The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-27 00:00:00

DREADFUL FIRES AND EXPLOSION.

PROBA BLE LOSS OF LIFE, AND GREAT
DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTy.

SATURDAY MORNING.
The firemen of the London Brigade, various parishes,
and Hodges' Distillery, were engaged for several hours
this morning in extinguishing fires that had taken place in
various parts of the metropolis, which, unfortunately, were
attended with great loss of property, and one nearly ac_
companied with fatal results to a whole household. As it
was, the proprietor of the premises was so seriously burned
that he had to be conveyed to the London Hospital, where
he remains without the least hopes of recovery.
Between the hours of two and three o'clock, as a police
constable was passing along Bunhill-row, Finsbury, his
attention was directed to dense masses of smoke rising over
the house tops, which satisfied him at once that a fire was
burning in some place, but the difficulty was to ascertain
its exact locality. The constable, however, sprang his
rattle, mad having obtained assistance, he went off for the
Royal Society's escapes and engines. In the course of a
few minutes the officer found out that the premises of
Messrs. J. Simes and Co., known as the Steam Saw Mills,
situated in Twisten's.alley, were in flames. The building
in which the disaster commenced was between 60 and 70
feet long, and over 25 feet wide, and contained property
and machinery of great value. The engines of the
London Brigade, from Whitecross-street, and two land
steam-engines of the establishment by Shand and Mason,
of Upper Ground-street, Blackfriars, were quickly in at-
tendance, bringing with them Captain Shaw, the superin-
tendent, and a powerful body of firemen and principal offi-
cers. At one time it was feared that the flames would have
extended to the house in Bunhill-row, for immense showers
of sparks and largo flakes of burning timber kept falling
upon the buildings. Captain Sbaw had his extinguishing
apparatus so placed around the houses as to enable his men
to attack the main body of fire at each Feint, but in spite of
which the work of destruction continued, and a couple of
hours elapsed before the fire could be extinguished, and not 1
until the premises in which it commenced was burned out;
but, fortunately, the brigade succeeded in saving the ad-
joining houses, only one being damaged, and that slightly
by water, belonging to Mr. J. Pandy, 164, Bunhill-row.
The origin of the conflagration is enveloped in obscurity.
Fortunately the Messrs. Simes were insured in the Sun
Fire Office, and Mr. Pandy was insured in the Liverpool
and London Fire Office.

The next fire of importance happened about five o'clock,
a.m., in the well-known tavern termed the Pilgrim, the pro-
perty of Mr.Pri tchard, No. 35, Queen's-row,Walworth-road.
Had it not been for the opportune discovery which was made
by the police on duty, it is not at all improbable that a fearful
sacrifice of life must have occurred ; as it was, the persons
in the upper rooms had the greatest difficulty in reaching
the ground without being either burnt or suffocated, for the
fire having commenced in the bar, or bar-parlour—which it
is hardly possible to tell—it seized the stock and fixtures,
sending up dense heated volumes of smoke. Harmsworth
and Simmons, two conductors of the Royal Society, and
Mr. Inspector Havant, attended with the escapes and the
engines of the parish. Three engines of the brigade and
that of Hodges' distillery arrived almost simultaneously,
and a good supply of the Southwark Company's water
having been procured, the firemen, under Mr. Henderson,
the chief officer of the D district, and Engineers Medcalf
and Cooper, went to work in an admirable manner, and
with the aid of the stand pipes they were enabled to confine
the flames to the bar and bar-parlour, which were nearly
destroyed, and the upper portion of the building was greatly
damaged by heat and smoke. The origin of this fire is also
unknown, but fortunately Mr. Pritchard was insured for
the building and the contents in the Liverpool and London
Fire-office.

Another fire, which was well nigh attended with most
disastrous consequences to life and property, happened in
the premises belonging to M. Camille Silver, a photographio
artists' chemist, carrying on business at 38, Porchester-
terrace, Bayswater. This fire commenced in the laboratory
on the ground floor, owing to the heat from the furnace
flue, and in a few minutes the fire shot into the roof. The
engines of the parish, London brigade, and others were soon
in attendance, and owing to the exertions of the inmates,
police, and firemen, the flames were prevented from entering
beyond the laboratory. It is unknown whether or not M.
Silver was insured.

