The Sun.
London, England, 1847-07-08 00:00:00

TERRIFIC STORM.

THIRTEEN BUILDINGS DESTROYED.
Yesterday, during the raging of the terrific storm
which passed over the metropolis, between one and two
o'clock, the electric fluid struck the roofing of the
private dwelling in the occupation of Mr. T. Wiseman,
situate le Brew.r's-lane, Greenwich, near to the Hospital,
and close by ihe Waterman's Pier at the bottom of
Church-street, and set tire to several ()tiler dwellings.
From inquiries made upon the spot by our reporter as
soon as it was possible to reach the scene of desolation
from town, it appears that one of the neighbours, being
alarmed by the vividness of the lightning and the extra-
ordinary peals of thunder which succeeded each flash,
went to one of her windows for the purpose of throwing
it open, when a stream of fire shot from the clouds, and
at once illuminated the hemisphere, striking immediately
over the roofing of the premises in Mr. Wiseman's oc-
cupation. For some few moments the female was so
alarmed that she scarcely knew where she was, but in a
short time she was awoke to consciousness by seing
the roof of the building on fire. As soon as possible
she says she aroused her neighbours, and she describes
the scene which followed in the adjoining courts as being
of the most appalling character. Scores of poor people
who inhabit this densely crowded thoroughfare jumped
from their beds, and rushed from their dwellings almost
in a state of nudity, and several narrow escapes from
injury were experienced, the fire travelling with great
rapidity from the tact that the cottages of the more
humble were chiefly constructed of timber. The autho-
rities connected with the Hospital at Greenwich being
informed of the calamity, ordered the engine belonging
to that establishment to be got out without delay, and
upon information being sent to the dockyard at Dept-
ford, the powerful floating engine moored off the yard
was speedily manned and rowed to a most available posi-
tion opposite the fire. So great was the light caused by
the conflagration that the policemen from Blackfriars'
and Southwark bridges gave intelligence of a dis-
tant fire to the nearest brigade-stations, and
Mr. Henderson, the foreman of the southern section of
the brigade, the Farringdon-street engine, the West of
England engine, and the engine from the County esta-
blishment in Regent's Quadrant, were very soon at the
fire. The hose of the float being led from the Thames,
and the land engines being well supplied from the water-
works of the Kent Company, vast bodies of water were
soon poured upon the burning materials, but the fire,
which had by this time necessarily obtained great hold,
progressed fearfully from house to house, until it en-
circled an area of great extent, feeding upon much va-
luable property. From Mr. Wiseman's private dwelling
. it. extended to- the extensive lofts and store-rooms of
Messrs. W.and,R. Fluntly, mast, block, and sail-makers,
in Brewer's-lane, thence to the warehouses belonging to
the same firm, which were chiefly stored with salt and
provisions, and to the private residence of one of the
partners. Several cottages on the same side of the way
then became ignited, while those on the opposite side in
Coombe's-court caught fire. The excitement then became
extreme. The poor people were compelled to stand by
and see their little all of furniture and effects swallowed up
by the devouring element, all their efforts to save it being
cut off by the fury of the flames. And here the use of
the police, under the superintendence of Mr. Mallalleu
and his inspectors, was signally manifested in preventing
the anxious sufferers from rushing into danger. The
eff aas of the firemen were directed for some little time
to removing some wood partitions, in order that they
might, if possible, save the ancient water-side house,
known by many of our readers who have visited Green-
wich by the sign of the Fubbs' Yacht ; but their
exertions proved fruitless—the whole of the building
and its contents are destroyed. At this period it was,
apprehended that the entire cluster of buildings between
the Fubbs' Yacht and the Watermen's Pier would fall'
a prey to the fire; but happily, even when hope itself
appeared to give way, signs of a diminution of flame
became apparent. At this critical juncture much
judgment was displayed by the directors of the firemen.
—the water being copiously distributed from points com-
manding the seat of the fire, while other men were sta-
tioned with their branches so as to keep cool the reeking.
walls of the adjacent buildings.
By seven o'clock the fire was so far subdued that no
further danger of its extension appeared, and by nine
o'clock nothing remained but a smouldering mass of
ruins. Some of the parties are insured, but to many of
the poor, renting or lodging in the small tenements,
the loss will be great indeed, their little all being taken
from them by the calamity. Several leading officers
from the Dockyard and Greenwich Hospital were pre-
sent, aiding the inh ibi ants and assisting the firemen in
the discharge of their duty.
Subjoinedeis the official report furnished this day to
the several tire-offices by the Superintendent of the
London Fire-engine Establishment:—
" July 7, 1847.-1 ire upon the premises undermen-
tioned, situate severally in Brewer's-lane and Coombe's-
court, near the Hospital, Greenwich.
" Broke out upon the premises in the occupation of
Mr. T. Wiseman (private); burned down; not at present
known if insured.
" Premises of Messrs. W. and R. Fluntly, mast, block,
and sail-makers, building and eontents burned down ;
insurance unknown.
"Private house and warehouse belonging to the same
firm, roof off and stock and fur Ature seriously damage,?;
not known it insured.
Mr. James Finch, Brewer's-lane (private), all but
destroyed; suppt.sed to be insured in the Sun Fire-office.
" House of Mr. T. Cole, licensed victualler, sign
Fubbs' Ylcht,' burned down; contents insured in the
Phoenix, building unknown.
"Mrs. Trucole (private), burned down; not insured.
cooons e's-corovr.

