The Sun.
London, England, 1841-02-01 00:00:00

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

At an early hour on Saturday morning a fire of con-
siderable magnitude, and most destructive in its ra-
vages, occurred in Westminster. It originated in the
manufactory belonging to Mr. Rowland Ames, tool-
maker, situate in the Almonry, a colony infested by
brothels, thieves, and the very lowest of the community.
The premises were rather extensive, and approached by
a gateway on the south-side of the street above named.
They consisted of a manufactory, saw-mills, store-rooms,
engine-house, timber-yard, and stables, all abutting the
workhouse of`saint Margaret's. The fire was disco-
vered by an unfortunate female at about twenty minutes
after three o'clock. She, it appears, lives in one of the
brothels on the south-side of the Almonry, and ob-
serving a great light in the manufactory, immediately
gave the alarm to the policcondutyin the neighbourhood.
who proceeded to the spot, and aroused the foreman of
the manufactory, whose place of abode adjoined the
premises on fire. On the gates being forced open the
flames were found to be raging in the store-rooms the
most valuable portion of the property, they containing
manuFactured goods to the extent of 1,0001. or 1,5001,
and the fire had attained so firm a hold of the premises
that to save them was impossible, and in the course of
five minutes it burst into the atmosphere,and all West-
minster was illuminated. To describe the scene of con-
fusion that ensued in the Almonry is beyond the power
of our informant. A large body of the B division of
police were very quickly on the spot after the alarm had
been given, and, by taking charge of the several trades-
men's houses in the vicinity, prevented depredation
being committed. The first engine that arrived was
that belonging to the station in Horseferry-road, fol-
lowed almost immediately after by those belonging to
Saint Margaret's parish. Others from the County,
Waterloo-road, King-street, Crown-street, West of Eng-
land, Wells-street, and Farringdon-street stations, arrived
soon after in succession, and there being plenty of water
running from the plugs about the neighbourhood, the
greater portion of them were got into play. By the
time that the first engine came up, the store-rooms and
workshops above were completely on fire, and the
flames were spreading to the saw-mills and the timber-
yard. The firemen lost no time in conveying the hose
to that quarter, and directing the full force of an en-
gine on to the roof, which had ignited. The other
engines prevented the engine-house and timber-yard
from taking fire, but it was nearly three quarters of an
hour before they were considered safe. By five o'clock
the fire had somewhat abated in violence, the roof of
the workshops and store-rooms having fallen in, and
by six o'clock, the firemen had succeeded in getting it
entirely under. Mr. Ames had endeavoured to trace
out the origin of the fire, but up to last night his efforts
were unsuccessful. The workpeople left the place
catty on the previous evening, and at the time of their
quitting the premises appeared apparently safe. Mr.
Ames is insured in the County Fire-office, but to
what amount our informant was unable to learn. The
saw-mills, engine-house and stables are saved, but the
other portion of the premises is totally consumed. A
great many of the fair sex of the Almonry worked at
engines until the fire was subdued. Fortunately no
accident happened.

In the Calcutta Courier of the 16th November,
we find some account of a company forming at Bombay
for trading on the Indus. Government, i seems, is about
to establish a steam flotilla and monthlypackets on that
river, which will ascend on the Gurrah or eastern branch
of the river as far us Ferozepore, lying about sixty miles
south of Lahore, and 1,200 miles from the sea. The un-
friendly spirit of the people on the lower part of the Indus
will perhaps prevent any considerable trade from being
carried on with them at first; but in the meantime all the
Punjab will be open to us, with its three millions of prhabi-
tants, and the transportation of goods to Affghanistan will
be greatly facilitated. The channel of the Indus will even
be the best route to Bokhara, and ultimately it will lay open
countries possessing six or seven millions of inhabitants to
our commercial industry. We cannot help thinking that
, due advantage has not been taken of steam navigation as
a means of intercourse with the interior of Asia. A ship
1 with no other moving power than sails is helpless in a river,
especially in ascending, but the use of steam completely
removes this disadvantage. Supposing, for instance, that
we were on good terms with Persia, why should not some
of our merchants establish one or two steam-boats to ply
on the Euphrates and Tigris? The latter passes through
a well peopled country, and is navigable for three or four
hundred miles ; the territory along the Euphrates is less
populous, but in the season of floods the river is navigable
1
1 to the confines of Syria. With two or three guns the
vessels would be secure against any attack of the predatory
itribes ; and the fact that British goods reach the northern
parts of Persia and the eastern parts of Turkey at present
by an expensive overland journey of 800 or 1,000 miles
from Trebisond, shows how much more profitably they
:might be carried into these countries by the channel of the
rivers.—Scotsman.
AIARCHAIONT PEERAGE.—The claim of Cap-
tain F. D. Home, Bart., to this Peerage, which has occu-
pied much of the time of the Committee of Privileges
during the last three Sessions of Parliament, and which
has already received nine lengthened bearings in their
Lordships' House, will, we understand, come under the
final review of the 'Lord Chancelbr for decision almost im-
mediately.