Company, took credit to themselves to
being the first to reach this happy position, but
he must deprive that company of half their l
athe ISM
aurels, fa
this company at the very same time reuche
point. (Hear, hear.) With regard to loeuntotive power,
for an increase of which they bail receiied urgent da
mends from India, he had toll them at the lsal
meeting that orders had been given for the construction el
?25 locomotives. Of these 24 were on the water, and
some might have arrived already in India, so that he
hoped there would be from this time forward as
complaint on the score of want of locomotive FOWL
On the whole he thought they were in a satisfactory
position, and might look forward in the future to a tea
siderable increase of dividend. (Hear, hear.)
The motion for the adotion of the report haying bra
seconded, was carried after a short discussion.

EGYPTIAN COMMERCIAL AN!) TRADING
COMPAIVY ( LIMITED).-( THIS DAY.)

The third ordinary general meeting of the sham
holders of this company was held at the London Tama
this da ; Mr. ALE:CANDER DODD occupied the char.
The reporty of the directors, and . f the committee of
investigation, which have already been pabli.hed, wets
taken as read.
The CRATRMAN said the meeting could not be
earlier in consequence of their desire to remit
the accounts up to the :10th of Noyes*.
Their chairman (Mr. !Arkin) was absent in Effift,
and it was on that account that he had here de
sired to take the chair. The mp
difficultieco sany, be
It w.
Lia st be ..F happy
al.
io
say, was emerging from its .
mitted that there had been mismanagenent iv. Egypt, bat
it was the financial panic of last May that had mainly hi
to the difficulties of the company, and white
compelled the making of a call which hal node/ the
circumstances been promptl met. Ile coLgratalstsi
y
them that the directors were able to present a ,titetasstsi
accounts showing that the losses had not been more things
share, and that the directors fully anticipatedW beh
ing skis
noon to return the call of :11. a share. it IVA
to the future of the company, the dimc;o:a
determinstio 0100
it better not to come to ally
now, but they proposedto at on fora few nice
rry
In the meantime the directors were confinin
thouggh lii
JIM
selves to commission business ; and
profits were email the busineia was safe. Tie
directors despatched to Egypt several months le
Mr. Landeau, a shareholder, with in4tructiens to Neil
the meta, and which he was now enca:c la
d in doini• gi
moved that the report and statement of acconati
received and adopted
Mr. GRENIELL seconded... 7— •
A SHAREHOLDER ellqUiredi f the management was slag
the same hnds as when t losses urel
The CHAIaRMAN said thehe managementwere
was n the bah
of Mr. Ross and Mr. Landean.
The SHAREHOLDER complained that they should
Ilwt!
paid so much to Messrs. Briggs and Co., and that
management should be in the same hands.
The CHAIRMAN said that there wasa good deal Abe
on both sides of the question. He thought Maar. Ili._
and Co. might have made more of their business sir
they had. Mr. Ross resigned during_ IM
time of the lot
and was not in the pay of the company, but was &jai ""
duty of a paid servant. l —.el do
Mr. B. BoRKHIEII said a committee was ew-- -
p
last meeting by imposition and tricks. (Cries of "it
no," and " Sit down.") He blamed, these el
committee who had consented to becmne
__Ai
for accepting that office. For eight, en .
of shoes
the shareholders had been kept without aegoirj
and during that time the buyers
only been those who were in a poppose ~
Ilion to IT.
information from the board. He should o Illi:2
of thanks to the committee or the directors. lis
_.,..g
the company to be wound up. The shareholders ow..
whether the oss of 200,000/. was corrector not
know _.,
f3lr. Rorkhiein l
was still proceeding when our Ter'
left.]