" Mr. S. Welsh (private), burned down ; uninsured.
" Mr. Burns (private), burned down; uninsured.
" Mrs. Taylor (private), front damaged, walls partially
palled down; not insured.
Mr. Lant (private), similarly injured.
" Three houses on the opposite side occupied severally
by Mr. Blackman, Mr. Giles, and Mr. Matthews, are
also destroyed; cause, electric fluid."
Happily no one was injured.
ANOTHER FIRE CAUSED
FLUID. BY THE ELECTRIC

About a quarter past two yesterday morning the
electric fluid struck the roof of the house and shop
belonging to Mr. Thomas Whitelow, leather dresser,
si, Paulin-street, Bermondsey. Information was
furnished to the engine stations of the outbreak by
police-constable 159 M. The parish engine was got to
work, but the workshop and the front of the dwelling-
house was destroyed. Insured in the Phoenix office, the
stock in the amount of 3201., and the building for 2001.
The family narrowly escaped.
SERIOUS ACCIDENT TO A POLIOE-CONSTABLE BY TUE
LIGHTNING.—Yesterday morning, about half-past one,
as police-constable 56 L was on duty in the New-cut,
Lambeth, during the violent storm, he was struck with
the electric fluid on the left side of his head, which
felled him to the earth. lie was instantly picked up by
124 L, who was on duty on the opposite side of the road,
and conveyed to the station-house in a state of insensi-
bility, when it was ascertained that the left side of his
head and several parts of his body were much injured,
so much so that he will not be able to return to his duty
for several days.

