The Sun.
London, England, 1862-08-30 00:00:00

EXTENSIVE F 1 RES.-THIS DAY.

About half-past 5 a.m. a fire of an alarming character
and attended with a great loss of property, happened on
the premises belonging to Mr. Edward Small, a cooper,
carrying on business at No. 1, Camden-row, Camden-
town. Owing to so many buildings standings so close it
was feared that the whole would have been levelled with
the ground. An instant alarm was raise', and intelligence
sent off to the Royal Society's escape stations, and also to
the various engine depots of the London Brigade. In a
very brief period four engines of the London Brigade, and
the engines of the North Western Railway, as well as two
of the Royal Society's escapes, were in attendance. When
this force arrived the whole of Mr. Small's cooperage was
found in a regular blaze, and the fire had seized upon the
premises of Mr. Frimley, the coffeeshop keeper adjoining,
and also of Mr. Hall's, the zinc plate worker. All present
at once went to work, under the direction of Mr. Fogo,
the acting superintendent during Captain ►Shaw's absence
from London, and Engineer Parmer. Fortunately the
supply of water was most abundant, but in spite of the
exertions of the firemen the work of devastation continued,
and it took a considerable time before the firemen and parish
engineers could get the mastery over the flames, and not
until Mr. Small's cooperage was burnt out and the roof
destroyed. Two rooms on the ground floor of the premises
of Mr. Frimley are also burnt out, and the roof and parlour
severely burnt, and a great amount of damage has been
done to to the property of Messrs. Hall and Binns, the
zinc workers. The origin of the fire is enveloped in ob-
scurity. Fortunately, Mr. Small was insured in the West-
minster Fire-office, Mr. Frimley was insured in the
Phoenix Office, and Messrs. Hall and Binns were also in-
sured in the same office. At an early hour in the morning
a telegraph message was received by Mr. Henderson, the
present acting superintendent of the D district of fire brigade,
of a fire raging at Manor Farm, Lee, in Kent. That offi-
cer at once started to the scene with a couple of engines
and a powerful body of firemen Upon reaching the spot
they found that a large rick of hay, containing seventy
waggon loads were enveloped in a broad sheet of flame.
The property belonged to Mr. Cardwell, a farmer. The
firemen went to work in a most praiseworthy manner, and
at length succeeded, by working the engines from a pond,
in getting the flames subdued. The damage, however, is
very considerable. Mr. C. White, of the County Fire-office,
where the property was insured, was early in attendance,
and from his inspection, and that of the brigade, there is
no doubt entertained that the fire arose from the spontaneous
ignition of the hay.

Another destructive confiaration took place in the pre-
mises belonging to Mr. W. T. Walters, a cabinetmaker
situate at 8, Gloucester-street, Margaret-street, Hagger-
stone. The names commences in the workshops, which,
owing to the highly inflamma)le nature of their contents,
were quickly enveloped in a huge sheet of flame. The parish
and brigade engines, under the lirection of Acting-Superin-
tendent Bridges and Engineer Barton, having arrived, and
a good supply of water having been obtained, the fire was
ultimately extinguished, but not until the workshops were
burned down, and the contents consumed. The origin of
the fire is also unknown, and i; could not be learned during
the excitement which prevailed whether the sufferer was
insured or not.

Mr. Lynda Thomas ha, induced the War De-
partment to give him permission, at the cost of about
£2, 000, to manufacture a gun of 16 tons' weight, on his
principle, at tho goyal Arseaal, Woolwich.—Army and
Navy Gazette.

THE BRITISH MUSEUM.—Ihis day a notice was fixed up
at the British Museum, intimsting to the public that the
establishment will be closet on Monday next, the Ist of
September, and will continue closed up to Monday, the Bth.
After that it will be opened three days a week, on Monday,
Wednesday, and Friday. Tie hours of admission will be
as heretofore, from 10 a.m. tc 6 p.m. Since the opening
of the International Exhibition the different departments
of this national institution his been crowded with counttY
and foreign visitors.