The Sun.
London, England, 1839-10-28 00:00:00

DESTRUCTION OF THE GRANGE
PAPER. MILLS, AT BERMONDSEY, BY FIRE.

Late on Friday night last a fire, which in extent has
been the most destructive that has occurred in the
metropolis for many months past, took place at the
Grange Paper-mills, the property of Messrs. Thomas
Pewtress, Benjamin Low, and James Pewtress, in the
parish of Bermondsey. They are situated on the south
side of Blue Anchor-road, surrounded by nursery-gar-
dens, and detached from any other premises. The
mills consisted of three distinct buildings, known as
the engine and machinery department, store or finish-
ing house, and manufactory, but all having a commu-
nication. It appears that the fire was discovered by
one of the R division of the police force, 84, who
was passing down the road, which is upwards of a
hundred yards from the mills, the approach being
by a narrow avenue, called Mercer's-lane ; be per-
ceived a glare of light issuing from the basement of
the factory chimney. The circumstance being un-
usual at that period of the night, he got into
the
.grounds attached to the premises, and on com-
ing to the spot he found the " dusting rag house"
in flames. He instantly raised the alarm in the neigh-
bourhood, but before any one came to his aid the fire
had burnt into the store-rooms, which 'being closely
packed with upwards of forty tons of newly-manufac-
tured paper, quickly assumed the same appearance.
Before ten minutes had elapsed after the discovery, the
whole atmosphere was illuminated by the conflagration
for a considerable distance round, and which was the
means of attracting a large concourse of persons to the
scene.

The police very promptly sent off a messenger on
horseback to the different fire stations in the metropolis,
and very shortly a great many engines reached the
spot. The first to arrive was from the station in
Rotherhithe, and followed by those of the Morgan's;
lane, Southwark-bridge-road, Watling-street, headed by
Mr. Braidwood, the Superintendent of the brigade
force, and others from many more stations. Directly
Mr. Braidwood arrived on the ground his attention
was drawn to the manufactory, which the fire was
approaching with fearful rapidity, and it con-
taining machinery to the value, it was as-
serted, of several thousand pounds, he directed
the whole of his men to exert themselves in the pre-
servation of that building. At this crisis, it may be
stated that the fire was at its highest vigour, and from
the combustibility of the materials that the buildings
were built of, chiefly wood, and the strong wind then
blowing, there was apparently very little chance of
saving any portion from total destruction. Out of the
great number of engines that drew up only three of
them could he got to work, in consequence of the
want of water. What was obtained was from a ditch
that runs past the mill, and which was very scanty.
Several times the engines were choked up with mud,
and a stream thrown on to the flames. The hose of
the engines were conducted into the interior of the
factory, and the firemen combated with the flames in a
manner that drew forth much praise, and though
beaten back once or twice by the intensity of the
fire and smoke, they .ained their position, and main-
tained it until they effected the preservation
of the factory, an achievement which met with loud
cheering from the assembled multitude. The fire con-
tinued burning till near two o'clock in the morning, but
no further sacrifice of property took place. The ex-
tent of the damage, however, is very great, the greater
portion of the mills, comprising the store and finishing-
house, engine-house, with press-room, being wholly
burnt down. The fire is supposed to have happened
by the overheating of the flue leading from the
furnaces under the boilers of the steam-engine to the
faCtory chimney, and the dusting-rags in the dusting-
house, which adjoins, taking fire. All the work people
left the place at seven o'clock in the evening, when the
premises appeared perfectly safe. The firm are insured
in the Victuallers Fire-o*e, and the loss is reported to
be between 1,5001. and 2,000/.

COL. PASLEY'S OPERATIONS
AGAINST THE ROYAL GEORGE.

