The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-09 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON-, SATURDAY EVENING, JULY 9, 1864.

Within the last few days a lamentable accident
has deprived the metropolis of one of the most
beautiful and ancient of its ecclesiastical buildings.
The age and historical interest of the Savoy Chapel
and its mediaeval works of art all ranked it among
our venerable curiosities. The catastrophe which
has rendered it a total wreck and levelled the
grim old Crusaders and stately ladies with their
ruffs of stone among the ruins left by the conflagra-
non, has again brought up the que3tion concerning
the management of our fire-engines. While it is
a matter of debate under whose control the fire-
engines of the metropolis shall be placed, the public
are left in a comparatively unprotected state. No
doubt, as far as their means go, the employes of the
Insurance Companies do their best ttso fulfil the
arduous duties imposed upon them, while the
exertions and devotion of the firemen generally are
worthy of high praise. Still the whole matter of
fire insurance and fire extinction needs looking
into, and a thorough change must be made if we
wish to put this important branch of social protec-
tion on a proper footing. During the last 30 years
the policies of the companies have increased three-
fold, and during that period London has greatly
extended its boundaries. OutstAnding euburbe
have become part of the metropolis, but the
district stations of the fire-brigade have not been
increased to a degree in any rate commensurate
with the requirements of the public. Houses in
the neglected outstanding districts may be burnt
to the ground before the fire-engines from London
proper can arrive to their assistance, When
volunteer companies are formed for the protection
of these districts they are treated with contempt
by the superintendent of the brigade, and the
police often place every obstacle in the way of such
praiseworthy endeavours. The engines belonging
to private companies or individuals, such as those
of Capt. HODGES and others, meet with the same
opposition whenever they clash with companies'
servants, although in point law, since neither
party is licensed by Act of Parliament, they are
really on an equality. It has been proposed to put
the whole management into the hands of the Board
of Works, and this in our opinion would be un
questionably the best way; but if this is not done
some law should be passed placing volunteer and
district companies on the same footing as their
dictatorial fellow labourers. If the companies are
for the present suffered to retain the charge of ex-
tinguishing fires—a responsibility and expense
which they declare themselves anxious to get rid of
—arrangements ought to be made for placing

powerful engines and a competent staff in every
district of the metropolis. When a fire broke out

the other night in one of the northern suburbs, the
keeper of the engine had to be awakened from his
bid to prepare the engine. As it happened, the
fire was of no great magnitude, and was easily sub-
dued; but of course it might have been far other-
wise. Of course we do not complain of the conduct
of the individual in this case, for it was clearly not
his duty to sit up all night and every night
waiting for fires ; and he showed, we
believe, the greatest promptitude ; but it is

the system with which we find fault. It is entirely
out of keeping with our other business arrange-
ments, and when we reflect on the vast amount of

property accumulated within our metropolis, and
the liability which every one is under to risks of
this kind, it is only marvellous that we should not
long ago have adopted a more complete and effica.

cious system. If the distance of the suburban

districts from the centre of action put them, under
existing rules, in a very dangerous position, the
busy thoroughfares of city life run equal risks from

a different cause. The inflammability of the con-
tents of many of the warehouses, and their close
vicinity to each other, often enable conflagrations
to spread with alarming rapidity, and as, with the
best intentions, there i 3 always a delay in getting
the engines to work, and the supply of water is often
deficient, a trifling accident soon becomes a disas-
trous catastrophe. Why should not the application
of steam, whose marvellous power we are so ready
to employ in everything else, be encouraged by

every means in our power. The old adage, Bis dat

qui cite dat, is emphatically true at a fire, atd

everything depends on the speed and force with
which the water is applied. The power of the
steam fire.engin 98 has been proved to be very great.
When the other engines seemed to be comparatively
powerless at the fire in the Savoy, the. steam engine

came to the reit cue and produced an immediate

effect—in fact, ext,lnguished the fire. We

oaght to 'nave one of such engines to

every metropolitan distri It as well se "nd en"

gineo, With James iiitrueu 10d day and uight• A

than this, because it is well known that nothing
leads people so far astray from their orginal in-
tentions, or so often fails in attaining results, as the
excitement of a great question politically discussed,
and the ramification of party interest and private
prejudices to which it leads. Lord STRATFORD DE
REDCLIFFE only made one remark on this subject,
and the loud cheers with which it was received
showed that it met the full approval and elicited
the general approbation of the assembly to whom
it was addressed. He said that they would be
traitors to the great cause of humanity if they did
not avail themselves of a►l opportunities of that kind
to mark theirreprobation of the conduct of Prussia.
This sentiment is one that is completely in unison
with the spirit of the people of this country; and
however an unworthy Ministry may falsify the
policy, or a degenerate House of Commons support
them, the general feeling in all public assemblies
will be against the Continental despots and great
oppressors of the North of Europe. It England
cannot at present assist as she ought by force of arms,
or even by moral influence, the unhappy victims of
cruelty and oppression, at least she can bestow ma-
terial aid to the victims, so that in some measure
their cruel sufferings may be alleviated, and
their state of privation partially ameliorated.
When we consider that there are more than
three hundred thousand of these emigrants,
it is scarcely necessary to say that too much cannot
be done for them, and that the utmost that gene-
rosity can effect and charity bestow will be only
too insufficient for their need and exigency. The
present appeal is made to the citizens of London,
with the earnest hope and confident expectation
that their example will be followed by other parts
of the country, and so some really useful contribu.
tions may be expected for that heroic people now
suffering the worst ills of war in expatriation and
penury. The English people have never yet been
found wanting in the hour of need to come to the
succour of the oppressed, nor in lending their help
to the fallen. The liberality of their donations is
beyond the power of Government to check, and it I
will be a satisfaction that in some degree, however
trifling, the native honour and spirit of the nation
can indicate itself, and while achieving the primary
object of assisting the Circassians, we may also at-
tain the result of proving a part of our abhorrence
to the tyrannous Governments that are now tread-
ing freedom, right, and justice under their feet. A
mare pressing case of need than this has never come
before a humane auditory, and those who respond
to it will be serving humanity in its hour of need,
and acting in the spirit of that charity which we
are told can never fail when mighty things sha
pass away.