The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-28 00:00:00

EXTENSIVE FIRE NEAR FINC.HLEY.

The neighbourhood of the Finchley-road was yester-
day visited by the outbreak of a most serious fire,
which in the course of an hour laid in ruins property
valued at the lowest estimate at upwards of 1,0001.
The conflagration commenced in one of the newly-
erected mansions, containing from 12 to 14 rooms,
situated at No. 18, Adelaide-road North, Finchley-
road, the property of Messrs. Welbourne and Hackett,
builders, &c. The building, at.the time of the disaster,
was filled with the materials for several houses erecting
on the same estate. The workmen having left the pre-
mises between twelve and one to go to their dinners, in
the course of a fe w minutes afterwards an alarm was raised
that the premises were on fire. Several of the inhabi-
tants at once rushed to the spot with buckets of water,
hoping, by pouring a small quantity of the antago-
nistical element upon the flames, to confine them to the
ground-floor. Unfortunately, however, although every
one present exerted himself to the utmost, the work of
destruction continued, and in a very brief period the
flames seized upon the entire stock of materials, consist-
ing of mahogany slabs, window frames, shutters, &c.,
from which the fire ran up the staircases, and ignited in
rapid succession every room in the upper floors, amount-
ing to ten or twelve. The materials composing the
various apartments being exceedingly dry, the same
proved such powerful auxiliaries to the fire that the
flames quickly rushed through the roof, rose to an enor-
mous altitude, and, owing to the strong wind which
prevailed at the time, they were beaten down upon
the adjoining mansion, No. 20, in the same thorough-
fare. Information of the disaster having been sent
to London, for the assistance of the Fire Brigade,
with all possible expedition the engines of the C dis-
trict of the London Brigade and that of the West
of England-office reached the scene of conflagration,
preceded by the parish engine. A plentiful supply
of water having been procured from the mains of the.
West Middlesex Company, the engines were set to work
under the direction of Messrs. Connorton and Staples,
the principal officers of the West of England and
Brigade. Notwithstanding that upwards of 50 hired
auxiliaries were engaged in pumping the engines, the
work of destruction continued, and several hours elapsed
ere the fire could be extinguished, and not until the pre-
mises in which the misfortune commenced were burned
to the ground, the whole of the contents consumed, and
the adjoining mansion partly destroyed. Had it not
been for the exertions of the firemen several of the con-
tiguous houses would doubtless have been destroyed,
as the fire was blown by the high breeze into five others,
but fortunately the damage done to them was not consi-
derable. The fire, it is supposed, was caused from a
spark flying out of the grate amongst some of the build-
ing materials. Unfortunately the property destroyed
was not insured for a single penny.

THE IMPERIELTSE.—The Imperieuse, steam frigate,'
left Queenstown harbour on Thursday. Ono of her
masts was defective ; a new one was found to be neces-
sat) ,
, and as the naval st)res at Haulbowline do not
supply the means of fitting a ship with a new mast,
the Imperieuse has been obliged to proceed to Ply. -
mouth for that purpose. It may be supposed that this
circumstance has not escaped the indignant comment of
the people here, or that they point to it as a new and
striking proof of the necessity that exists for making
Queenstown a naval station, complete in all its ap-
pointments, if the works already erected and maintained
at great eicpeuse are not to be regarded as empty
mockery,