The Express.
London, England, 1861-06-25 00:00:00

(1013 DAY.)

L'/QUEST.

Although the fire still coatimonn to show itaelf
is mom of places over the fared Sheared heap of rain. and
although the long rarge of tanoli-emered milts still coati-
sues to helc it out alterostely huge volumes of smoke sad
sheets of dame, the contlagratios appears to De
oo the &elem. Loud after midnight, and even
after dawn, the sky eu red with the redeetiou sh.
but then means were found to get down large portions
of th.• toricriug wall., some of which, falling Inwards, par-
tially tutotherall the hurrahing material, while other., falling
outearili, opened up as SCOW to the vault., enabling the
t.,roue elfg.OVl to pour In ton after ton of water. Owing to
th,., the body of the file declined somewhat after one
• and the scree is sow less striking than before.
Th. 1.1.1 of those walls also enabled martian lobe made for
lie recovery .1 the body of Mr. Se At, which, however, hes
not been found. .1 good miry people remained es the spot
Ihrou.lh the night: sod cootie.. to ensemble, aotwtth•
Leavy milt which set in about eight o'clock.
▪ .11 eleveu o'clock 11 '•hevjaut Payne, coroner for the
I its' of Lambe sod tt. liberties, opened an inquiry at Bt.
Thomas's Hospital, into the circumstances Atte:Miss the
&AL of Mr. Jaime Llraidwood, the superintendent of the
ire Brigade. who w.is killed by the fall of a well on
cotton's Wharf, while directing the operations of his seen
no mitaadsy evening, as well as on other bodice.

1111SpOCiatill Mr. bog*
acting ha foreman.

Sir Welkin Williams encoded ou behalf of Mama
Scurell, instructed hy Masers. JOIN'S and Arkeoll, Toole,.
street, and maid Me-ssn. Score!l weru very aexious to
,•rery atirofMati..o to the jury, as well as to subunit
1,1 .12* of their premises.
The Coroner mid the inquiry would extend to the death
of three penom— Mr. James Bniklwood, who was killed en
Saturday night ; a also, named Richard Shemloos, who was
found iu fruut of the wharf &imbed, no doutt owing to the
Are ; sad a 01110, Donned Sullivan, who gut jammed among
some machinery, also uwing to the Are.
The jury then pro:roiled to rim the bodies ; nod upon
their return,

