The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-30 00:00:00

THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR-

THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE.
011'0 RD, JUNE 28.—The proceedings in the various
sections this day were enlivened by the presence of his
Royal Highness Prince Albert, who, accompanied by the
Duke of Saxe Weimar, arrived by a special train from
London at abont eleven o'clock.

His Royal Highness was received at the station by the
Rector cif Exeter, and conducted to that college, whence
the ro•yii visitors proceeded to visit the several sections,
in which they v:ere eeceived with respectful enthusiasm.
In the geological section his Ro) al Highness arrived just
as Sir Roderick Murc,hison was calling the attention of
the audience to several N'ery elaborate maps, executed by
the handl of the Crown P.rince of Sweden, in which the
sciences of statistics and geography were combined,
each map being painted in djffe rent colours to distinguish
the several districts of Sweden in which the various pro-
ductions of the country are derived.
His Royal Highness next proceeded to the ethnologi-
cal section, and arrived at the mom ent when his Excel-
lency Chevalier Bunsen was about to commence a most
elaborate paper on the relation of the ancient Egyptian
language to the other great divisions of language. His
Royal Hi ghness listened throughout with great attention
to the \eery eloquent discourse of the distinguished
diplomatist, and atter its conclusion took his departure
for some of 02 other sections, as well as for the horti-
cultural show in Trinity-gardens.

