Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-02-01 00:00:00

SERIOUS CONFLAGRATIONS

SHEFFIELD, Sunday, 11.30 p.m.—About ten o'clock a
fire broke out on the premises of Mr. Charles Unwin,
timber merchant and furniture broker, West-bar, Shef-
field. For the last half-hour it has been raging with
terrific violence, illuminating the sky to an extent which
must be visible for miles, and casting a glare on the whole
town. The premises are extremely extensive, having a
considerable frontage to West-bar, and extending thence
to Spring-street. They comprise large furniture shop
and stores, with extensive timber yard and workshops
behind. The stock is immense. The conflagration
extends over the the whole premises, and throws up a
blaze many yards above the loftiest surrounding buildings.
There appears no possibility of preventing the flames
consuming much adjacent property, and the loss will
probably be enormous. It is the most serious fire
which has occurred in Sheffield for many years. The
cause of it is not yet known. Monday, 1 a.m. —The con-
flagration is abating. The whole of Mr. Unwin's pre-
mises are completely gutted ; large portions of the walls
are down ; nothing saved. The fire only extended to a
shop and a few cottages adjoining Unwin's. A brisk
north-west wind blowing. The burning premises
sheltered by the Surrey Music Hall. There is a tremend-
ous crowd. The military were called out to clear the
streets. The same premises having been previously on
fire, the surroundinc, property has fortunately been pro-
tected by high walls. The building is insured in the
Sheffield Fire Office. Stock not insured; estimated
damage over £lO,OOO.
MYSTERIOUS FIRE AT SALFORD.—On Saturday morn-
ing, at twenty minutes after eight o'clock, a fire was
discovered on the premises of Messrs. Lewis and Sons,
machine and tool makers, Stanley-street, Salford, by a

woman living in a cottage on
,the- opposite side of the
road. Information was speedily given at tho fire engine
department at the Salford Town-hall, and within seven
minutes an engine and body of firemen, under the direc-
tion of their superintendent, Mr. Atherton, had
arrived on the spot, and got two jets of water in
play. The flames were issuing from two or three windows
in the second storey, and whilst the Superintendent
directed a jet throngh one of the windows outside,.the
other jet was carried into the building by a back
entrance. Notwithstanding that the flames were very
fierce, they were extinguished in twenty minutes, and an
examination of the rooms then showed that apparently the
fire had broken out in two distinct places, but had been
self-extinguished in one for want of draught. This latter
place was a box protecting a wheel connected with the
main shaft which worked the machinery; and it was
situated about five feet from the ground, in a closet a few
feet higher, and about three or four feet square. The fire
had originated inside the box, but had only burned a hole
in the lower part of it, and singed the upper portion of the
woodwork of the closet. This closet was about nine feet
from the drawing room, were the more serious fire
occurred, the counting-house intervening. No traces of
actual flames could be tracad in the counting-house, but