John Garret Doyle was sworn and examined—l am
wharf superintendent of all Herm. Newell's wharves.
Whore the Gm happened was on of their wharves. It was
the Cotton and Depot Wharf, which were at the timed
thee lire hauled together as one. Nome portion of the pre.
niie-s were underlet The fire conneticed in a part oe
noel wholly by Mersa. nevell. I received inti:
matter of its outbreak at hall-past 4 o'clock ; at
lbw time I was es the any of Cotton's Wharf.
1 was told al it by one of the boys. I andendoixl the
youth to my it was the lb door, which Is the third story
from Me pond, not Meted* the basement. I hastened
thither, where I looked in three or four directioes, but I
(meld see no appemence of is. I ineently returned to the
ipi iy of the Depot Wind to look far emcee, which I saw
acing from about 131 feet from me newer to Tooleynrest.
I instantly hastened to the spot, and found the smoke we
Iowa; from a poetises of a warehouse called letter H,
Number 4. That a a potties of Cotton's Wharf, abetting
on to the Depot Wharf. I eaw that our foreman. Hr.
fi slaws, had attached a hese to our service, but the supply
of water was so poor that the jet was rot throws higher
thau eight feet. The emcee was coming from a window,
but I did not tee any fame at that time. I took two leggin
of how, end attached them toe very powerful service, sad
a bidder was carried to the window, through which the
water was played in. It was the first story from whisk
the 'took* was owing. We had not played open the scene
of the fire above these minutes, when a large body of Seine
rushed out through that window, and thee the dreamed. We
teen test our exertion with the doublets...in and force pump
till the dames drove us away. The three leading articles
stowol in that warehouse were jute, bap of rice, and bap
of turmeric. I saw Hr. Braidwood, with whom I had
several coevereation He was superii tending the tire.
TM catastrophe to him happened as near es possible at
baltpast elves in the evestrg, at which time I was in the
Immediate entity of In wall that came dews, sad within
a hundred feet of Hr. Braidwood. The fire had thee gained
somiderable hesght. I had approached the spot but a
nate before the acrideet happened. Mr. Brehlwood was
there giving brassily to his anemia. I beard a sound
as of a doer giving way. I could out my which
Sour, but it we in the block known as that
of 1.1 Tto 12. Keening the doers, I apprehended such
a casualty, and I warned some fifteen or twenty persona to
quit the spit. sad I tuned need to get away myself. I
had ware* done lie when a shriek was rained. "The wall
coming.' baton I could gather much speed I was pushed
den by some ens bebiud me. I taw no more of Mr. Braisl•
wood, who was some thirty feet hem the wall when I lasi
saw him. I did not see him Mann to rune I lin termed
rased. It was the greater poetics of the wall 0 7 to
12 that fell down. I should think that about eighty feet
hag by forty or fifty high fall in one wild Emma I
did mot see the superintendent takes est ; but I have
sew the spot. The geode stored hide Me wall Wife est
saltpetre ea stated in the papers. Os the top leer of all
won stored a.m. 1,600 balm of canoe, sack wehrldie
cwt Tke door was wend, with timber Sudan sad joint,
bat tree staseisien The expansion of this settee I thin
versed the wall to fall. The hake wen eery tightly tied
ep, and the Ere loceeeing the Whine sand them to ex-
pad ad force the well outward. I can weer that there
was not a block of saltpetre in that whole block. There
wee no explosive substance at all there, I set quite sure of
that. 1 did not hear any etpliaiou ; only a dead sound as
of doors breaking down.
By the jury—l heard no explains op to half-pest seven.
The fire tepee arrived about ten minutes to 5. The first
steam float arrived about ten minutes past 1, bet that en-
gine at first readered very little assistance, as it did not
play with suilliMet power. The supply of water in Tooley-
street was quite made iumu to the emergency.
By Kr. Williams—We have a very large reeervuir which
Is filled *very tide. There are two tanks en the roof of the
depot, which are fill. I by the force pomp, end from which
the service pipes branch ont to the different floors. Lately
Messrs. Sowell bay* paid for two very powerful service
pipes which Iced lido the interior of the premises. The
service in connection with the main in nein-street faded.
net throwing a jet higher then eight feet. It ought to have
thrown water to a hui4ht of 13) Let. It is a double occur
pump, eel is worked by fourteen men.

