Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-05-04 00:00:00

TM-Pinta yiRE AT BRISTOL. 1
Since the mineable riots in 1831, no conflagration has
occurred in Bristol equal in extent or fury to a fire which
occurred on Saturday, at the sugar refinery of Messrs.
Fridge and'tripp. These works consisted of several large
store,hnelf boiling houses, with numerous smaller buildings
attached, *hie) bad been erected at various times in a
someithat irregular manner, as the business required
increased accommodation. The older warehouses stood
partly at the stone bridge over the river Froom, at the
point where that stream was formerly connected with the
floating harbour. Another large and more commodious
block of premises was connected intermediately, and a third
and still more extensive Warehouse, ten stories in height,
joineelthe latter. The whole of the buildings were recently
throwa open on their north-eastern front by the covering in
of a/ Room ; and the creation of a new street' called
It Tart-street, in commemoration of a charge made by Prince
II Teti In the immediate locality during the civil war. The
back. portion of the works extended to Host-street, a nar-
row thoreugfare, containing a low and densely populated
class of houses, and a wooden bridge formed a eonnection
between the Rupert-street works and another extensive
range of warehouses running up the hill towards Steep-
streSa,l At about half-past 11 on Saturday morning an
alarm fwas given that a fire had broken out an one of the
fi tering houses in the older portion of the avorks. These
houslis "Tee fitted with cylinders and other apparatus em-
ployi,lafe the processof refining sugar, and 'the origin of the
divagating; ealamity which ensued is said to be that a
carpent,er„employed on some woodwork connected with
some, of -the cylinders, incautiously set down a lamp near
some felt packing. Ankignition took plate, the flames in-
stantly;tommunicated with the caballed charcoal in the
cYlid.telis,'and the work of destruction commenced. There
were oii lnc preinises nearly a thousarid tons of this highly
inflammable article, and the fire 'mead from cylinder
t ) and ITeom floor to floor with frightful
rapitlity: The engines of the polite force and the various
fire Aces, with thete brigades, wore quickly in attendance,
and4ith an unlimited quantity of ace-der (for the ready sup-
ply of which much credit is due to Mr. Bell, engineer of the
Bristol Water Works Company)4endeavours were made to
arrest the progress of the flames. By a little after one
o'clock, the entire range of 'buildings, which were up-
wards of 200 fact in length, and breadth varied from
30 to 100 feet, rere raging with fire. Floor after floor fell
in with a tremendous crash, emd volumes of smoke and fire
belched fortivas if in defiance of the attempts which were
being made to subjugate the flames. The warehouses of
Pickford and,'Co., the wellAnown carriers, which adjoin
those of Messrs. Fridge and Tripp, were considered in so
much peril that all the goods were removed. The bakery
of Mr. Merry, in Host-street, was three times in flames,
but was, after all, preserved. The heat from the burning'
mass was so intense that it was difficult for a spectator to
stand withrn a hundred yards of the scene of the conflagra-
tion; and the rain, •wlich fell heavily about anid-day,
steamed a the, apparel of the lookers on. The extensive
bedding manufactory elf Messrs. Johnstone and Co.,
situate on the opposite :side of Rupert-street, had to be kept
saturated-with water, and the streams poured on the wallsof
these premises hissed off in columns of steam ; so excessive
was—thet heat. The fire had reached its highest point a't
about half-past one o'clock, at which time the scene was
grand an appalling. The whole mass of buildings were
wrapped in flames, which shot forth from every aperture
and,asce*led high up into the air with a fury that was
magnificeatly terrible. At half-past two, the block in
which thei fire originated fell in, and in another hour one of
the walls.pf the most recent and extensive erection, also
gave way_*: 'rhea the fury of the fire was expended, but
not extintuished. Throughout the whole night and all
day on Sunday the firemen endeavoured vainly to put out
the flame, and from -the nature of the stock it is expected
that som days will elapse before the fire is utterly extinct.
Rupert-street has been barricaded, to prevent injury to
passers-b, from the expected falling. in of the remainder
of the walls. The loss of property is estimated at about
£ll/11,00.1 There were upwards of 500 tons of raw sugar
storid on the premises, the whole of which was burnt. Of
chef-coal:the stock was about 1,000 tons, only 15 of which
were saved. Messrs: Fridge and Tripp are, it is under-
stood, fully insured. About 200 workmen will be thrown
oat of employment by this untoward event.