the paint of the wooden partitions was greatly blistered in
consequence of the heat from the fire in the adjoining
drawing room. Here the fire appeared to have originated
under a counter, and it consumed a large quantity of valu-
able drawings and drawing materials, which were upon it,
and the shelves above. The upper panels of the doorway
leading into the counting-house were burnt through, as also
was the woodwork above the door, but with these excep-
tions the fire was entirely confined within the room, The
origin of the occurrence is a mystery. The works have
been stopped for a few months, in consequence of the
owners being in difficulties, and have been for some weeks
in the possesion of bailiffs, placed there by a gentleman
who is said to have advanced money to pay a composition
to the creditors. Arrangements were being made for
carrying on the business by a partially new firm, and
several persons had visited the place on the Friday
morning.. About five o'clock on Friday evening, the
premises were locked up, when everything was safe; but
towards the next morning the dog, which is kept in the
yard, was heard growling, by some of the neighbours, as
if in a state of uneasiness. The premises contained
several thousand pounds worth of property, consisting of
machinery, tools, and an immense number of patterns,
drawings, &c. The persons interested in the property
attended before the Fire Engine Committee, at the
Salford Town Hall, the same morning, and expressed
their satisfaction at the very prompt manner in which the
fire brigade extinguished the flames. We understand
that both building and property were insured.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE NEAR' SELBY.—NINE STACKS
DESTROYED.—A fire of a very destructive character broke
out, last Friday night, upon a farm called South Duffield
Lodge, near Selby, occupied by Mr. James Hodgson,
surgeon. The servants had retired early to rest, as well
as Mr. and Mrs. Hodgson. The latter had not been in
bed more than half an hour, when she perceived a glare
of light, and woke her husband, when he found some of
the stacks in his yard in a blaze. The inmates were
immediately aroused and the inhabitants of the neigh-
bourhood alarmed by the ringing of a large bell.
Numbers of persons flocked to the scene of the conflagra-
tion, when it was found that. four of the stacks were on
fire, and were burning with a fierceness which would
render all attempts to save them futile. A messenger was
despatched to Selby, to telegraph to York for engines.
Meanwhile all efforts were earnestly directed towards
saving those stacks which had not already become ignited,
and preventing the fire from extending to the adjoining
buildings, which bounded one side of the stack yard.'
Despite the most praiseworthy labour, however, the fire
continued to extend from stack to stack, until in the
whole nine stacks were being rapidly consumed. The
sight at this time was one of immense grandeur, the
flames- from the nine stacks towering to an immense
height, and forming a mass of fire, which illumined the
heavens most brilliantly. The buildings, which bounded
one side of the stack yard, consisted of a long range of
cattle sheds, and these, from the close proximity of the
burning stacks, became ignited, and their speedy de-
struction would have inevitably ensued, but for the
vigilance of those assisting to quench the flames, who
succeeded in at once subduing the hold which the fire had
taken upon them. Most fortunately, only three days
ago, Mr. Hodgson got a stack of oats from the stack
yard, and this had to some extent divided the stacks into
two lots, there being eight in one lot, and six in the
other. Of the eight, in which lot the fire broke out, it
was found that none could be saved ; therefore, with
a plentiful supply of water, it was thought advisable to
thoroughly drench the other lot, to prevent their de-
struction. The flames, however, got into one of the stacks
in the small lot, and here the indefatigable labour
of those assisting enabled them to confine it. The engines
from York were got to the fire about three o'clock on
Saturday morning, but the smouldering masses were not
extinguished until late on Saturday afternoon. The
damage done is the total destruction of one stack of peas,
four wheat stacks, one hay stack, two oat stacks, and a
stack of clover. How the fire has originated is altogether
a matter of mystery; but the fact of all the stacks being
safe on the family retiring to rest, and other reasons, lead
to the suspicion of its being the act of an incendiary. Mr.
Hodgson is fortunate in having his stock fully insured in
the Yorkshire Insurance Company.

WILLS.—The will of Vice-Admiral Sir Andrew Pellet
Green, Bachelor Knight Commander of the Hanoverian
Guelphic Order, Commander of the Order of the Sword
of Sweden, and Vice-Admiral of her Majesty's navy, who
died the 26th of December, 1858, was proved on the sth
of January, by Alfred Scrimshire Green, Esq., of the
Foreign Office, Downing-street, a son and one of the
executors. Power is reserved to Lady -Green, the relict.
Captain Andrew Pellet Scrimshire Green, R.A., a son
also, is the other executor. The whole of the property
is left to Lady Green. The personalty was sworn under
£5,000. The will is dated the 22nd of August, 1851.—
The will of Vice-Admiral Peter John Douglas, late of
Southampton, was proved in London on the 6th January,
by Lydia Mary Douglas, the daughter, and William
Manners "Wellington Douglas, Esq., the eldest son, the
joint executors. The sword presented to him by Lloyd's
Patriotic Fund, he has bequeathed to his eldest son, and
leaves his property in specific and pecuniary bequests
among his children, and the residue equally amongst
them. The will was made on the Ist of October, 1855,
and he died the 17th December, 1858.—The will of
Charles Cotton, M.D., late of King's Lynn, Noi folk, was
proved in London on the 18th of January, by his relict,
the sole executrix and sole legatee. Personalty, £4OOO.
A FATHER'S VENGEANCE.—The Court of Assizes of the
Haute Marne, a few days ago. tried a peasant, named
Lavocat, for manslaughter. The facts of the case were
very simple. Between ten and eleven o'clock in the
night of the 21st November last, on returning home, he
heard his daughter, a young woman of 26 years
the
hoef
father,
gaigrel,,s
exclaim, "Good Heavens ! there's my fathereeaxst room for
a n!'
t'
,and, on
a
jumped
entering the chamber, he perceived, that a man was in
her bed, crouching beneath the clothes.
hweelr'tetuinrntoedth weith n
it, The
without
ustticskay, inagnda when he
lover, who was one Bordel, a young v
from the bed, and implored pardon ; but the father, by a
violent blow on the head, felled him to the ground, and
continued to beat him with great fury for,
after as
er which
he after-
wards confessed, a quarter of an hour; he
flung him into the middle of the road, where in a few
seconds the young The
fathehrewleina td atdoenncee,
to the Mayor of the village,
man exPiresdta.te
stated what
gavee himselftatwhat intot
he
hadcustodio.ne was The justifiable,prisoner'sa espe-
ciallydvo
cate
and
contended
tendasd h
his daughter, who had been seduced by the
deceased, was half an idiot. He showed also that he was
an old soldier, and a very. respectable man. The jury
declared him guilty, with extenuating circumstances, and
the court condemned him to three years' imprisonment.