The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-12 00:00:00

REMARKABLE FIRE.-AN ICE-HOUSE
BURNT.

One of the most singular fires ever recorded, happened
on Saturday evening at our Railway Terminus, when a
large building, used as an ice-house, was entirely de-
stroyed. The building was about 120 feet long by 40
or 50 wide, and 25 feet in height, with a thatched
roof. It was divided into four compartments, three
for stowing ice, and one for packing fish. In the in-
terior, supporters were placed at about eight inches
from the brick wall, covered with hoarding all round
the house from the floor to the roof, the space between
the brick work and the boarding beingfilled with saw-dust.
For the convenience of landing ice from wherries, the
house was situatad close to the bank of the junction be-
tween Ereydon and the North river, and about 30 yards
from the wooden building used for the transaction of
business in the goods department of the railway station.
The house is the property of the Eastern Counties Rail-
' way Company, and was let to Mr. Coates, fish mer-
chant, who, at the time of the accident, had 800 tons of
ice housed, the building when full containing 1,800 tons.
During Saturday some men were packing ice, working
with candles near the roof, and early in the day some
tallow it appears had run on the wood work, and caught
fire, but the flame was extinguished, and the house was
closed in apparent safety about four o'clock in the after-
noon. Soon after five o'clock, considerable excitement
was created in various parts of the town by the fact that
a lurid glare was seen in the sky, plainly indicating
the existence of a fire somewhere in the north part of
the town. Messengers were speedily sent for the en-
gines, and the alarm was at once spread through the
' town, but considerable doubts were expressed as to
the truth of the report that the icehouse was on fire,
but few people giving credence to fact that any
amount of warmth existed in so cold a locality.
An engine was quickly on the spot, followed by hun-
dreds of people, the number of whom soon increased to
thousands, who lined the bank of the river, the yard,
marshes, and every bit of standing room. The roof
was then blazing furiously at the west side with a breeze
blowing from the west by north. Had the wind been full
west, the fire would most likely have spread across the
yard to the goods warehouse and platform, and have greatly
increased the amount of damage. During this time the
firemen were vainly endeavouring to get the engine to
work, but could not from its frozen state, and it was
some time before any supply of water could be obtained.
At this time a number of gentlemen, the most promi-
nent of whom were Mr. Spilling and Mr. Harvey
vigorously laboured with buckets, and when the engine
did work those gentlemen rendered essential service.
At about half-past seven, the factory-engine was brought
into the yard and placed opposite the east side of
the burning house, and the pipes were brought to play
on the north corner, where the flames were breaking
out with great fury. The fire was considerably damped,
much of the thatch being knocked in, and as each blazing
mass fell, the sparks from the saw dust poured out in
.uch volumes as to present a beautiful and awfully
grand spectacle. When the roof had fallen in
and the flames got to the ice, the general opinion
was that the fire would be extinguished, but the melting
of the ice produced no other effect than that of occasion-
ing dense clouds of suffocating smoke and steam. By 9
o'clock the most dongerous period of the fire was over,
and apprehensions for the safety of the terminus were
no longer entertained. A large portion of the spec-
tators went away, but the factory engine continued
playing for several hours afterwards, and the fire
continued to blaze till the middle of the night. The
next day numbers of persons went to view the scene
of the disaster, and all through that day fires.
were
of the succeeding were
seen burning in various parts
of
'the
erui
day,
not entirely out till the afternoon
Various rumours were afloat as to the cause of the fire.
Some asserted that a reduction in the number of labour-
ers had induced some wretch to commit incendiarism,
but no such reduction having taken place, further than
to clear the premises of useless hangers-on, the rnmour
is unsupported, but it is fully believed that the tire was
the result of the grossest carelessness. The amount of
damage done is about 7001. for the loss of the house, and
nearly 5001. for the ice. The building was not insured.
The greatest praise is due to Messrs. Spilling, E. A. Al-
dred, R. Hammond, Harvey, and many others, not for-
getting Messrs. Hardingham, Ben., and Fulcher, who con-
conducted the operations of the factory engine in an
excellent manner. To the parties managing the town
engine, great blame is to be attached, and we .
we d o hope
that the subject will come before the authorities, order
that some more efficient means for extingushing fires
may be placed at the disposal of the town, and that on
any future occasion we may not have firemen refusingto
obey orders, or at mindight, when a fire is raging, and
their services most needed, find some of them in a help-
less state of intoxication.—Norfolk News.

THE GREAT METROPOLITAN POULTRY SHOW.—Yeeter-
day was the first " shilling " day, and the influx of visi-
tors to view this, no doubt, the finest show of poultry
ever collected under one roof, was exceedingly great.
During the morning a large number of ladies and mem-
bers of the aristocracy visited the Baker-street Bazaar,
and as evening approached the various avenues were
crowded by connoissEurs in the breed of pigeons, rabbits,
and the other fancy classes. The great point of attrac-
tion was, however, the comparatively new class of speci-
mens denominated " Brahma Poutras," which, from
their colour and general characteristics, are generally
believed to be a cross between the Cochin Chinas
and
our own fine Dorking fowls. Another great point ?f*
attraction in the show, more especially amongst the fair
sex, was the classes devoted to the exhibition of the
" dear little Bantams," and that pen in particular which
has become the property of her Majesty, and which ex-
hibits a placard stating the fact, elicited universal admi.
ration. No. 1,000 in the same class, a pen of pure
white and exceedingly beautiful feather-legged, or hooted
Bantams, was deservedly noticed. The sales effected
during the day were very numerous, especially amongst
the Cochin China and Dorking classes: The improve-
ment amongst the latter, consequent on the rage for
poultry shows, which has taken place during the past
year, is stated as wonderful
1; and itis asserted, that ere
long the furore for Cochin Chinas and other novelties
will give place to the improvement of the breed of our
own celebrated Luglmill fowl.