ADMIRALTY COURT—Apnir, 29.
''BEFORE DR.tLUSHINGTON AND TRINITY MASTERS.
THE RICHARD COBDEN.---DAMAGES.---This was an action
brought by the owner and crew of the late brig James, and
by the owners of the cargo, to recover damages for a total
losso'caused by a collision with the ship Richard Cobden, in
the c.a.. George's Channel, about midnight on the Bth
of February last. The James was a Kentish brig of 166
ton#burdeu, and was bound from Fleetwood, in Lancashire,
for St. 'Domingo, with a cargo of general merchandise. The
case set up by her master and crew was that she was pro-
ceeding .dog, the St. George's Channel close hauled on the
starboard tack, heading S.S.E., burning the regulation
lights, and, keepinc, a good lookout, when the Richard
Collier' was seen about a mile on the port bow, heading
; that the Richard Cobden, instead of bearing
away as "she ought to have done, approached until a col-
lision wts inevitable ; that the James then ported her helm
in orderito ease the blow, and that the Richard Cobden ran
stem (mint° her, and nearly cut her in two. In a few minutes
she wen down, and the crew escaped on board the other ves-
sel. ThP Richard Cobden is an American vessel of 7io tons
burden, lind was bound' from Liverpool for the United States,
with a ciargo of salt. The answer of her owners to the
action was, that on the night of the accident she had a good
look-outrand was burning proper lights, and proceeding on
a W.N. . course, close hauled on the port tack, the night
being dark; that the James was not seen until she was
about two ship's lengths distant, and that'she was carrying
no ljgbts ; that the helm was instantly put hard a-port, and
eyety,possible step taken to avoid a collision; but that in
consequence of the vicinity of the two vessels when the
James was first seen, the collision occurred. The accident
wa* uttri,buted on the one side to the neglect of the Richard
Cobden to keep clear of the brig, and on the other to the
want of a proper light on board the brig. Dr. Addams,
Q C., and Dr. Twiss, Q.C., were counsel for the owners of
the James.; the Admiralty Advocate and Dr. Deane, Q C.,
for the Richard Cobden. The Trinity Masters were of
opiniop .that the Richard Cobden was solely to blame, and
the Court pronounced accordingly.

The name of the capital of British Columbia is to he Nuw
Westminster.

A retired schoolmaster excuses =his passion for angling,
by sayidg;that from habit, he never feels quite himself unless
bell handling the rod.
Whe Duchess Regent of Parma, with .the princes and
princesses, her children, have quitted the Duchy, leaving
the ,regency to the existing ministry.
The Advertiser says it is reported that Sir John
Pakinxton .is to be transferred to the secretaryship of the
colonies, and that he is to be succeeded at the Admiralty by
Lord Ellenborough.
It has been decided to erect.into a colony the district of
Moreton B:iy, now a portion of the Government of New
South Wales. Sir George Brown, at present chief secretary
to the Lord High Commissioner of the lonian Islands, is to
be the g9vernor of the new colony.
SEntotii 'ILLNESS .OF W, H. G. LANGTON, ESQ., M.P.—
NTe-regret to hear that W. H. G. Langton, Esq., who was
reccigly, elected Member of Parliament for Bristol, is still
serithisly indisposed and confined to his bed. Mr. Langton
wziaa unable to appear on the hustings at the declaration on
Satkrday, baying been forbidden by his medical attendant to
1 ev, his bed.
ROCKING OUTRAGE IN WESTMEATH.—DUBLIN, Monday.
—On Saturday, Mr. Jessop, of Tyrrelspass, County West-
meath, watt-fired at and so grievously wounded that he is
not xpected to survive. The deed was witnessed by several
persons, none of whom made any attempt to stay the hand
of or arrest the assassin. The cause was the taking, by
Jessbp,s a •farm, the former tenant of which was
murdered:
WEDDING ExTrimmarzattv.—On Easter Monday, a most
extraordinary wedding took place at Salisbury, the bride-
F 'being a cattle dealer who had long resisted the
tascniaion3 of the gentle sex, but who vowed that if ever
be-Aid get married he would ride to and from the church on
a donkey. ilia friends kept him to his word, and when he
resoled. to, .visit the altar of Hymen they provided no
fewttilian fifteen donkeys, that they might bear him com-
pany en suite., The ludicrous wedding procession, headed
by a fife band, went the ne •
cessary rounds on Monday, and
attracted the attention of considerable crowds.—Blackburn
StpiAdord.
IJICDNiED TRADES.—The sum accruin,, to the revenue
from .the payments made by tradesmen who require licenses
to carry. on their business amounted in the Year
£1,425,102. The heaviest payments of this kind are made
brbrewers. Brewers of strong beer, who e 40,000
bittiels a year, have to pay £7B 15s a year foremtnrd
cost of the license is regulated by the number oflbrre license
normally brewed ; thus, those who do not exceed 20 barrelsals
rittannum only pay 10s 6d. The whole number of licenceste
wiali were in force during 1858, in the whole United King..
dos; was 40.794, and the aggregate sum paid, £81,029.
PSevnasters'licensed to let horses for hire, and who keep
more than fifteen carriages, are the persons who pay the
next largest sum for their license, £7O namely. These
license .are now, however, very rarely wanted, arid during
1858 filitr'erle was taken out in England and one in Scot-
land. Postinasters licensed to keep one carriage, however,
aroamimv numerous-258 licenses of this class, costing
£7 Ins each, having been been taken out during the year
alastly referred to. Tobacco manufacturers, in an extensive
business,' pay the next largest sum for their license, and
the revamp arising from this sonroe c-NriPg 1858 was
£70,887.