The most distressing fire of the whole, although not at-
tended with such a serious loss of property as ocourred at
some of the above, happened about a quarter before five
o'clock this morning, in the premises belonging to Mr.
Stockman, an artist in fireworks, carrying on business at
No. 8., Stookwell-street, Lyson-street, Bethnal-green. It
appears, from the inquiries made, that Mr. Stockman was
in the habit of keeping fireworks on the ground floor, and
he with his family occupied the upper rooms as sleeping
dormitories. This morning, whilst the residents were in
their beds asleep, they were suddenly startled by a loud
and fearful explosion, evidently arising from the ignition of
some of the fireworks, or the composition used in their
manufacture. This was accompanied by fumes of sulphu-
rous smoke rushing up the staircase, and filling the bed.
rooms of the unfortunate inmates, who, with one execfp.
tion, were rescued from their impending danger, but 'how,
it is hardly possible to tell, although the Royal Society's
escapes were quickly in attendance. Mr. Stockman, it is
presumed, while endeavouring to extinguish the fire, mos
nearly suftoeated, but he was so frightfully burned over
the body that he was obliged to be taken to the hospital,
and it is doubtful whether ho will ever come out alive.
Captain Shaw was soon in attendance with a land steamer,
by Shand end Mason, and several manual-power engines,
but fortunately the fir,: had been extinguished by the local
aid afforded before their arrival. The sufferer was. Of
course, insured.

MARKETS---TIIIS DAY.

COVENT GARDEN.

Our market continues to be fairly supplied with fruit and
vegetables, and the trade, on the whole, rules steady, as
follows :

rRIIIT.

s. d. s. d. s. d. sd.
Pine apples, perlb 3 oto 5 0 Cherries, per ith 0 oto 0 0
Colonial do., each 1 oto 2 0 Foreign ditto, pun° oto 0 0
Grapes, per lb 2 oto 5 0 Filberts, por lb 6 oto 1 0
Foreign do 1 oto 2 0 Walnuts, per 100 1 oto 2 0
Melons 1 oto 3 0 Cobnuts, per lb 0 oto 0 0
Nectarines, per dz 0 oto 0 0 Almonds, per bus 0 oto 0 0
Apples, per hf-sv. 1 3to 2 6 Figs, per doz. .... 2 oto 3 0
Pears, per do 1 3to 4 0 Damson . 4 oto 6 0
Oranges, per 100 10 oto 15 0 Currants, per h.sv 0 oto 0 0
Lemons, per 120.. 4 oto 8 0 Plums, per do. .. 4 oto 5 0
Gooseberries hf sveo oto 0 0 Greengages, pr do. 0 oto 0 0
Strawberries pr pt 0 oto 0 0 Raspberries, pr pt 0 oto 0 0
VEGETABLES.
Greens, dz bunch 2 6to 3 0 I Shallots, per lb oloto 1 0
Cabbages, pr doz. 0 9to 1 3 i Horseradish, pbn 1 oto 2 0
Red ditt0........ 1 6So 3 0 Parsley, per ditto 0 3to 0 4
Savoy do., pr dz. 0 oto 0 0 Celery, per ditto 0 Bto 1 6
Cauliflowers, pdzlo to 3 0 Beet, per doz. l6to 2 0
Brocoli, per bun. 0 oto 0 0 I Parsnips, per do. 0 oto 0 0
Potatoes, per ton 60 to 110 01 Small salad, p. pn, 0 oto 0 0
New ditto, pr pd 0 oto 0 0 I Mushrooms.p ptl. 0 oto 0 0
Turnips, dz bunch 1 6to 2 6 Artichokes, each 0 oto 0 0
Carrots, pr d 0.... 4 6to 5 6 Cabbage lett,score 0 10 to 1 0
Cucumbers 0 3to 1 0 Hint and savory 0 2to 0 4
Garlic, per lb
Sorrel, per sieve 0 oto 0 0 Radishes, dz hnds 0 oto 0 0
Green peas, h.-sv.l2 oto 0 0 Tomatoes, doz... 0 oto 0 0
Bros. sprouts,h.s. 0 oto 0 0 Chillies, per ditto 0 oto 0 6
Onions, hi. sv 0 oto 0 0 Capsicums, per do 0 oto 0 0
New Do., dz bun 1 6to 2 0 Rhubarb, per bun 0 oto 0 0
French beans, h.s. 1 3to 1 9 Asparagus, pr do. 0 oto 0 0
Leeks, per bunch 0 oto 0 01 Seakale, per bun. 0 0 to 0 0