The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-15 00:00:00

TERRIFIC CONFLAGRATIONS.

IMMENSE DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY.

LINCOLN'S INN.—Yesterday (Sunday) morning a m.-,3t
extensive fire broke out, shortly before five o'clock, at
No. 2, New-square, Lincoln's Inn, which, for up%•ards of
twelve hours, continued to burn, in spite of the many
tons of water that were momentarily distributed over iz.
The building in which the disaster originated was about
sixty feet wide, of considerable depth, and four floors
high. The discovery was made by a police constable of
the F division, who was on duty in the scrt.tre. who im-
mediately sprang his rattle, and after some time suc-
ceeded in arousing Mr. Bridges and another gentlemen,
who are supposed to have been the only persons in the
house. The fire at that time appeared to be confined
to the right hand corner of the lower floor, and there
seemed every probability of preventing its extension.
The engines belonging to the Honourable Society of
Lincoln's Inn were soon set to work. Information was
also dispatched to the several engine stations in London,
and with as little delay as possible sundry Brigade
and West of England engines reached the scene. By
that period, however, although only the basement and
ground floors were in flames, the heat was so intense
that on the firemen entering the passages with their
branches the stone flooring cracked like glass, and,
I splitting in two, prevented the men from following the
fire, and the consequence was that the flames rushed up
the staircase, and fired in rapid succession every room
in the immense building. The firemen, however,
mounted the roofs of the adjoining buildings, and poured
water down the sides of the premises, hoping by that
means to prevent their ignition. Unfortunately the
flames penetrated the petition walls, and fired both houses
in several parts. The hose were at once carried into the
apartments on fire, and the flames were extinguished in
Nos. 1 and 3, but the premises in which the disaster
originated continued to blase, until at length they
presented a scene of awful grandeur. The front of the
house contained thirty-two windows, out of each of
which the flames issued with great fury, roaring like so
many furnaces. At length the roof fell, and in a few
moments afterwards the flames ascended to such an alti-
tude as brilliantly illuminated the whole district. The
firs continued to rage with unabated violence until nine
o'clock, at which hour it might be said to be " got under;"
but, although the firemen were engaged the whole of the
day, the fire was not entirely extinguished at seven
o'clock last night. The loss of property must, at a mo-
derate calculation, be several thousand pounds. Unfor-
tunately the principal portion of the property consumed
cannot be restored, consisting as it did of deeds and other
documents of the greatest value to the parties in-
terested. The escapes of the Royal Society for the Pro-
tection of Life from Fire were early at the spot, and
with the aid of one Mr. Bridges, the barrister, succeeded
in returning to his chambers and saving a number
of valuable documents. Mr. Bridges, states that he was
sleeping in the upper part of the building, and on being
aroused by the police he got up, and saw no appearance
of fire until he came to the bottom of the stairs, when

he saw a bright fire on the right-hand side of the area
chambers. After he came down he attempted to ascend
again to save some of his property, when the smoke
ascended so quickly that he was nearly suffocated. Had
it not been for the extraordinary exertions of the firemen
the whole of that side of the square would probably have
been levelled with the ground. It was currently
rumoured during the morning that a gentleman who slept
in the top room had been unable to effect a retreat, and
had been burned to death. A police-constable named
Tisdell, No. 105 F, whilst assisting at the fire, fell down
one of the areas, and was so severely injured as to be
obliged to be removed to the hospital. Whether any of
the sufferers were insured cannot at present be ascer-
tained.

OFFICIAL REPORT.
The following is a copy of Mr. Superintenient Braid-
wood's official report of the damage done at this fire,
obtained at a late hour last night :
" butulay, January 13, 40 minutes past 4 A.M.—Call, d
by police find strangers to a fire at No. 2, New-square,
Lincoln's Inn, which did the following damage:—
" Messrs. Hudson and Gaselee, solicitors. Building
about sixty feet by fifty feet burned down, and contents
destroyed. Insurance unknown.
" Mr. R. Dean, solicitor (basement). Burned down
and contents destroyed. Insurance not known at
present.
Mr. R. Dryden. Similar damage. Not known
whether insured.

Mr. R. Berens. Ditto, ditto.
" Mr. W. Harrison. Premises and contents destroyed.
Insured in Atlas.
" Messrs. Clarke and Freeling (ground floor). Totally
destroyed. Insurance unknown at present.
Messrs. Kettle. Same damage. Insurance not
known.

" Mr. Erie. Ditto, ditto. Supposed to be insured in
the Sun Fire-office.
"Mr. Hatheriagton, solicitor. Premises and contents
destroyed. Insured in the Placenix Fire-office.
" Mr. Bagshaw, barrister. Similar damage. Sup-
posed insured in the Westminster Fire-office.
" Messrs. Jones and Bateman (first floor). Same da-
mage.
" Mr. Martin. Contents destroyed. Insured in the
Law Fire office.

" Mr. James Campbell. Ditto ditto. Not insured.
" Messrs. Hallet and Earle. Contents and premises
consumed. Insurance unknown at present.
" Messrs. Hupley (third floor). Same damage. In-
surance not known.

" Messrs. White, Norris, and others. Premises and
contents destroyed. Insurance unknown.
" No. 1, New•square, Messrs. King and Son (ground
floor). Slight damage to contents by smoke and re
moval. Building damaged by fire, smoke, and water.
Building supposed to be insured in the Hand-in-Hand-
office.

