The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-26 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVMNING, NOVEMBER 26, 1864.

This Day.

mondsey.

Great Conflagration at Dockhead, Ber-

Yesterday evening a terrifiTfire, only to be paralleled by
that which destroyed Fennings' and Toppings' wharfs on
the river side, broke out upon the premises of Messrs Barry
Brothers, whatfingers and saltpetre merchants, Mill-street,
Dockhead, Bermondsey, lately in the occupation of Messrs
Meriton and Hagen, and known as the Sufferance Wharfs,
Bermondsey. These wharfs are situated in one of the most
confined but busiest localities on the waterside. The factory
in which the fire broke out contained many thousand tons
of saltpetre, and as the coLflagration gained an ascendancy
between seven and eight o'crock, the tffect of it, both as a
spectacle and as a destructive agency, was fearful. A
strong wind was blowing
from the south-cast to the south
west' and as the powder piles and blocks of saltpetre caught
fire from interval to interval, there arose immense volumes
of liquid fire, now red, now wbite, now blue, and then
blending into one, burst into all the colours of the rain-
bow, illuminating the air round abet'', and :Tattering smoke,
ashes, and sparks upon the factories and buildings in the
immediate neighbourhood, The outbreak basing been
telegraphed to tho different fi e stations in the rno'rdpolis,
several engines arrived shortly in successior, but such Was
the combustible character of the contents of the building
they had to play upon, that all their tfforte were inafectual
in subduing the flames, and operations were almost solely
directed towards preventing
the devastating element ex-
tending itself to the adjacent wharves and premises. Up to
midnight the fire had only been partially got under, and the
general opinion appeared to be that it must burn itself out—
the steam fire engines, as well as the manual engines,
although well officered, being apparently powerless. The
greatest excitement prevailed throughout the metropolis,
and thousands passed over London-bridge, which was
throrged with people, a clear view of the confligration be-
ing obtained t:cwn the river ; and the entire neighbourhood
of DJckhead was perfectly impassable, owing to the crowds
of spectators,

FURTHER PARTICULARS-THIS DAY.

This terrible fire is still raging with undiminished fury,
and, according to the statement of one of the old experienced
officers cf the London Brigade, there appears little chance
of getting it extinguished for at least a week. The accounts
published in the morning papers convey but a faint idea of
the extent of the loss. The premises of Messrs. Barry
Brothers occupied several acres of ground in one of the
narrowest and most densely-populated districts in the
parish of Bermondsey, which is studded with wharves,
mills, and factories. Messrs Barry's premises are probably
the largest on that side the water. They had a frontage
in Mill-street, Dockhead, and extended backwards to the
dock at shad Thames. In close proximity were the exten-
sive biscuit works of Betake, Freer:, and Co., and also the
immense oil stores of Messrs Scott end Co., and at one time
it was feared that every building near would have been
levelled with the ground.
The fire, it seesos, was discovered in the G warehouse, a
brick and timber building six stories high, and filled with
jute, seeds, and sugar. This building stretched in one dices
tion 100 feet, and in the other 70 feet. It formed only
about 1-16th part of what is termed Meriton's-wharf, a
portion of which was destroyed by a similar disaster some
months back.
The moment the existence of the fire became known an
attempt was made to confine it to the floor in which it com-
menced, but that was found to be impracticable, and in the
ccurso of a few minutes the loud rumbling noise that could
be heard from the outside of the building gave unmistak-
able evidences that the flames were making fearful havoc.
Before sufficient time had elapsed to send to the
nearest engine station, immense sheets of flame rolled out
of the different windows and through the roof, lighting up
the whole of the metropolis and the suburbs: in fact, the
guard of the Dover mail train states that the reflection could
be seen as far distant as Folkestone ; but the inhabitants
there, as many even in the metropolis, imagined from its
brilliancy, that it was one grand display of the aurora
borealis. Adjoining this tremendous warehouse stood an-
other, 70 feet long and 60 wide, termed the " H " extension
warehouse. This building was titled with several thou-
sand bales of jute, and in less than a quarter of an hour
after the discovery was made, this warehouse was also
wrapped in flames.
By this period the fire engines began to arrive, the first
being Roberts's Princess of Walee, from Tooley-street.
This land steamer was set to work fro.n the north side of
the wharf from an abundance of the Southwark Company's
water, but it at once became apparent that the flames would
not succumb to the power of this engine, and the two steam
floating engines were, by order of Mr Henderson, the chief
officer of the D district of the brigade, sent for, and they at
once came steaming up and down the river, and they were
safely anchored near the back warehouses of the wharf, and
set to work from the river Thames. Even these poweeful
auxiliaries seemed to have no effect upon the violence of the
conflragration, which continued to spread, and at length the
river had all the appearance of an immense stream of liquid
gold. Every ship in the pool appeared from a distance to
be wrapped in flames, and the Custom-house, the Tower of
London, and even the venerable Cathedral of S'. Paul pre-
sented similar grand spectacles. This called out the more
distant engines, and eventually there wore over a elt zee)
present, including three land steamers by Shand, Mason,
and Co. ; the Torrent steamer by Morryweather, from
Hodges' distillery; several manual-power engines of the
Brigade; and the Peckham and liitcham Volunteer en-
gines and the West Ham foremen. The whole of the force
went to work in a manner to excite the approbation of all
present, and they (at the risk of losing their lives) entered
the blazing buildings, and conveyed the hose of their re-
spective engines up the floors of the then only two blazing
buildings, but the water, which fell in thousands of tons
weight per minute, appeared to have not the least effect
upon the fearful element, and every ono then lo deed upon
the progress of the fire with astonishment and dismay.
The adjoining building to the last named was termed the
"H" warehouse. Jr was 63 feet long and 72 feet deep, and
was filled with jute, wheat, and saltpetre. The flames froth
the other two buildings lapped completely round this struc-
ture, and the dangerous and explosive character of the
saltpetre having been made known to the firemen, men
were sot to watch the walls to see if they bulged, so that
they might give the necessary intelligence to those stand-
ing with the hose on and around the blazing pile, so that
they might be enabled to run away. The worst predictions
of all present were quickly verified; for, upon the floors
becoming ignited in which the saltpetre was stored, explo-
sions loud and fearful in rapid succession took place, which
blew down heavy brick walls, lifted the tiles and roof of the
warehouse, which were sent flying in sundry directions,
and in their descent striking the firemen upon their hel-
mets, and, as it was, Mr Henderson was struck on the foot
and so badly hurt that he was obliged to go home. We
understand, upon inquiry this morning, that although he
is much shaken, nothing very serious is apprehended.
At this conjucture the rain fell in such torrents that it
was calculated to extinguish any
ordinary fire, but such was
the vast amount of flame that, as the rain fell so copiously,
the reflection upon the water made it resemble rainbows,
such as are witnessed upon many occasions of the great
displays of the fountains of the Crystal Palace.
Here the firemen began to think that their labours were
about to be crowned with success, but to their dismay, whilst
engaged in deluging the burning saltpetre, they found that
the wind had driven the flames' into the D warehouse, a
building 61 feet long and 32 broad. This immense ware-
house was also filled with jute,
seeds, and peas. The seeds
consisted of some thousand quarters of canary, linseed,
rh
moss-seed, and hempseed, e jute alone in this building
was worth some thousand pounds, but the exact quantity
of wheat in this e
part t the 'chart' cannot at present be cor-
rectly ascertained, but is stated to have amounted to severe
thousand quarters.

