The Sun.
London, England, 1853-06-22 00:00:00

EXTENSIVE FIRE IN THE NEW

Yesterday morning, between the hours of four and
five o'clock, a fire of a very serious character, and at-
tended with a considerable destruction of property broke
out in the premises belonging to Mr. J. Wilkinson,
coach-trimmer, carrying on business in Circus-mews,
Circus-street, New-road, Marylebone.
The discovery was made by one of the police officers
of the D division, who, in passing the premises, had his
attention directed to an unusual body of smoke rising
over the surrounding houses. At first the exact scene
of the conflagration could not be ascertained, but in the
course of a few minutes the fire told its own tale by
' issuing through the various windows of the first-floor.
An instant alarm was then given, and information of
the disaster was sent to the engine stations for proper
assistance, but before an engine had sufficient time to
reach the spot the fire shot forth from the several win-
dows, not only of the floor in which the outbreak com-
menced, but also from those in the story above; as well
as through the roof. Notwithstanding that it was per-
fect daylight, the reflection of the fire could be seen
from every part of London, which caused a general turn-
out of the engines and firemen from nearly every dis-
trict ; so that in the space of a few minutes several en-
gines of the brigade, one of the parish, and that of the
West of England Insurance Office were on the spot, as
well as the escapes of the Royal Society for the Pro-
tection of Life from Fire.

The mains of the West Middlesex Company having
been opened, a plentiful supply of water was procured,
from which the engines were worked with full vigour,
but in spite of the most strenuous exertions of the fire-
) men, the work of destruction continued, and in a very
brief period the back doors and windows of Mr. J.
Longmon's dancing academy, No. 29, Circus-street and
those of Mr. Bendall, soda-water manufacturer, pre-
' sented one immense sheet of flame. At that conjune-
ture, nothing short of the complete destruction of every
building near could be anticipated, consequently the fir-
men mounted the top of the premises contiguous to "those
in flames, and by that expedient' succeeded in cutting
off the further progress of the conflagration in the direc-
tion of the surrounding houses,
The firemen, although assisted by 79 hired auxiliaries,
were unable to subdue the flames until a serious amount
of property was destroyed, which is thus officially re-
ported by Mr. Superintendent Braidwood :
"June 21, 1853.—Half-past Four, a.m.—Called to a fire
which broke out in Circus-mows, Circus-street, Maryle-
bone, and which did the following damage
Mr. J. Wilkinson, coach trimmer.—The workshops on
the first floor of a factory burned out. The second floor of
ditto destroyed, and the roof consumed.
"The fire was extinguished by firemen and parish en-
gineer, with the engines of the B and C districts of the
London establishment, one of thii parish, and one of
West of England Fire-office.
" The premises of Mr. Bushby, engineer, have the
workshops on ground floor damaged by fire and water.
" The premises of Mr. Loxmore, wheelwright, have sus-
tained similar damage, by fire, water, and removal.
" No. 29, Circus-street.—Mr. J. Longmon, dancing
master. Back windows and doors burned, and rest of
house and contents damaged by fire, water, and removal.
" Mr. Bendall, soda water manufacturer.—Premises and
contents much damaged by fire, water, &c.
" No. 29A, Mary Lemon, beer shop-keeper.—Premises
and their contents similarly damaged."

It is at present unknown whether or not the sufferers
were insured.

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.—Their Majesties the King
and, Queen of Hanover honoured the Royal Italian
Opera with their presence last evening. The King and
Queen were accompanied by their Royal Highnesses the
Duchess of Cambridge and the Princess Mary, and their
Royal Highnesses the Hereditary Grand Duke and
Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strehtz, and the Duchess
Caroline of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. In the suite of their
Majesties were the Baroness Von Decker, Baron Reich-
tenstein, Lord Elphinstone, and General Buckley.
HAY MARKET THEATRE.—Her Majesty and Prince
Albert visited this theatre last night to witness Mr.
Planche's admirable extravaganza of " Mr. Buckstone's
Ascent of Mount Parnassus," which was performed for
the 74th time.

FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT AT THE EQUITABLE GASWORKS.
—This morning, at eight o'clock, a shocking accident
occurred at the Equitable Gasworks, Thames-bank,
Pimlico, to a man named Thomas Bunstead, aged 71
years, under the following circumstances :—lt appears
that Bunstead, who is a plate-layer, residing at Brewer's-
green, was employed in repairing a tram-way fixed on
the top of a viaduct upon which trucks pass with coals
from barges, and coke vice versa. This viaduct is raised
forty feet from the ground. By some means at present
unexplained, the unfortunate man missed his footing,
and fell from that fearful height with a dreadful crash on
to a bed of clinkers beneath. The stokers, and other
workmen rushed to his assistance, and, finding him in-
sensible and bleeding profusely, instantly conveyed the
sufferer to Westminster Hospital, where he was taken
under the care of Mr. Cotterell, house surgeon, by whom
it was ascertained that he had sustained such serious in-
juries that no hopes are entertained of his recovery—the
unfortunate man having had his thigh broken in such a
manner that amputation will have to be resorted to, the
skull fractured, and one of his arms broken, besides his
body being a complete mass of contusions.
PRICE OF GOLD.—The quotation of gold at Paris is
about at par (according to the last tariff), which, at the
English Mint price of 31. 17s. 104 d. per ounce for
standard gold, gives an exchange of 25.17 ; and, the
exchange at Paris on London at short being 25.05, it
follows that gold is about 0.48 per cent. dearer in Paris
than in London. By advises from Hamburgh the price
of gold is 428 per mark, which, at the English Mint
price of 31.175. 101 d. per ounce for standard gold, gives
an exchange of 13.61 ; and the exchange at Hamburgh,
on London at short being 13.51, it follows that gold is
9.35 per cent dearer in Hamburg than in London. The
course of exchange at New York on London for bills at
60 (lays' sight is 110 per cent., and the par of exchange
between England and America being 109 23-40 per
cent., it follows that the exchange is nominally 0.42 per
cent., in favour of England ; and, after making allow-
ance for charges of transport, the present rate leaves a
trifling profit on the importation of gold from the United
States.

PRICE or GOLD-DUST.—In the Hobart-town papers
of the 12th of March it is mentioned that the average
price of gold-dust was 3/. 16s. 3d. per ounce, while that
from the Fingal diggings was about 3/. 12s. No fur-
ther discoveries had been made, but affairs were gene-
rally prosperous, and at the late' land sales advanced
prices had been obtained for the various sections.
The silver and dollars brought by the last West India
steamer were sold yesterday at 611 d. and 590., esta-
blishing an advance of id. per ounce. They were taken
chiefly for China, where the hoarding and distrust caused
by the rebellion have produced a scarcity of capital that
has led to heavy draughts upon London from the firms
having credits here.
The recent rates for war risks to the Baltic and the
Black Sea are maintained, and for vessels clearing im-
mediately the demand would be 1 per cent. for the for-
mer, and 2, per cent, for the 'Mtn dedination,