The Express.
London, England, 1861-06-27 00:00:00

THE MUT FIRE.

It was stated yesterday that the heap of ruins
which mark the spot where Hay's wharf stood, was fast
being cooled, and that, therefore, no danger was appre-
hended from the immense vaults stored with oil, and
beneath the wharf, taking fire. We are very sorry now
to say that the anticipations in this respect are found
to be nearest. The vaults beneath were filled entirely
with caster, linseed, sperm, and olive oils, to the
value of nearly 30,0004., and no little satisfaction was
,expressed that property to that extent had been
saved. Yesterday, however, the firemen were surprised
at finding dense jets of steam, smoke, and hot air issuing
from amid the ruins over the end of the vaults next
the river. Suspecting the muse, a portion of the mitts
seer the entranoe to one of the Yaulte eras otter Pint hes=
cooled, the rained/area away, and the dace reached, when
the heat and noise within showed that the whole range of
cellars, with all their valuable stores of oil, wee on fire from
end to end. The most astounding fact of all is that there
was no explosion when the first ignition took place, and
nothing but the hot air and steam finding a vent where we
have stated--at the river end of these vaults--averted •
most tremendous catastrophe of this kind. Even now it Is
feared by many that an explosion will yet occur, though
the firemen are confident that the hot air having forced its
own egress, the aperture thus made will net as a safety-
atve as long as the esettrcontinne burning.
The extraordinary agglomerations to be found among the
ruins are wonderfully curious ; slates, glass, and iron are
fused into rough and picturesque muses, with all sorts of
nondescript materials. The fire at the Tower of London
filled all the curiosity shops with numbers of such relics,
but those to be found among the ruins of the great fire are
still more wonderful and fantastic beyoed description. Be'
Death some warehouses the charred rice lays in piles like
coke, except that the individual formation of each grain is
perfectly represented by the charred cinder. Yesterday
men were busily mimed in nuking salvage from the re-
mains of Hay's tithed. One lower floor was stored with a
large quantity. of raw hides, than which, when packed
together, it is impossible to imagine anything more
incombustible. To outward appearance very many
of these have not suffered much, yet the intense
heat, though it failed to burn, has spoilt ad. The
very best of them, which seem to have escaped alto-
gether, may be torn between the finger and thumb with as
much ease as sheen of paper. Of the immense stores of
sugar in this wharf, of course nothing whatever remains
save the sort of glaze it has imparted to the ruins beneath.
It may be very ungallent to say so, but if there limn per
tiou of the community particularly likely toget into danger on
these isemaions, and certain to be helpless when the peril
coma it is ladies. Yesterday there were very many ladies,
and groups of ladies standing in various parts of the par-
tially cooled ruins, or walking about near walls which are
to fall at any moment. For the sake of the
expected
ladies themselves this should at once be put a stop to.
The seentary of the Southwark and Vauxhall Water
Company writes as to the supply of water :
That daring a fire of unexampled extent, fierceness, and
duration, occasioning, of course, a drain of water equally
unprecedented, there may have been moments when (as
stated by Mr. Hodges to have occurred to his two engines
on Sunday) some temporary slackness may have occurred
from some particular ping I cannot suppose to be impossible,
although no complaints of the kind have reached the office.
During the whole fire, and indeed up to the present time,
seven plugs (opening from the main in Tooley.etreet) have
been in incessant How. The engineer and other officers of
the company have been in constant communication with the
authorities and owners of the various properties destroyed
or endangered, and have been conetautly assured that the
supply of water has been felt to be abundant I may be per-
mitted to add that the supply of water for the extinction of
fires, although gratuitous, is always considered by this, as
I believe by all the companies, to be among the first of
their duties. They have requested both the police and the
parochial authorities to direct that in case of fire their
tiuncocks should he sent for at the same moment, or before
the engines. This request has been (enmity attended to,
and I believe that on reference to the reports of the late
lamented Superintendent of the Fire Brigade, it will rarely
be found that the engines on their arrival have wanted
water."