J. J. Eng Lied, delivery-foreman in the colonial
department of Messrs. Cotton's wharf —I was in
tho door where the fire broke out. I was • moment
before that on the second dour of H 1. H 4 is immediately
tiodernestb. TLo Last outioe I had of the fire was the
smoke which I saw Hailing through the door of the ware.
been H where I was. 1 ran down to the floor beneath.
When I got there I could see nothing; but I heard a
necking noted. and when I turned I saw smoke among
from • bale of jute. I ran out and gave the claim, and I
got • bucket of water, which 1 threw on the bale.
I run for some more water, and called further se-
sistasee. When I got down with the second boast
of water, I could not approach, as the body of smoke was
too gicat. I cannot account for the jute taking fire. It
might heat if wet with oil. Nothing but jute andturmeric
was kept in that warehouse. Ilan Mr. Braidwood sheet 10
minutes before Ilia death. I cannot amigo may other cense
for the wall falling than the tremendous weight at the top,
compared of bialys of cotton. I did not hear any explosion
before the walla gave way; only* dead sound. The tire has
burnt entirely (rum the top of that warehouse down to the
cellars. I am certain that there were no explosive sub-
stance. in that
By the Jury—Tormeric root might came combustion if
the leaf had been wet with oil or salt water. Rice and gum
was over the bat in which the the broke out. Some of the
wan:boo...a were closed ; hat we were at work at other..
There were plenty of buckets and a tap upon each boos%
There was bottling over the jute bat rim. The doors which
were open, were open in the regular course of business. We
were delivering jute at the time. No light was taken on
that door. We do not use mulles, but glebe lamps with
pollocka. No smoking was allowed.
James Sargent --1 am one of the Fire Brigade, No. r.t.
I got there about tea minutes put live. The fire was then
upon the moms! dour. I aided to extinguish it. I saw the
wall fall on Me lireidwool. I did not hear any explosion
before the wall fell. I had been upon that spit about ea
hour tigers the wall fell. I think the wall fell by the
floorings giving way.
Ry the Jury- -Mr. Bmidwood bad the brandy in hie hand
whys the wall fell eue him. H. was serving it out to the
men Weans, they were exhausted. I was the nearest mau
to Mr. &Millwood when be fell.
William Metcalf*, No. 12, of the Fire Brigade—l saw
Dlr liraidweed whsa be fell. I should think that the wall
fell because the doors gave way.
/Samuel Lleetnu--I am • shipwright, and live In Tooley•
street. About three or four minutes before the wall fell I
walked down the yanl. One of the men asked me what I
thought of it. and I mid that it would be • fearful thing
before it was ended. I eaw the wall fall. I saw it coming,
alai made • ruth to get clear. A second later it fell upon
lerallwond, burying him beseech the ruins,
Itichanl Henderson, f Jensen 44 the Fire Brigade —I was
exlmeated by the exertion when Mr. Brai.lutaal came to
RN asd asked me how I got on. I said I was quite ex.
bauated, and he said. "Take a. drop of floosie. and r. at a
minute, woes you will get all right." He thin gave some

of the ntLer men Lundy, and while standing with the
bottle in Isla hand the wall fell. I called out to him, but
be tea soootiee of it.

—By Xr7tlFdlii ham been a fireman 41 years, and I
Weyer saw a better eooducted place than Mr. ficovell's.
0. H. Birkbeck —Mr. Braidwood was my father-in-law.
I mould not recognise him except by his accoutrement. after
ha was dog out. I produce his epaulettes, which are very
mach crushed. There had never been a sufficient supply of
water frurn the main since the commencement of the bre.
Edward John Cutler--1 live at St.. John's Wool. lam
priaripal clerk at the town department of the Westminster
Fire (MID.. I was at the scene of the Bre about half-past
.z. I followed Mr. Braidworal on to the wharf where be went
to give the men some broody. fie Wed me to ham
some. A minute Liter I heard an explosion like a
cannon going off. I saw it force the lower
door of the warehouse open, and a great body of smoke
mine bunting forth, through a door io the lower part of the
waruhuuse, either the basement or the ground Ifoor. The
wall lapped over and toppled down upon Mr. Maki-
wood. A brick fell on my arm. I have not
the slightest doubt but that an explosion took
place. I was close by and beard it. The
minium bad been directing the water to that particular part
for some time before. 1 In not know what was deposited
in that particular warehouse. We
examination in mercantile houses. I have not the slightest
doubt that the explosion calmsl the walls to fall down. I
should thick that the explosion took plate either in the
base or la the vault+.

Ity Mr. William-I went there out of cariosity. I have
bees cooneeted with the fire office for twenty years. I know
the& bake of cotton would expand if they were suddenly un-
loosed.

71 r. Williams—Don't you think that if the halve were to
expand as I have said that that would have forced the walls
down?

—ifinese—l do not know.
By Use Jury—l wee standing on the west side of the wall.
It was the east wall which fell. The wall which gave way
was not the place where the fire °riposted. I maw smoke
issuing from the basement.
A Juror—Now if a fire took place, would the smoke not
be forced oat through the basement
Witnees—Not, to the extent that happened in this cue.
A Juror—Red you overlooked It from above 7
Witonse—Nia I had not. I was below the whole time.
I do not know that white smoke comes from an explosion.
Alfred tuer, No. 16, Fire Brigade—l was at Bother.
hithe when I heard of the fire. I made all speed with my
urine to Tooleyetreet. TM greatest part of the lire was
at that time in H and 0. While I was throwing water on
0 an explosion took place, as I thought, in H warehouse.
The shed building that I was at was immediately one body
of flame. It was white smoke that I saw.
Mr. Doyle, who was recalled, said he caution: tl Mr. Braid-
wood at the black P, where 6CJ bugs of saltpetre
were stored ; but that portion did sot explode till half-past
lea

This being all the evidence,
The comuer proceeded to BUM up, and had not concluded
whoa vs west to prom

ANOTHER AOOOIINT.

