The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-08 00:00:00

THE SUIS, tioN DON THURSDAY EV EN 1 •-• G, YI A EtChl 8 1855
ti P r To JOURNALS.

ARAIY BEFORE SaASTOPOL COM-
MITTEE --(T.II1S DAY.)

Lansing
Compacts

I(Mug Prices
this day

Mist: ess
this day-

The inquiry was resumed at 12 o'clock. to-day, and the
space allotted to the public was again crowded.
General Bentinck was recalled, but his re-examination
had l reference to matters on which ho touched yesterday,

50

London
N. Vi7c,t
L &N.W.
I.Un.&

- 97
7 - 99

95a 61

rn d did not disclose any additional facts of particular in-
t cfrest. He mentioned, however, that the tools of the pio-
r ours were inferior, and that some of the clothing of tho

. - ...

Gt.Nrtltn.
Icialdonian

134 - 136

( cards was bad and-was not sent out.
Mr. Vaux, surgeon of the Harbinger, was then called—
He stated that the Harbinger, belonging to the General
IScrew Navigation Company, was chartered by the Govern-
ment as a transport. On the 24th November, the vessel

Do
Wes:3
Vk. Now
erw.
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La : 166

was despatched in a hurry to Constantinople for vege-
tables. On opening some of the bags of vegetables ho

found that they were in a state of decay. They were sup:

S. nasteri

ni

plied through the commissariat by contract. These were
condemned, and others wore supplied. They arrived in
the Crimea in two days, when they reported their arrival
to Capt. Christie, and he reliresen'aed it to the conond-
sary. They anchored " fore and aft" of the harbour—
that was north and south—and began to discharge
their cargo in about five days. A great part
of it when discharged was bad. The vegetables, of
course, were of a perishable nature. They were a fort-
night in discharging their cargo. Other vessels were a
a much longer time. Whilst there he observed the condi-
tion of the horses, which was very distressing, as the poor
creatures seemed almost starving. He also saw the sol-
diers, and they were verrj ragged and dirty. As to the in-
valids, they were very much emaciated and low. The sick
sent on booed the Harbinger fur passage home had beds or
mattresses to lie ur;on, and they only lost six coming home.
Application was made at Balaklava for sago and such light
food Par the invalids, but there was nothing but rice to be
got. The effect of eating unwholesome food in such a cli-
nes:V.6 as the Crimea, if repeated, would certainly result in
claarrheea. There was a great scarcity of horses, and even
Afieers could not obtain them, although the Jason was in
heabour with a cargo of 500 horses, and the captain bad
onade repeated applications to get r.d of them. He did
r not know who had charge of the hospital at Constantinople.
They wore there about nine days, taking in cargo. Ad-
miral Boxer had clamp of the
_harbour. They had great
difficulty in loading the ship, is consequence of the bad
state of the weather. He did not know how much the
Government were paying for the Harbinger per day.
Dshe was engaged as a transport vessel she
was
notning at thesea
tithem
more than one-third of her time. She left
England laden with powder, shot, shell, and a heavy siege
train. Oa her second trip from England she had gold for
the commissariat and powder, bat he did not think she
had a full cargo.- She returned from Scutari laden with
sick. They • were placed at Balaklava by the harbour
master. At all events he supposed so. The way the cargo
was landed was by means of a catamaran or kind of raft.,
Mr. Filler was in charge of the commissariat at Balaklava
at that time. Before a vessel could be unloaded orders would
have to come from him and Captain Christie, who would
repeat them to the commander of the ship. Whilst the
Harbinger was is harbour she was used for a portion of
the time as a flag-ship for Captain Christie and staff.
When the soldiers came on board to fetch vegetables there
were some receipts given, but after a while the vegetables
became quite bad, and he recommended that the cargo
should be discharged to preserve the health of the
'. vessel. These receipts *ere not always passed; sometimes
soldiers would come. and take what they liked.
mach impeded in
There was no depot for hay at Balaklava when he was
there. In bad weather the town was dreadfully dirty and
cmuddy,onsego eannode
.the T
hterraen transports
no
cases of very
scurvy on board his
s
wore
vessel. That was a malady likely to arise from the use of
salt food. Knowing the locality, ho should say that it
would be most unhealthy when the warm weather com-
menced, in consequence of the improper burial-ground,
the absence of tides in the sea, and the filthy condition of
the beach. He thought the diseases most likely to super-
vene were typhus fever and' cholera. Applications
were made to the Commissary for proper food
for the sick on board the Harbinger, but without effect,
oanraderthteoir
eactoenrstitthuetiohnasrbsouuffrerweads icnonvceoynesdto
them byeclnence. The
• Capt. Christie's Flag-lieutenant. The vessel lay close in
shore. He presumed that the vegetables which were taken
1 from the ship reached the camp. He counted on one oc-
casion 45 transport-ships in the harbour. On the day of
the storm he should say there were many more than 25 in
harbour. Capt. Christie was on board before the vege-
tables were discharged, and must have known the state of
the vegetables. Representations to the effect that they
were getting decayed was sent to the commissary over and
over again.

