The Sun.
London, England, 1841-04-30 00:00:00

receiving extensive loans and accommodation on their private, WESTMINSTER BRIDGE.
account. It also shows that they devolved the whole manage-• i MEMORANDUM EXPLANATORY OF THE CARRIAGE-WAY dr
ment and disposal of the property of the shareholders on the ,
THE BRIDGE BING CLOSED.
Committee of Exchange, who, along with the chief officers of When the bridge was built about a century since, but before
the establishment, invested the fund; in ruinous speculations., it was opened, the fifth pier from the Middlesex side (sine,
known as the sunken pier) sank considerably. This obliged
totally at variance with banking principles, and that they also.
became heavily indebted to the Bank for personal advances , two of the arches to be taken down, and the opening of the
which they repaid by the delivery of various denominations (sf bridge was in consequence delayed foray ear. To lighten the
State stocks and securities, without the consent, knowledge, (sr weight over this pier, the solid filling-in was taken out, and a
official approbation of the stated meetings of the Board of discharging arch was,
formed to carry the roadway. This aide
of The Committee of Exchange even kept no minul;es springs from the haunch of the arch of the bridge on each side
of their proceedings. They acted verbally, and loaned off the of the pier, so that a large hollow or vault is formed in the pier.
property of the shareholders, in concert with the cxc- As the piers were built in caissons, the removal of the sunken
cutive officers, just as pleased their fancy. Nothing could be pier would at that time have been a work of immense labours
more loose or unsatisfactory. We hope, however, that eco- and the examination of the defect was impossible, so that the
nomy and regularity for the future will be substituted for the bridge was opened with it.
past extravagance, gross mismanagement, and neglect. Sevc- The present repair of the bridge being done by coffer-dos
ral changes have already taken place in the direction, -which has enabled ns to get to the bottom of the sunken pier, to dit'
promise well. The salaries of the principal officers, too, have cover the defect and to apply an effectual security. hut rO-
- reduced, and Colonel Drayton, the successor of Mr. vious to doing this the sunken pier had gone down several
Dunlop, as President, is a gentleman, we hear, of high st and- inches more, and the arch on one side of it was so crippled 16
irg, greatly and deservedly esteemed, who will no doubt insist this and by the weight of the upper or discharging arch,
on the observance of rigid economy, retrenchment, reform, already described resting unequally upon it, that the arch 01
and regularity in all the departmsuts. The last price of the the bridge required to be repaired, and the discharging arch re'
moved, which could only be done by getting down to it fon!
shares at New York was 21 to 22. The Exchange on Eng-
land 7 to %. ilw road way.
To the question which has been put to me, " Why not hoff
waited until after the end of the session before you closed the,
bridge ?" the reply is, that it would have delayed the work, il"
terfered with the contract, and incurred the liability to a heart
additional claim for the coffer-dam.
With the contractor's (Mr. Cnbitt's) exerlions, I think th.
bridge will be opened in about four weeks.
JAMES WALKER.

llERALD.—Thetharket:has been all day in adult and. declin-
ing state, without the prominence of any special cause for the
effect, which may be set down, therefore, to the generally un-
favourable aspect, first of trading affairs, and next of public.
affairs, which financially can hardly be worse, and in the snore
strictly political sense are evidently in the greatest confusion,
arising from the miserable struggles of the party in power to
prolong a disgraceful Ministerial exigence at the expense of all
decency and consistency, and at the sacrifice of all honourable
feeling and pretension to character and dignity.
The settlement of the half-monthly account in the Foreign
Market to.dr place to-day. The differences for adjustment.
were of trivial magnitude, asthe weight of business during the
account now ended was of small consideration. Prices gene-
rally were on the decline to-day, and left off as follow at the
legal hour, but subsequently in bargains afterwards not regu-
larly recognizable went lower still.
A singular document appears in the Philadelphia papers lately
received in the shape of an address signed by 200 of the prin-
cipal citizens of that city to the people of the State of Penn-
sylvania at large, urging them in very earnest language to im-
press upon the Legislature by strong representotions the ne-
cessity of resorting to the direct taxation of all classes in order
to raise the necessary funds for paying the interest of the State
debt~
and also for providing the means to carry on the public works
and improvements. This is a manly and moral proceeding,
and as such honourable to the parties by whom originated, who
in such cave, as being of the wealthier classes, must be amongst
those most largely assessed in case the recommendation were
carried into effect. This, however, may be doubtful, as, how-
ever Legisla'ures elected by the people may have freely exer-
cised taxing powers, it would be something extremely novel to
find the people taxing themselves direct, that is, praying their
unwilling representatives to tax them. This would be chang-
ing positions and functions in an extraordinary manner.

