The Sun.
London, England, 1853-06-09 00:00:00

EXTENSIVE CONFLAGRATION NEAR THE
GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY TERMINUS.

Last evening, between the hours of six and seven
o'clock, a very serious and destructive fire broke out in
the newly-erected premises belonging to Mr. L. Cong-
don, situate at No. 3, Chichester-place, Paddington,
nearly facing the Great Western Railway.
The building in which the misfortune commenced
was five stories high, including the basement. The
flames were first discovered by one of the neighbours,
whose attention was directed to the ground•floor by the
issue of a great body of smoke. He at once gave an
alarm in the usual way, but before sufficient time had
elapsed for any assistance to arrive the flames shot forth
from every window in the spacious building, and ex-
tended about 12 feet across the road, and speedily seized
hold of two other equally extensive buildings, numbered
respectively 2 and 4in the same thoroughfare. The
engine of the parish was quickly on the spot, and no
time was lost in setting it to work from a supply of
water furnished by the Grand Junction Company's

mains.
It, however, soon became apparent that so extensive
a fire was not likely to yield to the power of one en-
gine. Messengers were, therefore, dispatched to the
London Brigade stations for additional aid, when Mr.
Staples, the principal officer of the C district, and
Mr. Tozer, the engineer, with several engines and a
powerful body of men, started for the scene of con-
flagration. The firemen, upon arriving there, found
the three buildings before alluded to wrapped in
flames, the heat from which was so intense as to
ignite the back fronts of three other houses in West-
bourne-terrace North, belonging to Mr. Thomas Freer,
and nearly 100 feet away from those in which the fire
originated. By pouring buckets of water upon the last-
named houses they were saved from total destruction,
but, nevertheless, they are severely damaged by fire
and water. . .

.....___
As soon as all danger of the houses in Westbourne-
terrace being burned down was over, the whole force
went to work at the buildings in which the fire com-
menced, and some tuns of water were thrown upon the
flames ; but little or no impression could be made upon
them for nearly two hours, by which period two out of
the three houses were totally destroyed, and the other
partially consumed. The firemen, however, kept to
their work in an admirable manner, but by so doing
several nearly lost their lives ; for whilst they were
directing the branches from their engines upon the seat
of flame the whole of the front walls of the two houses
numbered 3 and 4 parted asunder, and then fell with a
crash resembling in sound the discharge of a piece of
ordnance. Fortunataly, the fireman had just time to
run for their lives, and thereby received no personal in-
jury. The flames, when the walls fell, ascended so high
i
as to be distinctly perceptible from Oxford-street and
lle otroigin work.of
Hyde Park, which drew an immense concourse of spec-
tators to the spot ; but owing to the admirable arrange-
that a
sixm be
or,
of
o
division, arrange-
ments of the police, under Inspector Grant, of the D
a space was kept clear for the firemen and
engines
c ltchkpa
painters
the daydnaitbseaor sus ttae rn
fidvi is unknown.
and when they left at
others,
or
tehnad
half-past
beenminutes I t aa I 3bpeef workoarr
in the premises duringes
the outbreak—everything seemed perfectly safe from
fire.

The damage done is as follows :—Two houses, Nos. 3
and 4 in Chichester-place, burnt down ; No. 2, in the
same place, partly destroyed ; No. 12 in Chichester-
street, severely damaged, and the three' houses in West-
bourne-terrace North much injured by fire and water at
the back. Mr. Congdon was insured in the Star, and
Mr. Freer in the Phoenix Fire-offtees.