The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-26 00:00:00

FIRE AT NOTTING-HILL.

On Saturday morning, at an early hour, a mounted
express arrived at the London engine stations with
intelligence of a fire having broken out in Union-
terrace, .Notting.hill, near Shepherd's Bush. Four
of the London Brigade engines, with that belonging
to the West of England Insurance Company, imme-
diately started for the place, with strong detachments
of firemen. It was then found that the disaster had
occurred in one of the newly-erected and lofty houses,
No. 6 on the before-mentioned terrace, and that every
part of the property was wrapped in a general blaze.
On one side of the premises on fire were the spacious
warehouses and stores belonging to Mr. Wotton, tea-
dealer and Italian warehouseman, and on the other
side were the premises of Mr. iill, dairyman, and
Mr. Hume, stationer. The moment the engines from
town arrived they were set to work from an abundant
supply of water, and the hoses from several engines
were conveyed upon the roofs of the adjoining houses,
by which means the firemen were enabled to prevent
the corn- stores at the back of Mr. Hill's premises
from taking fire. They, however, were unable to get
the fire entirely extinguished until upwards of three
hours had elapsed. Respecting the origin of this dis-
astrous event nothing certain is known. It appears
that police-constable Threadbold, No. 66 of the T
division, whilst passing the house, perceived smoke
pouring forth from the front shutters, which at once
satisfied him that a fire was on the eve of bursting
forth ; he therefore sprang his rattle, and, after some
time, succeeded in making the numerous inmates
sensible of the great danger to which they were
exposed. By the time he had done so the whole of
the shop presented one immense sheet of flame.
Several women having made their appearance in their
night clothes, the police and neighbours carried them
across the road, and they were safely housed in the
opposite tavern. These persons had scarcely left the
premises, when a loud and fearful noise was heard in
the shop, similar to the discharge of a heavy piece of
cannon. This, it is believed, was caused by the
bursting of the gas meter, for in an instant afterwards
nearly a dozen rooms in the place became ignited as if
by magic, and when the roof fell in the flames mounted
terrifically into the air, illuminating the entire dis-
trict. The following is the official report :—" No. 6,
Union-terrace, Mr. Muggeridge, perfumer, &c., stock
in trade, furniture, and building destroyed, insured
for contents in the Sun Fire-office; ditto, Mr. Lindell,
(private), burnt out, insured in the Atlas Fire-office;
ditto, Mr. Applegarth (private), furniture, &c., en-
tirely destroyed; insurance not known. No. 5,
Mr. Hill, corndealer, building damaged
furnitureee' very much injured by water
by Union-
fire t
and
nr
dr a
and hasty removal; ditto, Mr. Clements (private),
considerable damage by removal ; insured in the
County Fire-office. No. 4,Union-terrace, Mr. Hume,
stationer, stock-in-trade, &c., very much injured by
hasty removal; insured in the Sun Fire-office. No.
3, Mr. Robinson, fishmonger, furniture, &c., very
much damaged by removal; not insured. o. 6,
Union-terrace, Mr. G. C. Wotton, teadealer and
Italian warehouseman, stock-in-trade greatly damaged
by hasty removal, &c. ; not insured. The whole of
the destroyed premises were insured in the London
Eire-office." It is feared that the loss caused by the
removal of furniture, &c., will be as great as that
occasioned by the action of the fire.

CONSULAR APPOINTMENTS.—Mr. John Beecroft
has been appointed her Britannic Majesty's Consul for
the Bights of Benin and Biafra, on the coast of Africa.
Mr. George Charles Miller, who
.has been for some time
acting as British Consul at Otaheite, has been confirmed.
THE GOLDEN LECTURESRIP.--In addition to the
candidates already announced, the Rev. W. J. Irons,
8.D., Vicar of Brompton, is in the field. The Rev.
Gentleman is favourably known as having stood forward
io defence of the Church ca frequent occasions. lie is
also author of the answer to Mr. Newman's " Theory
of Developement," which Dr. Wordsworth has pro-
nounced to be the best. The election will take place on
the Ist of December next.