Great George-street, April 29

GREAT FIRE AT BRISTOL. •
(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)
As you will have heard of the large fire we had here last
night, I beg to send you the particulars, being on the spot at
the fire.
It originated in the Creosote Tank, by a spark, from the
candle being imprudently placed or used, and immediately
communicated to the timber lying on the field, and prepared
for laying the permanent way. The blaze was awful, and the
damage about 10,0001., principally belonging to the Exeter
Company, but. they tire no losers, being fully covered by
the Sun and Globe offices. Lieutenant Booker of the Sal-
vage, the City police, and men on the spot, were particularly
active and useful, but the engines belonging to the oflices
were ineffective both in condition and want of hose, and until
eleven o'clock were not used, and then only one, and that very
badly, in fact nothing could be worse. Some observation 'on
them would be valuable, not only to the interests of the Com-
pany but the public generally.
1 saw the Secretary of the Great Western Company to-day,
and he states the damage they sustain to be little or nothing,
and that it will neither retard their opening or that of the
Bristol and Exeter Company.
The river is adjoining the field, but the engines were not
placed near it.
Bristol, April 29, 1841.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
BRISTOL, APRIL 29.—This city was last night alarmed at
about eight o'clock, with the intelligence that a most. exten-
sive and destructive fire had broken at the Great Western
Railway terminus. On proceeding to the spot we found that
the fire had taken place in the timber-yard of the Company,
containing 100,000 loads of timber at the least. Various causes
were stated as the origin of the fire, which commenced in
the large tank of creosote, which has lately been used as a
new and more expeditious process than kyanising, for the
preservation of timber. By some it was stated to have been
caused by the accidental falling of a candle into the creosote.
It was also stated, and perhaps more accurately, that the tank
was over heated. Upon arriving at the spot the yard presented
the appearance of a vast sheet of fire of the most vivid de-
scription, arising from vast masses of burning timber, and the
contents of immense iron tanks of coal tar, &c. The various en-
gines of the city were speedily on the spot, and a vast concourse
of people, amounting during the night to 40,000 or 50,000
persons, assembled from all parts to view the tremend-
ous conflagration, many coming from Bath, Henbury, and the
surrounding villages, where the fire was distinctly visible.
Some idea may be formed as to its extent, when we state that
an area containing nearly two acres, filled with timber and
other combustible materials, was on fire at the same time. In
fact neither the fires in Queen-square at the memorable riots,
or that of the Devonport dockyard, were nearly so extensive as
the present conflagration. All efforts to stem its progress were
completely useless until the plan of cutting it off from the re-
maining timber in the yard was adopted ; for which purpose
several hundred men and four or five teams of horses were
set to work, removing the adjacent timber to a distance, by
which means at about half-past four this morning the fire was at
length got under, and from 15,0001. to 20,0001. of timber belong-
ing to the Great Western Railway Company, together with the
terminus and neighbouring buildings, were saved. We 'egret
to state, however, that the property destroyed (which belongs
to the Bristol and Exeter Hailway Cnmranv), has been esti-
mated at from 18,000/. to 20,000/. The teat from the fire was
so intense that the neighbouring trees were set on fire, and
two of them were burnt completely to the ground. One of
the trees presented a very picturesque appearance, its branches
being on fire in a variety of places, conveying to the eye the
appearance of a number of gas-lights. Mr. Brunel was at
Chippenham when he heard of the fire, and immediately went
to Bristol.l
If the efforts to stay the progress of the fire, by the removal
of the surrounding timber (about 1,800 loads), had not been
successful, the splendid terminus, as well as the surrounding
manufactories, would in all probability have been destroyed.
Fortunately no lives were lost, and only one serious accident
eccurred, a gentleman having his thigh broken by the fall of a
heavy piece of timber.