At
usethis
was pexoipnotsetdhe firemen) ender the direction of their
to,
superior officers, seeink the great danger that the C ware-
ho
brought the full power of several of
the engines to bear upon the building, which soon became
deluged with water, and that expedient was happily crowned
with partial success, but the contents, as a natural conse-
quence, were greatly damaged by water.
Having succeeded in stopping he progress of the devastat-
ing element in that direction, they were again astonished at
Being the whole of the carpenters' workshops in a regular
blaze, and from that bu lding the flames rolled over into
the Tackle-house, another,large establishment. Here the
flames again burst forth with increased fury, and again the
neighbourhood became brilliantly illumined, The fire at
the same time .had just commenced to attack with full
vigour the counting-house. and Messrs Barry's private
dwelling. ',Great excitement was then caused lest the
books of the firm appertaining to this
part of the wharf
should be consumed—but it is satisfactory to state that
the books having been deposited in one of the patent
.. Reliance" fire-proof safes, they were all got out unin-
jured, consequently the business will not be retarded to
that extent it otherwise might have been had the books
been destroyed. The counting-house nd,the dwelling-house
are, however, both considerably damaged, and so is the C
warehouse.

tho firemen, Under the direction
head Engineer Medealf,
Fire-office, and Engineer
of Bgaphtaalifn-pSashtalvr2, to-day
yrintendent Irving, of the Surrey
Lit,iaru cgVolunteers,
hhaaurliet,s IhLvaihediut
ett Lieutenant nt
satisfactionht ku,y
of
seeing
the flames
commencing to succumb and palpably diminish beneath the
great weight of water that was falling from tho land

;Mamas and the river floating engines uponthebiaZing
piles. To say, however, that all danger was at an end
would be incorrecr, for unless the firemen continue to use
the greatest vigilance there is every poesibility of a fresh

outbreak taking place, for immense bodies of fire still
remain in the different warehouses.

The total:loss, it:is computed by those connected with the

he insurance offices, will amount to over £250,000, and

nearly the whole of the metropolitan and provincial fire in-
surance companies will be sufferers to a more or leas extent
by the catastrophe. As to the origin of the calamity not the

least information can at present be gleaned. When the
. . _

wharf was closed at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, the usual

hour for indoor paoking and delivery, everything appeared

perfectly safe and free from anything smouldering ; and it
was only when one of the neighbours heard, according to

his own versior, a noise inside the building like unto a
water mill at full operation, that any one had the slightest

idea of a fire having taken place.
In order to convey some faint idea of the extent of the

damage done, it is only necessary to state that the immense
G warehouse, consisting of six floors, has been entirely
burned out. The many tons of jute (still burning) partially
destroyed. The costly stock of seeds and sugar is con-
sumed.

The H extensive warehouse, 70 feet long and 60 feet deep,
has been burned down. The immense quantity of jute still
remaining was burning at 1 p,m.

The H warehouse proper is destroyed. The saltpetre, it
is supposed, has spent its violence, so that no further ex-
plosions may be apprehended, but the jute and wheat is
still burning, and is likely to do so for several hours to
come.

The C warehouse is also considerably damaged by
water, &c.

The Tackle-house and carpenter's workshops aro de-
stroyed, and the contents cmsurned.

The Cf.un,ing-housa and the dwelling-house aro also
greatly damaged by fire, water, &..

The po.ice, under Mr Superintendent Bradford and In-
spectors More, Manson, &e., had a most diflimlt task to
perform, by keeping at least 100,000 persons back from the
steno of danger.