The Express.
London, England, 1866-05-10 00:00:00

GREAT FIRE ON BOW-COMMON.

BURNING OF PARAFFIN AND OTHER
FACTORIES.
A fire of considerable magnitude, which raged
throughout nearly the whole night, broke out last evening,
about 9 o'clock, amongst the numerous factories which
occupy large portion of Bow-oommon, near the banks of
the Limehouse cut of the river Lee, and which resulted in
the destruction of a large amount of petroleum and other
oil. The fire originated in a large Inciter and paraffin match
manufactory in the occupation of Moors. Tyler and Pace-
Some of the workpeople discovered the flames raging in
the drying department, and an immediate alarm was
raised. Owing to the inflammable nature of the stock, the
men had little time to do anything towards checking the
flames, and saving the building, and in conaequence of the
somewhat remote position of the works from town, the
brigade engines did not arrive until the fire had made consi-
derable progress. The workmen rolled what casks of oil they
could get at out of the yard, bat unfortunately it did not
prevent the conflagration extending sad assuming a most
fearful character. The flames having levelled the building
of the match factory, penetrated the adjoining petroleum
and oil store connected with the refinery and works of Mr.
Crossley. These stores contained tame hundred barrels of oil,
an 1 as the casks exploded and the spirit ignited, a terrific
body of flames shot high into the air, illuminating the whole
of the eastern section of London. By this time many of the
brig de engines, with Captain Shaw, the head of the force,
had reached the scene, and the most vigorous efforts were
made to prevent the fire communicating to other oil depots
in the immediate neighbourhood. The oil which had
already ignited continued to blase with overwhelming
fury, and running. down aloes the wharf into the Lime-
house cut of the river Lee, set fire to three barges which
were moored near the quay. Two of the craft were loaded
with barrels of petroleum, and the other was filled with
coals. The intense body of fire which shot out nearly
across the canal, defied all efforts to remove the barges, and
they were quickly in a general blase, their cargoes contri-
buting to their speedy destruction. The blazing oil floated
about on the top of the water in the canal in huge
patches, and the greatest fear was apprehended that the
whole block of factories on this part of the common
would be swept away. The manufactory on the
opposite side of the canal had caught fire, and
other works adjacent to the match-factory and oil
stores had ignited. Some hundreds of barrels of oil were
removed out of the different premises clear of danger, and
the brigademen directed their efforts to the adjacent fac-
tories which had become fired. There were several of the
powerful steam land engines in full operation' and the
firemen, after a long and what might be called a desperate
struggle, sucoeeded in the course of this morning in check-
ing the conflagration, but a vast body of fire continued to
rage. The other premises which are reported to have
suffered are those of Messrs. Goddard, oil refiners ; Mr. W.
Letite, manufacturer; Denton and Jutaam, oil re-
finers, Az.
The origin of the disaster could not be ascertained. The
destruction of property, especially in oil, must prove very
heavy, and it is thought that owing to the nature of the
works the insurance offices will not be very seriously
affected by the calamity.

Lord and Lady Chelmsford entertained Lord and
Lady Naas, Lord and Lady Vaux and Hon. Mary Mostyn,
Sir Percyvall and Lady Dyke and Miss Dyke, Lieutenant-
Colonel and Mrs. Gordon, Captain Seymour, Mr. lon
Hamilton, M.P., Mr. E. Heneage, M.P., Mr. and Mr,.
Arthur Russell, and Mrs. Villebois, at dinner yesterday
evening, at their residence in Eaton-square.
Lord and Lady Colchester received at dinner last
night the Marchioness of Downahire and Lady Alice Hill,
the Earl and Countess Amherst and lady Constance Am-
herst, Viscount and Viscountess Doneraile, Viscount St.
Ampli, Lady Alice l'eel, the Right Hon. Sir John and
Lady l'akington, Mr. Seekonk West, Mr. Dyke, M.P.,
Mr. Corry, Mrs. Henry Law, and Mr. Brown, at their re-
sidence in Berkeley-square.
The Dublin Exhibition Palace and Winter Garden
were opened to the public on Monday for the purposes
originally intended. The building had been let to the
committee of the International Exhibition which was in-
augurated by the Prince of Wales, acting for the Queen,
on the 9th of May last and closed in October. During
the winter the additional buildings, or annexes, ren-
dered necessary for the Exhibition, were taken down,
and the unfinished designs of Mr. A. G. Jones, the archi-
tect, have been completed. A gallery has been erected in
the great music-hall, and the promenade called the Win-
ter Garden has been stocked with shrubs and flowers in
great variety, and so arranged as to produce a very beauti-
ful effect. The severity of the weather during spring has
greatly retarded the growth of the trees in the grounds, the
bare appearance of which was a little disappointing.
It appears from a Parliamentary return issued
this morning, that in the year 1865, 41,168,623 bushels of
malt were charged with duty in England, the amount of
duty charged being 5,990,370/. 3s. 41d. In Scotland the
number of bushels was 2,362,909, and the amount of duty
319,007/. 4s. Kid. In Ireland 2,414,91;0 bushels were
charged, the duty amounting to 327,311/. 17s. Old. The
quantity of barley imported into the United Kingdom
during 1865 was 2,11;9,133 bushels.
Sir John Pakington to-morrow will ask the Pre-
sident of the Board of Trade whether he intends to pro-
pose any change in the tribunal prescribed by the Merchant
Shipping Act for investigating the causes of the losa of
merchant ships at sea, or in any other manner to provide
increased security for the safety of passengers in passenger
ships. . _
. . .

On the motion for going into committee on
Transubstantiation, &c., Declaration Abolition Bill, Mr.
Newdegate will move that the house will, upon that
day six. months, resolve itself into the said committee.
Sir James Fergusson intends, on the second read-
ing of Legitimacy Declaration, &c. Bill, to move that it be
read a second time upon that day six months.
In the event of the Redistribution of Seats Bill
being read a second time, Mr. Bouverie will move " that
it be committed to the same committee with the Represen-
tation of the People Bill : that it be an instruction to the
committee that they do make both the said bills into one."

Mr. Darby Griffith, in committee on Compul-
sory Church Kate Abolition Bill, intends to move the fol-
lowing clause :—" Any person who shall be a tenant for
any existing or unexpired term of years of any property
of house or land in any parish who shall have heretofore
paid church rate as part of the legal or customary out-
goings incident to his tenure, in case he shall avail him-
self of the provisions of this act to decline to pay inch
church rate in future, shall forthwith pay to his imme-
diate landlord or lessor such yearly sum as shall be equal
to the average of the church rate which has annually been
paid by him during the previous seven years, the same to be
added to his rent, and recoverable by the same legal pro-
ceeding." . .

- - _
On Tuesday next Sir A. Agnew will ask the
Vice-Presi.lent of the Committee of Privy Council whether
be is aware of the extreme danger to the health of the
community arising from the neglect of sanitary precau-
tions on the part of emigration agents and contractors :
and, whether her Majesty's government are prepared to
take steps to oblige agents and contractors to provide
suitable accommodation for all passengers landed by them
at soy British port.
A riot took place at Nuremburg (Bavaria) throe
days back in consequence of the price of beer having been
raised. The mob broke the windows of the brewers' resi-
dences, and also destroyed the seats, tables, and utensils
of the drinking shops. The police with detachments of
troops were necessary to restore order. A proclamation
has been addressed to the population by the municipal
authorities ; but the new tariff, the emus of the disturb-
ance, has been maintained.
The Taunton cattle market was re-opened last
' week is oorequenas of the cessation of the riodexpeet.