LAW INTELLIGENCE
COURT OF CHAIVCERY, July 7.
The Lord Chancellor sat in the old hall, Lincoln's
Inn, to-day. to hear appeal,.
BLAIR. V. BROMLEY.—JUDGMENT.
The LortaaCmArTeLdaboenf graevheinjiuctloginmeenttimtoe-dsanyicionutphoins
case, which was a
appeal from the decision ot the Vice-chancellor Wigram.
The bill was filed by William Thomas Blair End Thomas
Blair, the executors of the will of the late Thomas Blair,
who died in 1828, and the object of the suit was to
make the defendant, Joseph Warner Bromley, person-
ally answerable for 4,5001, which were remitted by
the plaintiffs in their capacity of executors, to the de-
fendant and his late partner, William Bromley, and re-
ceived by them for the purpose of being invested, but frau-
dulently misappropriated by William Bromley. The
defendant and his brother entered in partnership as soli-
citors, in May, 1820, and continued in that relation, car-
rying on their business or profession in Gray's Inn, until
December, 1834, and, during that period, they kept
their joint banking account with Messrs. Rogers and Co.
The late Thomas Blair, a gentleman of fortune, bad for
several years before his death been in the habit of em-
ploying the firm of W. and J. W. Bromley for making
investments, but William was the partner with whom he
was on terms of intimacy, and who attended to his
affairs ; and after the testator's death, his executors,
who resided at Bath, continued in the same manner to
employ the firm, but appear in general to have addressed
themselves to Mr. W. Bromley. By his will the testator
gave his wife a life interest in all his property, and after
her death directed a distribution in certain proportions
among a numerous family of children. His pro-
perty appeared to have consisted princ. pally of
money lent on mortgage, on one of which a sum
of 14,0001. was due by. the late Earl Grey, which
however, was paid off in 1829, and the money
was lodged in the Bank of England, to the separate ac-
count of W. T. Blair, who was the acting executor.
Immediately upon the payment of this money, Mr. W.
T. Blair wrote a letter, dated June 30, 1829, and ad-
dressed to Messrs. Bromley, but beginning with "My
dear Sir," in the singular, and requesting that steps
might be taken to invest the money upon freehold
security. In pursuance of these instructions, it was
arranged that 4,500 L, part of the 14,0001., should be lent
to a Mr. Isaac Seabrook ; an abstract of that
gentleman's title to the property which was to be
the subject of the security, was laid before Mr.
Bellenden Ker, the conveyancer, and a draught of
the mortgage deed was prepared by that gentleman.
Thesa papers were indorsed in the usual way, with the
names of W. and J. W. Bromley. William Bromley
then wrote to Mr. W. T. Blair for a cheque for the
money, and the latter, in a letter dated " Ilfracombe,
29th September, 1829," sent a cheque, dated the Ist Oc-
tober, 1829, drawn on the Bank of England in favour of
Mr. Seabrook or bearer for 4,5001., and crossed with the
name of the bankers of Messrs. Bromley. On the 2d
October the cheque was paid into Messrs. Rogers bank
to the credit of the joint partnership account of the
Bromleys, and was on the following day cashed- by the
.Bank of England. Some difficulty, it appears, arose in
the- completion of the mortgage, and eventually the ne-
gotiation went off, and the money was never advanced,
bat no notice of this was given to Mr. Blair, or to
aiiy other member of the family; on the contrary, they
wre led to believe that the money had been invested.
In a letter written to Mr. Blair, in April,
1830, among the several mortgages enumerated as be-
longing to the estate of the testator, the sum of 4,5001.
was mentioned as advanced to Mr. Seabrook, and in-
terest was regularly paid upon it to Mrs. Blair, the
testator's widow, until the time of her death.
That event occurred in November, 1841, and
the property then became divisible under the will.
Mr. William Bromley, however, represented that there
were difficulties in making the distribution, and advised
theinstitution of a suit for the administration of the
estate, which was accordingly done, but no money what-
ever was paid on account of the securities from the death
of Mrs. Blair. The suit was manifestly advised by
William Bromley for the purpose of staving off the
necessity of his rendering an account, and it was so
managed that it made no progress. In June, 1844, his
affairs came to a crisis, and a fiat in bankruptcy was
issued against him. Mr. Blair, on hearing this, hastened
-to, bis.aolicitor's office to take possession of the securi-
ties; 'Seabrook's mortgage was not to be found, and it
then came to light that Mr. W. Bromley had appro-
priated the 4,5001. for his own purposes. No imputa-
tion whatever or any participation in the criminality of
his partner was made or desired to be made against the
detendant; far from it; it was admitted that he was
altogether ignorant of the fraud; and the plaintiffs, in
taking the present proceedings against him, only sought,
while admitting his moral innocence, to establish his
legal responsibility, on the general principle that one
partner is responsible for the acts of his co-partner.
The Vice-Chancellor Wigram, upon the case coming
before him, gave judgment decreeing that the defendant
should pay the 4,5001 with interest, and the costs of the
suit. The Lord Chancellor, after going at some length
through the facts of the case, stated his opinion to be that
the decision of the Vice-Chancellor Wigram was correct,
and ordered it to be affirmed with costs.