The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-19 00:00:00

19, 1855.

THE GREAT FIRE NEAR BLACKFRIARS

BRIDGE.

SUNDAY NIGHT, Ten o'Clock.—Notwithstanding that
48 hours have elapsed since the breaking out of the
disastrous fire, briefly noticed in this journal of Saturday
laq, in Holland-street, Blackfriars-road, it is even now
far from being subdued. The premises in which the
disaster commenced were in the occupation of Messrs.
Routledge and Co., the extensive saw-mill proprietors.
The different buildings occupied by this firm were of
considerable extent, and were fitted up with machinery
of several thousand pounds value, in addition to which
there were many hundred pounds worth of timber, be-
longing to sundry tradesmen in the neighbourhood, sent
to the mills to be sawn into boards ; whether the latter
is insured by what is technically termed " floating poli-
cies," or not, is unknown.

The buildings belonging to the firm just mentioned
comprised several structures, including the steam-engine-
house, the boiler-house, the store-rooms, the sawing
compartments, the pattern-house, and sundry other pre-
mises, including some thousand pounds' worth of stock
deposited, the whole of which has been reduced to ashes.
The horses were rescued, but it was nearly a miracle that
some of them had not perished, owing to the intensity cf
the heat.

The fire seized upon two dwelling-houses occupied by
persons in the employ of the firm, and no little difficulty
was experienced in getting the furniture out, and, as it
is, much is partially destroyed.
From this point the fire enveloped nearly 20,0001.
worth of property belonging to Messrs. Waters and
Steel, the flour factors ; and from that place it laid hold
of two dwelling-houses and a long range of stabling and
a variety of carriages and waggons, the property of the
same gentlemen.
The flames next extended to two dwelling-houses on
Rooper's-wharf, the lime merchants, and also the ware-
house. The next building that the conflagration seized
upon was that in the tenure of Messrs. J. Richmond and
Co. the bottle merchants. The different dwelling-houses
were soon in a complete blaze, and they were quickly
levelled with the ground.
The next building the flames reached was that belong-
ing to Messrs. Rennie, the engineers, separately only by
a wall about 25 or 30 feet high. This place contained
property valued at the least at a quarter of a million
sterling, including the machinery intended for several
steamships for the use of her Majesty's Government.
Fortunately, many of the buildings are saved as well
as some thousands of pounds' worth of stock and
sundry moulds ; but the machiners' shop (a building
about 300 feet in lengths, the pattern shops, the fitting
shop, and pattern stores have been destroyed. Had it
sot been for the extraordinary exertions of the firemen
none of the property could have been saved, and, as it
is, an area of ground nearly two acres in extent has
been cleared, or nearly so, of everything that at one
time stood upon it.
Between 400 and 500 men will be thrown out of em-
ployment at Messrs. Rennie's by this disastrous
event.

The loss, at a moderate calculation, it is expected,
will reach 1.50,0001.

FIRE AT THE JEWS' GREAT SYNAGOGUE.
A tiro, by which at least nearly 18,0001. worth of pro-
perty was placed in jeopardy, took place in the premises
known as the Jews' Synagogue, situate in Great St.
Helen's, Bishopsgate. The engines of the London
Brigade soon attended, but the fire was not subdued
until the chief entrance and other parts of the premises
were either burnt or damaged by fire. Cause, overheat
of the flue.

Five other fires took place during the day, but the
damage in the whole did not exceed 1,0001. and fortu-
nately no lives were lost.

FIRE AND PROBABLE LOSS OF THREE LIVES.

Afire took place during Saturday, which, it is expected,
will be attended with the loss of at least three lives.
The fire broke out on the premises known as,Lock-wharf,
Agar Town, St. Pancras, near King's-cross. The build-
ing in which the disaster occurred was nearly destroyed
by the action of the fire and the force of the explosion,
and three of the workmen were compelled to be carried
to the hospital, where they remain without the least
hopes of recovery. The fire was caused from the still
head blowing off.

