The Sun.
London, England, 1852-02-16 00:00:00

SUN,

T II E

T72.1.7.0W.
The increasing arrivals, addcd to the heavy stock iu
warehnuse, cause the trade to ru!e txet;ediogly inactive,
,Lnd prices have further dc•clincd, since our last report,
6d to 9d per cwt. To-day Y.Y.C. on the spot is selling
at 35s to 353 3d per cwt. Town Tallow 353 64 per cwt.
nut cash; rough fat, 28 per 81b1. For forward delivery,
noti\ing doing.

1848.

1849. 1850.

1851.

itQek this day • • 11,373
e 53s 9driee of Y. C. ••
O
Delivery last week• .• to
1,'730
Ditto from June 1.... 80,811
Arrivals last week • 709
Ditto from June 1 ... 84,053 j

!,3,95 41,735
40s Od 37s 3d
to Os l'd to 37s Gd

2,442 1,742
76,740 j 71,095

BTh 613
103,108 87,359
433 Od 39s 6d

Price of Town ...• 151 s 6d

43,01
37s 6tl to
Os rd
2,151
72,04

115
90,581

39s 6(.1

102

54,262
35s Od
to3is 3d

2,5.48
80,433

1,854
98,161

38s Cd

D.ESTRUCTION OF THE P.HffNIX
PAPER-MILLS.

DARTFORD, SITNDAY,IihIB town has been thrown
into the greatest confusion in consequence of the out-
break of one of the most extensive fires that has occurred
i❑ this locality for many years, and which, although
nearly twenty-lour hours have elapsed since it was first
discovered, is not entirely extinguished at tho present
hour. The premises in which this disaster occurred
were termed the Phoenix Paper-mills, and were tenanted
by Mr. J. H. Saunders, the paper manufacturer, and oc-
cupied a frontage of nearly 200 feet along Dartford-
creek, while they extended backwards a considerable
distance, and were adjoined on the north extremity by
the spacious Oil Crushing-mills belonging to Messrs.
Saunders and Harrison.

The first discovery was made at a few minutes before
seven o'clock on Saturday evening; some persons stand-
ing on the railway platform had their attention directed
to an unusual glare of light in the second floor of the
mill. At first it was imagined that the men were at
work in that portion of the building, and no alarm was
therefore given. In the course of a few minutes, how-
ever, the fire told its own tale by rising in an immense
bedy and shooting through the windows. Every at-
tempt was then made to get the flames confined to that
portion of the premises, but unfortunately it was stored
with rags, which caused the fire to travel with extra-
ordinary rapidity. At one period there seemed nut the
least hope of saving the adjoining
The engine belonging to the Royal Exchange Fire-
office having reached the spot, and having been taken to
the brink of the creek, was set to work, but the water
thrown upon the fistees made not the least impression.
The engine belonging to the Kent Mire-ottico was the
next to arrive, followed by another from the Norwich
Union-office. These three engines were worked with
full vigour, but, in spite of the exertions of the firemen,
the flames continued to extend, and at length they as-
sumed so fearful an aspect that it was deemed prudent to
send an electric telegraph message to London tor the aid
of the brigade engines.
As soon as the news arrived in town two brigade en-
gines were taken, under the direction of Mr. Henderson,
to the London-bridge station, and a special train having
been ordered, were speedily conveyed to their destina-
tion. Mr. Connorton also started to the scene of con-
flagration with the West ot:England engine and a power-
fulbody of firemen. Previous to the arrival of the Lon-
don firemen, the entire mill was on fire from the base to
the roof. Owing to the high wind, large flakes of
blazing timber and showers of sparks were drifted over

„._.
the town to a considerable distance, so as to cause grea
alarm.