TiMaDAT, 2 P.M.
The fire is burning along nearly the whole of the
river frontage. About 11 o'clock this morning the offi-
cers an duty at the breech Custom•honsa situate at the
corner of the gateway leading down to Cotton'. late wharf
were aLrmed at immense volumes of black smoke rolling
up from the lower pert of the premises. This was soon
discovered to proceed from the vaults immediately under the
premises, which were filled with banal, of tallow, and the
Ire having gained access to these vaults from the removal
of the brickwork and rubbish, u above mentioned,
the flunea, freshened by the breeze, poured forth in gnat
strength. A strong body of the brigade was at once directed
te the spot, and at this time are pouring large streams of
water epos it and into the r iults. The firemen have given
notice to the innuites of the Customs, Mr. Richardson, of
the Grapes Tavern, next door, and to Mews. Noth►rd,
Chafiley, and Gibson, the occupiers of the remain-
ing three houses forming the block of buildings,
tlist they had better be prepared for the wont,
for if the Paine* ia Wei vaults once gain the sereudaney, of
which there is a probability, nothing can save their pro.
petty. The principal efforts et the firemen will be directed
to the houses on the opposite aide of the street, immediately
shutting on the railway buildup. The whole morale, has
bees occupied therefore by the inhabitants la as
much of their furniture and stock in trade ea hadt bees
behind.

While fireman 108 and two of his amorsdes were play-
ing epos • portion of the ruins, about Us Adria
this morning, • Lugs wall which had bees la
• dangerous portion bulged outwards and fell with •
treessodom crash, indicting soineerriffebruisos as the three
mom. Had they been hut one yard maser the well, nothing
could have prevented their sharing the fete of their lamented
superisteedent It ie quite time something was decided
epos by the proper authorities se to the destructiou of
those dangerous mountains of bricks, as the firemen are oom
stantly working In peril of be* meshed to death, and
the lime of those brave men are too valuable to he 'med-
ieval, exposed.
The heavy Ws that ham been falling all the morning,
leased of damping menu to act re • stimulant to the
emonklerieg hems of firm for orrery few minutes a large
tongue of flame .boot rip from ewe past or another of the
roles, followed by as explosive at oeltietre, which
seems to be distributed about every spot, driving away
both finales mid Moven Greta their work. The most
experiesced &ernes my Mak umpesing so further extols.
gigs takes place, it win be at bag a week before they will
ba able eampietely to esthete It tits Rest masa of are Mill
remmisisg.
Orris have bars employed all She ateratag is
Tosioy removing
tie lasarie of tallow still obelosellsc the roadway m
orresa.
At 12 o'etoek this morning • hesne arrived to roomy the
body of Mr. Illreidirood from the warehouse of Mr. May,
where it bad bees viewed by the jury prior tche immet,
to his rookies°, in Watling-street
The Priecs of Wells again visited the place yesterday,
and made • minute inspection of the mina me far as It wee
safe to do en.

The officials of the various Annan cakes have ben
busy More yestiortl•y in eudenvonrias to anertaln soon.
thing like an approzirnstion to the lam they
will sustain, art nee as yet, made little pro-
gram. The representatives of the nines fasniag the
eseninittee of the Fire Brigade nye iron • !ob-
its aolice requestiog all pincer neared and sclera
from the tire to send in • staining of their lane es sadly
es
pantile. This, however, will be • work of some
silty, sa, until the vaults and cellars an sallleintlY man
to wain them, it will to quite intannkle fur • peg
another of the persons who have goods stowed cher,
ascertain what &Inuit of loss they have anflent