CABAL AGAINST LORD PALMERSTON.

We have adverted, in our first leading article, to a
particular danger to which the uew Administration of
Lord Palmerston is exposed. But that is not its only
peril. It is in jeopardy from another and altogether
different source. Lord Palmerston has to contend with
foes within his Cabinet as well as from enemies without.
A cabal has already been formed against him by some
of his colleagues. If he be not on his guard, he will
fall a victim to the Peelite members of his Administra-
tion. We do not speak without book. We will even go
so far as to say that the leading Peelites—a term which,
as we before remarked, is synonymous with Puseyites—
had ulterior views of their own, when they agreed to
join his Government. And those views were only
strengthened and still more fondly cherished, when they
' were defeated in their efforts to force upon him Lord
Aberdeen as President of the Council, and Mr. Card-
well for some other seat in the Cabinet. Their feeling
of hostility to the noble lord has now assumed the cha-
racter of a determination to be revenged for their dis-
comfiture. They now aim at wresting the reins of
power from the new Premier, and placinf,r them in the
hands of Mr. Gladstone. Strange as this announce-
ment niay appear, it is true. Mr. Gladstone has leng
been ambitious of the Premiership, and he thinks the
time has arrived for his attaining that grand object of his
ambition. Iler Majesty has tried all the other leaders of
parties, and they hare failed to form air Administration.
And if the heels of Lord Palmerston can in any way be only
tripped up, or he be induced to resign, instead of wait-
ing to be ejected from the Premiership, the Peelites
regard the advent of Mr. Gladstone to the office of First
Minister of the Crown, as an absolute certainty. We
only record a fact, for the truth of which we can vouch,
when we state that the Right Ron. Gentleman's mot
intimate friends in the University of Oxford regard his
almost immediate accession to the Premiership, as being
as much a matter of certainty, as if it were already an
accomplished fact. It is right we should add, that a
noble lord is the prime mover in the cabal which has for
its object the ejection of Lord Palmerston from Premier-
ship, and the substitution of Mr. Gladstone. We could
enter more into details, but we do not think it expedient
to do so, in the present position of affairs.—Norning
Advertiser.

MR. LAYARD AND ADMIRAL DUNDAS.

The following correspondence has been forwarded to
us for publication :
"Little Ryder-street, Feb. 17.

"My dear Mr. Drummond,—l regret to find from the
statement you made in the House of Commons, and from
what you have told me to-day, that certain expressions in
a letter of mine, which was not intended for publication,
but which was printed in the Times newspaper, have been
misinterpreted, and have, therefore, naturally caused
much pain to Admiral Dundas. Wo agree that there are
two points upon which that letter requires explanation.
In the first place, I stated that Admiral Dundas, in a
letter which I had seen, rejoiced in the sinking of a part
of the Russian fleet. I admit that the letter to which I
alluded does bear the construction which you now inform
*me Admiral Dundas states ho intended it to bear, and I
regret that I should have placed any other upon it. Se-
condly, with regard to any words which may appear to re-
flect upon his personal courage or private character, I beg
distinctly to state that it was far from my intention to
reflect upon either, and that I alluded to his professional
conduct as Commander-in-Chief, and to what I considered
a reluctance to meet responsibility. I am sorry to learn
from you that my words should have been otherwise con-
strued by him, and I willingly express my regret that
they should have caused him pain. I beg you will assure
Admiral Dundas that such are my sentiments, showing
him this letter, of which you may make any other use you
think fit.

" Believe me, yours very truly,
" A. H. LAYARD•

"Henry Drummond, Esq., M.P."

"London Hotel, Albemarle-street, Feb. 17.

" My dear Drunamend,—After the explanation you have
received from Mr. Layard, and which you have forwarded
to me, I have no desire to think more of the matter be-
tween that gentleman and myself.
"Yours faithfully,
" J. D. DUNDAS.
" Henry Drummond, Esq., M.P."