The Sun.
London, England, 1853-07-15 00:00:00

FATAL FIRE IN DERBY.

On Wednesday evening last, a fire broke out in the
extenske silk manufactory of Joseph Davenport, Albert-
street. A considerable time expired before any water
was procured to play upon the flames, the extreme
height of the building (six stories), and the delay in
getting the hose ready, allowing time for the flames to
make such rapid progress, that all chance of saving the
top story was gone before the water was brought effec-
tually into play on the building.

It appears that all the floors in the mill are fire-proof,
being made of brick, and arched over. This fact caused
a number of daring men to ascend to the top story of the
mill for the purpose of saving the silk, and also for con-
ducting the water to those parts where the fire had gained
the greatest head. The ceiling being above them, they felt
confident of their safety ; but, shocking to relate, about
7 o'clock the roof fell in, and the weight of it falling on
the first ceiling caused it to fall into the top room, bury-
ing under it the poor fellows who were so praiseworthily
exerting themselves to save the mill and the property in
it. On seeing the roof fall in, the greatest shudder went
through the crowd, the conclusion being that the poor
fellows were burnt to death. The attention of all
was now directed to trying to rescue them if they
were alive, and ladders were joined together, but
owing to the extreme height of the mill, a long
time ensued before they could be raised to the top
story. In the meantime a most agonizing scene en-
sued. A poor fellow was seen at one of the top windows
with his coat and waistcoat off, and all in flames. The
sight was very painful, and will never be forgotten ,by
those who witnessed it. The roof had fallen in, and the
room was all in a flame, and there stood the poor fellow
in the midst of it. He got one of his legs out of the
window and then the other;. he then forced his body
through, and at last hung suspended from the window-
sill by his hands. A shriek from the crowd announced
that he had thrown himself down, pushing himself away
from the window by a sudden leap, so as to prevent his
head from dashing against the mill in his downward
progress ; he came to the bottom, a distance of 70 feet,
with a tremendous force. His fall was broken by a bale
of cotton that lay in the path, from which lie rebounded
on his back to the stones beneath. He was immediately
taken up, put into a cab, and conveyed to the infirmary.
No hopes are held out of his recovery.
Amongst the men who were in the top story at the
time the roof fell in was Mr. Thorpe, of the firm of Eyre
and Thorpe, silk-throwsters, Full-street. Mr. Thorpe
had been very active in trying to save the silk, when the
roof fell in as he was walking along the top room, He
took refuge in the water-closet, along with the man
Mead, who jumped through the window. They were
both enveloped in flames. Mead cried out for water to
put the flames out that were blazing on his body ; and
Mr. Thorpe, though burnt equally as bad himself, went
again into the room, and found a jug with a small
quantity of water in it, which he threw on Mead,
which made the pain excruciating, and his cries were
most piteous ; he exclaimed, "Oh dear ! we shall all
be burnt to death." Mr. Thorpe then left him, to try
to save his own life. He took his coat and waistcoat
off, and tying a handkerchief round his mouth to prevent
suffocation, he made his way to the window at the Te-
nant street end, where a ladder being raised he broke
through the window, and came down without the assist-
ance of any one, amidst the cheers of those below. His
finger-ends were very much burnt, and his head was cut
open through a piece of timber falling upon it. He was
conveyed to the infirmary, but afterwards, at his own
request, he was taken to his residence in Sitwell-
street ; we are glad to hear that he is likely to reco-
ver. Another young man named George Bennett was
in the room, but not daring to jump down, he walked
through the room in the midst of the flames, and was
taken down stairs. He was immediately conveyed to
the infirmary, when it was found that he was severely
burnt on the legs and thighs, arms, hands, and shoulders. •
The fire also got into the interior of 'his body. No
hopes are entertained of his recovery. A third man
who was in the room made his escape down the chim-
ney ;he received an injury on the head. A fourth
man, named John 'Webster, had his wrist hurt. One
person was pulled out of the flames by a man
named
Peak, in the employ of Mr. E. Davenport.
The fire was subdued between eight and nine o'clock,
without penetrating any of the lower stories, but a great
quantity of silk and machinery was damaged through
the body of water that was sent on to the building.
Mr. Davenport's stock in the top room was insured in
the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Fire Office for
5001. The mill, which was erected in the year 1790, is
the property of Messrs. Strutt, Belper. It is not in-
sured in any public fire-office. The damage to the stock
and building is roughly estimated at 2,0001.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE.

A gspaenclial meeting of this company was held at Bir-
min b yesterday, by adjournment, for the purpose of
considering a bill to extend the time for the purchase of
lands and the completion of works. Mr. R. C. Chawner
occupied the chair. By this bill it was proposed to ex-
tend for three years the time for completing Cannock,
Wyrley, and Norton branches, in order to develope the
mineral resources of the districts through which they
pass, and to bring on to the main line of the South
Staffordshire Railway, for distribution among the manu-
facturing parts of South. Staffordshire, the coal and
other minerals from Cannock-chase and the neighbour-
hood. Mr. M,Clean, their lessee, had agreed to accept
a lease of them, if authorised, paying a rent equiva-
lent to the interest of the money expended on their
construction. The directors stated that they applied
for these powers in consequence of a pledge given in
the last session of Parliament, by means of which they
succeeded in procuring the rejection of a parallel line
projected by the Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Worces-
tershire Railway Company, and they were satisfied that,
unless these branches were constructed by the South
Staffordshire Company, they would in a future session
be conceded to rival parties, who would be enabled
thereby injuriously to interfere with the traffic of the
South Staffordshire Company.
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the business, said this was
the second meeting the shareholders had had upon the
necessity of making the Cannock branch. The directors
had issued circulars, in order that there might be a.
larger attendance on the present than on the last oc-
casion, and that there might be no obstruction to
the bill then before Parliament. They had, however,
on Tuesday, unfortunately received information from
their solicitors, that the committee of the House of
Lords, before whom the bill was, had come to an ex
traordinary decision, reversing the practice which had
prevailed since 1836, and that the bill, upon a technical
objection under standing orders, was stopped, and not
allowed to proceed. The present meeting was, there-
fore, of little importance, inasmuch as they were pre-
vented from proceeding with their bill during the pre-
sent session of Parliament.
After a few observations on the very satisfactory state
of the traffic on the line, the meeting separated.

RAILWAY BILLS IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS.
Yesterday the following railway bills were declared to
have complied with the standing orders of the Home
of Lords :—The Boston and Midland Counties, South
Devon and Tavistock, Severn Valley, Liverpool, Crosby,
and Southport, Harwich Docks and Pier, East
lAnglian (2).
LONDON AND NORTH-WESTERN.—The preamble of
this company's Northampton Bill was yesterday passed
by the committee iza the gouse of Lords,