The Sun.
London, England, 1841-11-27 00:00:00

DISASTROUS CONFLAGRATION

NEAR GLASGOW.

GLASGOW, Nov. 24.—Yesterday (Tuesday) morning,
shortly before three o'clock, the upper flat of the very
extensive cotton-spinning works of Messrs. J. Bartholo-
mew and Co., at Barrowfield, was discovered to be on
fire. Information was immediately transmitted to the
Calton police establishment, and Captain Smart and his
officers, although the buildings were beyond the boun-
daries of the Calton police, were directly at the place to
preserve order; but having neither engine nor fire esta-
blishment, they could do nothing more than look on.
Another considerable delay took place owing to the peremp-
tory orders of the police board, not, on any pretence what-
ever, to send the engines beyond the bounds of the Glas-
gow police. The Lord Provost, who personally attended and
acted with the greatest promptitude, directed that the
watchmen should be ordered to spring their rattles to
alarm the firemen, and others connected with the fire de-
partment. This was complied with, and in the course
of a very few minutes, the whole fire establishment
were despatched to the scene of the fire. The alarm
having reachedthe West of England station, a few ini-
initfs after tierce o'cloek,. the splendid engine of that
coinpany, and their fire brigade, were in a very short
time on the sPOt, and rendered the first assistance. This
was shortly after followed by various others. The Bar-
rowfield mills, formerly the property of Messrs. James
Oswald and Co., are situated between the New London-
road, and,Dalmarnock-road, near their junction with
the mainettreebof Bridgeton. They consist of a range
of buildings extending to nearly 320 feet in length, of
considerable breadth, and five stories in height. A
portion in the centre of the front building was six
stories high, and to the back of this compartment,
another building, also six stories high, projected back-
wards for upwards of eighty feet. The front build-
ings were occupied with spinning machinery, the back or
cross building cantaining the preparation rooms and
throstle spinning machinery. When the fire was dis-
covered it appeared in the centre of the upper flat to the
east of the centre compartment. It spread eastward to
the east gable of the mill, and westward to the centre
compartment, and thence northward along the upper
flat of the north or cross building ; but from the supe-
rior thickness of the gable connecting the centre with
the western wing, it did not get so readily in contact
with that portion, and hence that was the point to which
one or more engines were directed to stop the commu-
nication. Every attempt was made to get the mastery
over the fire in the upper fiat, but so far had it extended,
by the delay which had occurred, that before the en-
gines could be brought to bear effectively upon it, the
flames had spread rapidly downwards throughout the
whole extent of the mill, except the west wing, and
the heavy machinery falling through floor after floor, all
idea of arresting the progress of the conflagration was
abandoned, and the whole energy of the firemen directed
to the saving of the west wing, which, by excessive la-
bour, and admirable courage on the part of the persons
engaged, was at last happily accomplished. During the
progr,ss of the fire a portion of the south wall fell down
on a lower building, occupied as a counting-house, the
roof of which it carried down at one fell swoop ;
but though several men were upon one end of the
small building at the time, most fortunately the falling
materials did not reach the spot on which they stood.
The lower portion of the ruined buildings being
filled with beams, flooring, joisting, &c., continued
to burn fiercely, and there being a fear that the con-
nection of some of the beams might by some means con-
vey the fire to the western wing of the building, the
West of England and Anderston fire-engines, with a
few select firemen belonging to the former, were kept in
attendance, in case of any accidental recurrence of the
fire. The extent of the loss by_ the fire is estimated at
nearly 40,0001., including building's; machinery, cotton,
&c., of which there can scarcely be n, doubt, a large pro-
portion might have been saved had the Glasgow engines
promptly sent out, as they
been ought to have been. As
it is, however, the west wing—about 130 feet in length
and five stories high—has been saved, by which a fur-
ther loss of 15,00e1. has been prevented. The exertions
of the firemen and other persons present were deserving
of the highest praise. The portion of the mill which
has been destroyed contained upwards of 25,000 spin-
dles ; and upwards of 500 persons have been thrown out
of employment. The premises were fully insured.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
ROLLS' COURT, Nov. 26.
(Sittings in Chancery-larte.)
This morning a number of gentlemen, who had
passed
their examination, appeared in Court, and were sworn in
and enrolled as solicitors.
MORALL V. SUTTON.
The MASTER of the ROLLS gave judgment in this
suit, the facts of which were reported in The Sun a few
days ago. The question before the Court was, whe-
ther Sarah Calcott the younger took an estate for life
only, or an absolute interest in some: freehold estates
in Gloucestershire, under the testator's will. His Lord-
ship said the mode in which the testator had
expressed himself, did not afford any aid
in the construction of the will, and it was still more
unfortunate that neither of the two constructions sought
to be put upon the words had the effect of making every
part of the case clear and consistent; but on the best
consideration which he had been able to give to the
case, and without being able entirely to satisfy
himself, it appeared to him that the interpretation
favourin of the plaintiff was the most probable andcon-
sistent, and he was therefore of opinion that Samuel Cal-
cott, the younger, took only an estate for life.

WILSON V. TINDALL.
This case, which was an application for an injunction
to restrain the defendant from infringing a patent be-
longing to the plaintiffs for making candles from cocoa-
nut oil, was resumed this morning. The facts were re-
ported in The Sot of Thursday.
Mr. PEJLIIERTON, in reply, contended that the patent
was good, and that the plaintiffs ought not to be com-
pelled to try that question at law. That it had not
been departed from by the plaintiffs, and that on the
evidence of both parties there was a clear case of in-
fringement.
The NlA.sTv.a of the ROLLS said that with regard to
the argument of the validity of the patent, from its long
enjoyment by the plaintiff and the evidence in the affi-
davits, he was of opinion the injunction prayed for
ought to be granted. The question for consideration
was whether any terms ought to be imposed upon the
plaintiff, or other means used for investigatinc, the facts
than those adopted in the usual course ofb proceed-
ings. It was to be observed that all orders made on
applications of that kind were merely interlocutory ;
the injunction, of course would
be only an injunction
until further order. Notwithst
defendant might put in hisanding answer, by which he
this order, the
might possibly disprove the affidavits, and the parties
might respectively proceed to evidence; and on the hear-
ing of the case, the law with regard to it, and the facts in
the depositions, would have to be re-considered, which
reconsideration, for aught he knew
to the contrary

might justify the Court in coming to a different conclu-
sion than that come to on the present occasion. The 1
defendant had expressed his desire to have the matter
tried at law; and though he had no doubt whatever of
the competence of the Court to decide without it, the
question was, whether it was not a more convenient
mode of proceeding to have it tried be-
fore the tribunal most proper for the decision
of legal questions, and where the facts could
be better investigated. It was not, therefore, with re-
spect to any doubt that could be entertained of the validity
of the patent, that he made an order for a trial, but
because he thought it the most convenient mode of mak-
ing the further investigation prayed by the defendant.
He therefore directed the plaintiff to bring an action to
try his right, the injunction being granted in the terms
of the motion.