The strong tides, co-operating with the unsettled
weather of last week, have materially interfered with
the successful progress of these interesting operations.
Nevertheless, something has been done almost every day.
A huge breast hook, large fragments of timbers, much
planking, both interior and exterior, riders, knees, and
various other items, have been daily fished up, and now
form a high pile in the dock-yard. No more guns,
however, have lately been got hold of, but on Tuesday
last a few human bones were found, and near them a
silk handkerchief of a rusty black colour, and not
rotten, but still strong enough to bear being washed!
This conservative power of mud, or clay, has also
been most curiously exemplified in the case of vege-
table fibre, by a portion of a cable lately brought up
from the wreck of the Royal George. A length of
junk, as it is called, consisting of a piece of a cable 23
inches in circumference, and about eight feet long, was
recovered, and being unlaid and the yarns taken out,
they were found to be so good that a short piece of one
of them bore a weight of 1931 b., and broke only with a
weight of 1951 b. The following very curious experi-
ment was then tried :

A piece of cablet or rope, measuring two inches and
a half in circumference, was made out of the yarns from
one of the strands taken from the old junk of the Royal
George, and marked No. 1 ; another tablet, also of
two inches and a half, and 20 thread yarn, spun and
tarred in 1838, was made, No. 2 ; and a third, of the
same dimensions and number of yarns, spun and tarred
according to the old method, in 1830, No. :3. These
three tablets were then exposed to the usual test of
strength by weights in the dockyard, when, to the
great astonishment of every one, the following were the
results

cwt. q. lb.
Na. 1. Made from the old 'junk saved from the.
Royal George, after being 57 years under the
mud, bore a weight of
Na. 2. Spun and tarred in 1838
No. 3. Spun and tarred in 1830

We intended to have given our readers some acecunt
of a remarkable difference from the modern plan of
building, which has been detected in the construction
of the upper part of the stem of the Royal George, or
that which is called the " knee of the head ;" but we
could not make it intelligible, we fear, even to profes-
sional men, without the assistance of a drawing. We
advert to the circumstance, however, in order to call
the attention of our shipwrights, especially of those able
and observant men in her Majesty's 0621;yard who were
educated at the School of Naval Architecture (now so
unfortunately done away with), and who, we have no
doubt, may derive many useful hints from carefully
studying these fragments, which have successfully with-
stoo:l tho wear and tear of more than half a century of
sub-marine action.

For the rest, we distinctly perceive that even the
energy and perseverance of Colonel Pasley and his
hard-working people, sappers, sailors, divers and miners
inclusive, mus:`, yield to the elements, and presently
" knock off" till the longer days and finer weather of a
fresh season enable them to recommence and compli.te
their great operation, which hitherto has been carried
on without any accident, except one, which was entirely
independent of the weather.—Times.

STATE OF TRADE.

(From the Leeds Mercury.)

Titans OF LEEDS.—There has been no improvement
in the sale of goods at our cloth halls this week, as
compared with the last. few weeks ; on the contrary,
there appears to have been a falling off in the demand for
the coarser description of goods, to which the mildness
of the season his in some 'measure contributed. Nei-
ther has business been-quite so lively in the warehouses
'this week as last, which may in a. great measure be
ascribed to the same cause. Should cold weather set
in, a better demand may be expected, as the drapers
generally have been purchasing with extreme caution
for some time, and the stocks in their hands arc consi-
dered to be much lower than usual at this season.

BARNSLEY LINEN TRADE.—Some slight alteration
for the better seems to have taken place during the
past week in the fancy trade ; in the plain business
there is no alteration to report this week.
ENGLISH WOOL.—LEEDS, OCT. 25.—We have not
had any alteration in this market during the present
week ; and, therefore, refer to our recent reports.
WAKEFIELD WOOL MARKET, OCT. 425 —Without
being able to quote a decided advance in price, there
has been more inquiry, and a greater extent of business
done in all kinds of long wool ; and stocks, as last re-
ported, continue exceedingly bare. Clothing and blan-
ket wools are dull of sale, and stocks in the latter de-
scription are accumulating.
YORK WOOL MARKET, Ocr. 24.—There was no
business whatever done to•day, and the market may now
be considered as closed for the season.