The three engines from London were immediately
placed alongside of the three that had previously arrived,
and the whole were called into operation. They had
not, hovvevf.r, been long at work when the roof of the
mill gave way, and the centre falling upon the floors
below forced them down with a fearful crash. The fire-
ho is ever, by great perseverance, succeeded in saving
the engine-house, and thereby were enabled to cut off
the further spread of the flames i❑ that direction, but

they still continued to rage furiously in the mill in which
they commenced, and hour after hour passed away before
they could be got under; and, although all danger of any
further extension of mischief was over by 4 o'clock in
the morning, a considerable body of fire remained in the
ruins at 6 o'clock last evening, and there seemed no
chance of getting it out for some hours.
We regret to state that Mr. Saunders will not be the
only person who will suffer by the misfortune, for the
whole of his workpeople, male and female ,must for a
considerable period be throw❑ out of employment.
The following is a copy of Mr. Superintendent Braid-
wood's official report:—
" Saturday, Feb. 14, 1852, at seven o'clock, p.m., a
fire broke out in the premises occupied by Mr. J. 11.
Saunders, paper maker, knoen as the Phoenix Paper-
mills, Dartford, Kent. The cause of fire unknown. The
building belongs to Messrs. Thompson and Co., of
Sadlers -hall. 'Contents insurekin the Sun, Phenix,
Kent, and Union offices. The building insured in the
Imperial and other offices. The fire was extinguished
by strangers and firemen, with one engine of the Royal
Exchange, one of the Kent, one of the Norwich Union,
two of the London Brigade, and one of the West of
England Fire-office, and 56 hired auxiliaries. The mills
are burned down, and engine-house saved.
" Messrs. Harrison and Co., oil-mill proprietors.—
The building and contents slightly damaged by fire, but
considerably by water, and roof by breakage. Insured
in the Pbcenix, Kent, Scottish Union, Norwich Union,
and West of England Fire-offices."

LONDON, BRIGHTON, AND SOUTH-COAST
RAIL WAY.
Traffic—Week ending Feb. 14, 1852 ... £7,040 4 6
Traffic—Week ending Feb. 15, 1851 ... 7,516 11 0
Total of the half-year, to this date, 1852 ... 53,663 10 10
Total of the half-year, to this date, 1851 ... 55,340 '2 4
Total number of Passengers—Week ending
Feb. 14, 1852 40,303
...£),088 16 10
... 1,951 7 8

Passengers
Goods

Total ... £7,040 4 6
Total miles open, 1852, 17314 ; ditto, 1851, 1714 .
London Terminus, Feb. 16, 1852.

CABINET COUNCIL.—A Cabinet Council was held
on Saturday afternoon at the Foreign-office. The Ministers
present were Lord John Russell, the Lord Chancellor, the
Marquis of Lansdowne, the Earl of Minto, Sir George Grey
Earl Granville, Earl Grey, the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
Sir Francis Baring, the Right Hon. Fox Maule, the Earl of
Carlisle, the Right Hon. Henry Labouchere, the Marquis of
Clanricarde, Lord Seymour, and the Right Hon. R. Vernon
Smith. The council sat three hours and a half.

