The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-11-15 00:00:00

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

Between the hours of three and four o'clock yet:inky
morning the inhabitants of Fleet-street were a.mseti front
their beds by a cry of " Fire," which had just iturst
with tremendous fury in the house, No. ST. oo.unied by
-
Mr. Bond, linen-draper, situated almost midway f•etwilt
Bride-passage and Bride-lane. The bell of S. Bride's
Church tolling, the watchmen's creaking, and the crier Os
the hy-standers, soon spread the alarm far and wien. The
shop-door was fast; that in the rear was rico stretgly se-
cured ; and the flames had already shown tktmselves au
the first floor; but not a soul in the house awined to Le
sensible of the calamity, and the most tirr*Whe ao"relien-
sions were for some minutes entertained that tii whaU
family were consigned to inevitable destruction. 1 he freest-
door was burst open by repeated assaults, and die interior
of the Shop presented exactly the appearance of a spseione
furnace in full glow. By this time the flames had a.cendetl
even to the third fluor, and it was alto discovettA that the
house on the left, No. 86, jointly occupied by Mr. Hill,
chemist and druggist, and the Sunday .ainail(rr newspaper
office, was also on fire. St. Bride's and St. Danetanly
parish engines were speedily on the spot; but (Old we
repeat it with regret and reprobation) there being a !ham,-
ful delay in procuring anything like an adequate surply of
water, the devouring element had obtained an uneoutrol-
able ascendancy in the bombes BG-7, and was rapidly ex-
tending, by the influence of a strops S.W. wind, to the
houses on the right, one of which. No. 88, occupied by
Messrs. Pittman and Asbfleld, oil and pickle merchants,
soon after caught the contagion, and though every reort wog
made to get away the oils and other inflammable matter,
yet a great quantity of those dreadful stimulants were ne-
cessarily abandoned, from the volumes of smoke which rolled
into the premises, and the intense glow from the adjacent
pile, now blaring in awful magnit-Cnce. At about a quartet'
after four, there were twenty-three engines collected, and
' an immetUe body of firemen; the various plugs were opened
from Fetter-lane, downward*, on each side the way, bet
fresh difficulty occurred in the procuring sufficient mould
to collect the water, so that the tucker* obtained even less
than the sewers ; however, the sudden fall of the helloes,
86, 87, which tumbled with a tremendous crash into the
street, furnished abundant material for remedying diet de-
fect, and the engines being now got into efficient play, shot
up an immense body of water in almost every direction.
Messrs. 11111 and Bond's premises having come down,
created an opening which served to increase the fury of the
flames in the adjoining concern, and a fourth house, N 0.89,
occupied by Mr. Marriott, furnishing ironmonger, was
also devoted to the common and rapidly spreading ruin.
The contention of the two elements was then tiolent, and
the result extremely doubtful. No. 83, on the left was or:
fire in the rear. occupied by Mr. Mattress, hair-dresser and
perfumer, whilst that of Mr. Carlirle, corner of Bride-
' passage, seemed also in danger, and had not the wind bloat
in the contrary direction, not Ling could have saved thetri
from total destruction, and, even as it is, Mr. Mattrearo
may be added to the number, so that five hotiv.s in frcnt.
together with a vast quantity of valuable property in mer-
chandize and furniture are entirely consumed. The rear ci
four extends to the passage by Bride's Church, and that of the
fifth was occupied, we believe, by Mr. Mcrcicr, printer e
the British Traveller newspaper, who is of course a r,-...nsi-
derable sufFeret. On the right, the progress of the flame=
was arrested in a great measure by the immense party wall
which ran between Mr. Phene'r, the confectioner, No. 9C,
and Mr. Marriott's: to this point the firemen chiefly di-
rected their attention, and hut for their unceasinm exer-
tions together with the circumstance already alluded
(the thickness of the wall), there is no doubt whatever tlrat
the whole range would have suffered the same fate.

One circumstance however is peculiarly consolitary, tht
no personal injury was sustained by any of the itnnatt
Mr. Bond's family, for the safety of whom fears were en-
tertained, escaped over the gutters, and got through
Mattress's window, in ahnow a state of nudity. such c-`
the goods as were grit out of the different premises Ive:.;
deposited in the church, where they are still sufnerd ;-,
remain. Insurances were effected on all but Mr.
house, so that he and Mr. Mercier, both worthy and ::-
apectable men, have been the principal sufferers by tb.s
extensive calamity.
Various rumours are OM in regard to the origin of tl
unfortunate event ; but that which seemed to posses -
most c;aim to credit was, that one of Mr. Bond's servan:.
neglected turning off the gas, and on the introduction of I
lighted candle intc the apartment, ignition
ensued, and before may alarm cauld be given, the who!:
place was in Baines.