Pcto & Co.

Norfolk.

L.& N. V.
& Miclld
ackton &
Darliugt.

2 --

go 92

E. Couu
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57 - 59

L. SzN.W
&LuBtYl
Do. ... . ..
fltNortir
Lai:war/I&
Yorksh.
11./IClctu
itockt. &
Darliugt
Do.
ltWestn.

... - ••

fio -- 133

..• 2d
2 d

..• - • • •
31 - 32
91 - 93

(LEFT BITTING.)

FIRE AND LOSS OF FOUR LIVES.
(THIS DAY.)

This morning between 12 and 1 o'clock, a fire broke
out in the house of Mr. Henry Lawford, architect and
designer, No. 2, Clipstone-street, Portland-road, Mary-
lebeise, which was not subdued before four lives had
been Eacrificed, and others injured. The house in pie,
tion was in the joint occupation of five families, the
members of which were soundly sleeping, when the con-
stable on duty first perceived the indichtion or fire, and
immediately raised an alarm. Before, however, he could
awaken the inmates, the flames had taken possession of
the staircase, and made escape impossible ; under these
circumstances the inmates made for the windows, threw
up the sashes, and commenced calling loudly for help.
in a few minutes the Royal Society's escape, at the
Portland-road, came to their assistance, but the heat
was so intense, and the smoke so strong, that
every person in thel house Was nearly suffocated. The
engines of the London Fire Brigade from Wells-street,
King-street, and Crown-street quickly arrived,'and with
a plentiful supply of water got t.) work in an admirable
manner under the direction of Mr. Paul Gerard and Mr.
G. Staples. The Royal Society!ti conductor at once
ascended his machine, and succeeded in rescuing Mrs.
Sheas and Mrs: Baker from the second floor windows.
He again ascended to the third floor, when he was met
with a sheet of fire, and was compelled to make a pre-
cipitate retreat, to prevent being burnt 0 death. Mr.
Lawford and Mrs. Whitaker, with two children on the
first floor, being rescued by jumping out. As soon as the
ruins were sufficiently cool, Messrs. Gerard and Staples,
the firemen, went in search of the persons who were
known to have; perished, when therimainsof Miss Kelso
were found burnt to a cinder on the third floor front, and
the remains of Mrs. Hayward and two of her daughters,
also burnt to a cinder, on the third floor back. Shells
having been procured from Marylebone workhouse the
bodies were removed there, and infermation• forwarded
to Mr. Wakley, the coroner, of the melancholy occur-
rence. The following is Mr. James Braidwood's official

report :
Mr. Henry. Lawfor.l, stationer, No. 2, Clipstonc-
street, Portland-road, shop and parlour buret out, E tai
case deAtroye,!, roof off, fora lives lost—insured in SUZY.
No. 1, Mr. John. Freucb, upholsterer, considerably
damaged.
Mr. Henry Roberto, tailor, damaged by fire and water.