----- -----
THE LATE COLLISION IN THE VICTORIA CHANNEL,
Livisaroon.—On Saturday morning, the steam-tug Inde-
pendence, which had been sent out in search of the Pickwick,
after having been in collision with the Chimera, returned
to Liverpool without having seen anything of her. The belief
that she bad foundered immediately after being struck amid-
ships was thus apparently confirmed, when, in the middle of
the night, to the great surprise of everybody connected with
the port, the missing ship herself made her appearance in
the river. From the hour at which she arrived we were un-
able to ascertain precise particulars ; but we are happy to
state that the two men who were reported to have been lost
overboard from the Pickwick, when the latter was struck
by the Chimera, were safe on board their vessel, which they
have thus been the means of preserving.
NOVEL AND DESTRUCTIVE RIFLE.—An American
of the name of Jones has invented a rifle which fires twenty-
five distinct shots with one loading. The rifle has the ap-
pearance of the ordinary double barrelled gun, with the ex-
ception that the barrels are placed one above the other, and
the lower barrel is rather shorter than the upper. In the
lower barrel are placed twenty-five bullets of a conical shape,
each about an inch in length. The upper part of these bul-
lets is charged with powder, and by a slight movement of a
small lever, they are brought into the upper barrel one after
the other, as the previous one is discharged from it. In the
stock there is a small box for holding a numbe rof detonating
pills, quite on the homecopathic principle, which one by one
fall under the hammer of the trigger, and do the duty of the
ordinary copper caps. On Monday evening the operator
discharged his gun the twenty-four times in about a minute,
and said that he could load and reload his gun and fire it 125
times in less than live minutep. The gun is under the con-
sideration of the Board of Ordnance.
MURDER OF A FEMALE IN ST. JOHN'S-WOOD.—
Yesterday, an excitement of a most painful nature was
caused in the vicinity of St. John's-word, by the discovery
of the murder of a female named Styles, the wife of a horse-
keeper, living at No. 16, Victoria-mews, Salisbury-street,
Portman-market. At half-past two in the morning, as
police-constable Hampson, 231) D, was on duty in a street
adjacent to the mews alluded to, he was accosted by Styles,
who stated to him that his wife had been murdered. lie
(the constable) proceeded with him to his room, which was
over a stable, and found the deceased lying dead in bed,
with nothing on but her shoes and stockings, and observing
marks of blood upon the man's clothes, asked him how he
could account for them, to which he replied that they were
caused by hie leaning over his wife to ascertain whether she
was dead or not. The constable immediately took him into
custody, and conveyed him to the John-street station-house
least of it, w
when he was charged with the murder.
On Saturday a most mischievous trick, to say the
" withdrawn'', by
some
was get
Guildhall, ciast perpetrated at the Court of Common Pleas,
person who had written the word
necessary to withdraw
ihtiliaet several cases in the list; and the con-
sequencewtiil.tnesses went away, and it became
the conduct of
parties in the causes. e records at great expense to the
The Lord Chief Justice strongly re-
probated
and
punish.
814ohf fe.
directed
tnedde
that
sh, a
glazed
loamz
e,
dif
frames,
w discovered,ith
he would most severely
Mr. Secondary Potter,His Lordship then sent for
locks, should be prepared b
be protected, and a repetitiyonso that the lists might
the offence prevented.
to" firueentboeftween London Bridge and all
They are ten in
GONDOLA STEAMERS ON
THE THAMES.—EarIy in
gondola steamers" will be
pthlaeeeendsueningthseprßinigvera,
ctrli
ume
toinedn.,
re
V
sonl_munber, of a new
gondolas that ply on the canals of Venice: I'
w.:Bt in form the
occupies the whole of the after part of the
andt'lie pnioevrseltocoßnsi
pendid saloon
bove. Most of them are building at with a
promenade a mg at Liverpool.
RETIREMENT OF MR. GREEN, THE AERONAUT.
The veteran aerial voyager retires this season from •
made 489 ascents, and aerostic
pursuits. He has now d intends corn-
the
pleting the number of 500 uringßo Royal ensuing Gardens, season. Mr.
Wardell, the proprietor of the Y. us, Vauxhall
for his eleven farewell •
has arranged with Mr. Green trip&
Each ascent is to be marked by various grand demonstra-
tions.
AN OFFICER SUPPO •
BED OF THE AMAZON..--.A.
man was washed on shore at Bucks, near Bideford, on Mon-
day last, having gold lace on his cap, and jacket lined with
silk, apparently having been a long time in the water, and
having au officer-like appearance. He is supposed to be one
of the crew of the unfortunate steam-ship Amazon. An
inquest was held on the body, and the poor fellow in-
terred in Parkham Churchyard on Tuesday lest.—North
Devon Paper.
VALENTINE'S DAs.—Saturday was a very busy
day in the Post-office. Up to five o'clock in the evening
200,000 letters above the ordinary daily average had passed
through the Post-office in St. Martin's-le-Grand, the total
number amounting to nearly 400,000, the postage realised
being 1,500/.
Tne Official Milan, Gazette of the sth states that
the number of recruits for Lombardy this year is to be 8,690,
taken from two classes, those of 1830 and 1831. In 1849 the
number of recruits was 8 ,04 5, and ,in 1850 they were 7,03,
row one class each year.

from the Cape, 276 from Syday,y, 49 from Havre, and
510 from I.;Anbay.