" Ditto, Messrs. Price and Bolton. Contents damaged
by water, Sce.
" Messrs. Woodroffe. Similar damage. Insurance un-
known.

" Messrs. Bevan and Twelias. Same damage. Not
insured.
" Messrs. Appleyard. Premises and contents damaged
by fire and water.
" Mr. Fitzowen (second floor). Ditto, ditto. Not in-

cured.
" Mr. F. I. G. Watford. Premises and contents
slightly damaged by fire, water, and smoke. Supposed
to be insured in the Westminster Fire-office.
"Mr. Keene (third floor). Same damage. Insured
for contents in the Sun Fire office.
" Mr. B. Bunney. Contents, &c., damaged by water,
smoke, and removal. Insured in the Phceuix Fire-office.
"The fire was extinguished by the firemen with the
engines of the London Establishment,
West of England
Company, and two private.
" The cause of fire is at present unknown. No gas
was burned in the premises.,'
At ten o'clock last night there still remained a con-
siderable body of fire amidst the ruins, and, owing to the
strong wind which prevailed, the same repeatedly rose
in a body of flame. Mr. Braidwood, therefore, ordered
a couple of engines to be set to work throughout the
night, in order that the adjoining property might be
preserved. The crowd of spectators being so great it
was found absolutely necessary to have a body of police
stationed at the several entrances to keep the thorough-
fares clear.

SPITALFIELDS.—On Saturday morning, shortly before
four o'clock, a fire of a very calamitous character, at-
tended with a vast destruction of property, broke out in
the extensive cabinet manufactory belonging to Messrs.
M. and J. Mahoney, in Brown's-lane, Spica Welds. The
flames, when first discovered, were raging in the fac-
tory, a building nearly 150 feet long, immediately at the
rear of the dwelling-house, which contained property of
considerable value. Owing to the highly inflammable
character of the stock, but few minutes elapsed ere the
greater portion of the factory was enveloped in flames.
The necessary alarm having been given at the engine-
stations, with as little delay as possible the powerful en-
gine from Messrs. Truernan's brewery, with those of the
period had made most fearful progress;
parish, London Brigade, and West of England, arrived.
alnlidenfiort only wereebythat the manufacturing premises of Mr ssrs.
Mahoney completely wrapped in flames, but Gireh
Chapel, with the private house of Messrs. Mahoney and
Mr. L. Ogers, were also blazing
The various engines were as
furywork, and the mains of the East
awaytr haoer
London
early
backoawnsi
possible
saosgtrierbkrelsae set to
ht op 3 o
Company . f
yielding an abundant supply
of water, the firemen commenced to labour in a most
vigorous manner, but it at once was manifest, that
Messrs. Mahoney's factory was doomed to destruction;
the firemen, therefore, conveyed the hose of their en•
gines round the adjoining houses, and by extraordicary
exertions they succeeded in cutting off, the further pro.
gress of the flames in the direction of the cllapel, but
not until they had burned some of the gallery win-
dows out, and the building was materially damaged by
fire, &c.
DEPTFORD.—Another fire, which was attended with a
still greater destruction of property than the above, oc-
curred in the Broadway, Deptford. It commenced in
the large range of premises belonging to Mr. Watts, a
linen draper and silk mercer, carrying on business at
No. 19, in the Broadway. The building was of consi•
derable magnitude, and owing to the easily ignitable
character of the goods, the house, in the course of a few
minutes, was in a blaze from the base to the roof, so that
the various inmates had
the greatest difficulty in
effecting a retreat. The engines of her Majesty's Dock-
yard, with three belonging to the London Brigade, with
Mr. Henderson, the chief officer of the district, were re
markably early in arriving, when they found the above
range of
Mr. Watts's premises in one broad sheet of
flame, and the adjoining property of Mr. G. Couzens,
No. 18, and Mr. J. W. Healey, grocer, were all on fire.
The engines from the Dockyard and London were in-
stantly set to work, and vast bodies of water were
thrown over the flames, but, in spite of the most stre-
nuous exertions of the firemen, nearly three hours
elapsed before the fire could be extinguished, and not
until the whole of Mr. Watts's premises were levelled
with the ground, his stock in trade, furniture, and other
effects reduced to ashes; besides which the upper part of
Mr. Couzens's premises was destroyed; the front and
roof of Mr. Hasley's house extensively damaged by tire
and water, and the stock in trade materially in-
jured. Several other parties are also serious losers by
the calamity. Fortunately ~,r. Watts we, insured in the
Norwich Union Office. The origin of this fire, like the
Preceding one, was unknown.
HADIPSTEAD.—On Saturday night, the neighbourhood
of Kentish Town Common, near Hampstead, was
thrown into a state of great confusion by the outbreak
of a fearful conflagration in the newly erected premises
termed the Hampstead Waterworks, which was attended
with the destruction of several thousand, pounds' worth
of property. The premises in which the fire began
were of great extent, being eighty feet square, and
were of considerable altitude, fitted up with costly ma-
chinery. An alarm was given immediately, but long
before an engine had time to reach the place the vo hole
building was in flames, and the reflection from the flames
was visible for many miles. There was a good supply
of water, and the adjoining premises, which at one time