From Trinity the Royai visitors returned to a dejeuxer
at Exeter College, at which many of the distinguished
foreigners who adorn the various sections of the Asso-
ciation were presented to his Royal Highness. Among
these we may specify Professor Sturve, Imperial Astrono-
mer to the Emperor of Russitl, and M. Leverrier, the
famous discoverer of the new p;anet Neptune.
His Royal Highness returnca es, 1 uUou oy special
train at half-past four o'clock, and seemed to have bees
much gratified by his visit.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN
CHELMSFORD.
(Abridged from the Essex Herald.)
The most destructive conflagration witnessed in this
town for many years occurred at an early hour on Satur-
day morning ; but though a large amount of property
has fallen a sacrifice, we have happily not to add the loss
of human life to the calamity. The fire broke out about
two o'clock on the premises of Mr. Bancroft, a tinman,
jumped
Out Conduit-street: hearing a crackling noise, he
Out of bed, and proceeding down stairs found his sitting
room full of smoke, and on opening the door, which
to a large and lofty workshop behind, he saw the flames'.
at the extreme end rushing upwards and running along-
the ceiling ; he immediately returned to his wife, and
both in a very terrified state made their escape by' the,
front door. The house being timber-built, as well as all
those adjacent, in a few minutes Mr. Finch's on the left
and Mr. Mison's on the right were also one mass of fire;
the former with his wife escaped in their night clothes,
after throwing out two beds, and Mr. Mison had great
difficulty in getting out his five children in safety. The
fire had been early observed by a lad named Overty,
who slept during the night under a dog-cart, opposite
his grand-father's cottage, in Union-yard; he states that
a few minutes after two o'clock, he heard a crash of glass
falling, when a dog barked, and on going into the yard
he saw a blase issuing from Bancroft's side, window,
which is in Union-yard; be cried " fire," and then
aroused his grandfather and his neighbours. The cry
was suickly taken up and conveyed along the streets,
bringing the engines and vast numbers of the townspeople
by degrees to the spot.
In the rear of these houses a workshop occupied by
Mr. Dowsett, cabinet maker; Mison's bake-office; and
a cottage tenanted by a washerwoman named Baker
were also on fire; and at the same time Overty's cottage
on the opposite side of the yard was in flames, which
communicating to two warehouses behind and contigu-
ous to Mrs. Sorrell's in Conduit-street, threatened anni-
hilation to Mr. Dutton's printing-office and all the
neighbouring property. The engines before this had
got into active play—first the Economic; and about
half-past two the Essex Equitable arrived, the Sun and
the Royal Exchange following.
The Royal Exchange engine was stationed in Bell
Mead by the river side, the hose attached to it being one
thousand feet in length. Notwithstanding this, it poured',
forth copious streams of water, and continued working:
until the fire was got under.
The Sun office engine, which fortunately stood in.
Union-yard, was supplied by a double line of persons
from the river, and preserved much property in the rear.
At an early period the telegraph announced the disaster
at Ingatestone, and in a very short time the small but
powerful engine arrived from that town, which was es-
sentially useful. By the united efforts of the firemen
and others—by the falling in of portions of houses and
the nulling down of burning rafters, which tended to
smother the fire—in about au hour and a half it had evi-
dently received a check, and in another hour it was gre.
dually overcome, though not before the whole of the pro-
perty we have named was, with the exception of a few
walls and chimneys, levelled with the ground.
Though the fire was effectually subdued by six or
seven o'clock, the engines continued to play for some
hours upon the burning ruins, which covered a very
large space, extending in front about 70 feet and 100 feet
in depth.
We cannot with certainty estimate the extent of the
damage, but we imagine it will exceed 3,0001.
The following will, we think, be found a pretty cor-
rect summary of the property destroyed :
Mr. Finch, green grocer—house destroyed ; all the
furniture destroyed—not insured.
Mr. Bancroft—house destroyed, with furniture and
stock; the latter insured for 2001. in the Economic.
Mr. Mison—house, stock, and furniture destroyed; the
latter insured for 100/. in the Economic.
The above premises, with several cottages behind, ene
of which (Mrs. Baker's) was consumed, belonged to
the representatives of the late Mr. R. S. Cooke, and are
insured in the Essex Economic, in the names of Capt.
Stone (who married his daughter) and Mr. Wenden,
the trustees. Mr. Wenden has also a separate in-
surance in the same office, to cover his interest in a
lease for 1001.
Mr. Drake—front and side walls only standing—fur-
niture destroyed, not insured.
Mr. Bond—walls and part of roof standing—furniture
and stock damaged in removal—insured in Essex Eco-
nomic for 1501. .
Mr. Barnes—walls and part of roof standing—wash-
house behind, with two coppers, destroyed—bake-
house and oven partially injured-7 sacks of flour, a
quarter of pea-meal, and two tons of coal burnt—furni-
ture much damaged—estimates loss at nearly 2001.
not insured.
The three last-mentioned houses belonged to Mr.
Thomas Wackrill, and were uninsured.
In Union-yard, the property destroyed in the rear of
the above-named premises consisted of a nearly new
oven, built for Mr. Mison, and which cost upwards of
601., insured ; a workshop in the occupation of Mr. Dor-
sett, cabinet maker, and partly over the above, in which
were goods valued at 2001, but Mr. D. is covered by in-
surance in the Royal Exchange ; these were all burnt,
together with the tools belonging to three workmen,
valued at upwards of 601. ; a cottage occupied by Mrs.
Baker, who lost nearly all her goods, and among them a
mangle, by which she gained her livelihood ; and an un-
occupied cottage much damaged.
On the other side of Union-yard two cottages were
nearly consumed, one occupied by Overty, a pensioner,
and the other used as a warehouse by Mr. Duttan ; in
the latter, a billiard table and a mangle were burnt, not
insured ; two warehouses adjoining were completely
destroyed, with their valuable contents, one occupied
by Mr. Eagle, chemist, in which was deposited a large
quantity of resin, oil, pitch, and drugs, valued at nearly
8001., insured in the Essex Equitable for 2001.
the other, by Messrs. White and Sandtord, curriers, who
lost a large quantity of goods which had just been re-
ceived, besides goods in manufacture, trade implements,
&c.; damage estimated at 1001., insured in the Economic
for 501 only; the back part of Mrs. Sorrell's was the
only other property destroyed in that direction. The
cottages and warehouses, with Mrs. Sorrell's premises,
are insured in the Essex and Suffolk Equitable.
The origin of the fire is involved in some obscurity.
Mr. Bancroft had erected a small furnace in his work-
shop which was officially inspected, and allowed by tho
Essex Economic-office, but Mr. B. states that it was
not used later than seven o'clock on the evening previous
to the fire, and when he retired to rest early the pre-
mises were quite safe.
The ruins are still in a smouldering state, though an
engine was playing upon them ou Saturday and Sunday
nights until a late hour.

THE LATE Da. CHALMERS.—It will, we are sure,
afford pleasure to all our readers to learn that the Queen,
on the advice of Lord John Russell, has settled on Mrs.
Dr. Chalmers and her family a pension on the civil list
of 2001. a-year. It is highly creditable both to the
monarch and her adviser, that the act, alike unsolicited
and unexpected on the part of Mrs. Chalmers and her
friends, takes the form of a spontaneous expression of
sympathy with the bereaved widow,. and of respect for
Theby orocridal
John'sletter ownof
h intimationeed, ie
est o
the
Mrs. illustrious
Chalmers,
hesham-place, June 22, 1847. Madam—l
n. of informing you, that the Queen,
dead.
r tte n
takingfo havelowtthe
intoe— " h r consideration the piety, eloquence, and
learning of the late Dr. Chalmers, has been pleased to
command that a pension of two hundred pounds a year
should be settled upon you and your daughters, out of
her Majesty's civil list. Allow me to add, that I trust
that this act of the Queen may render the remainder of
your life as tolerable as the loss of so eminent and excel-
lent a partner will permit. I have the honour to be,
Madam, your obedient faithful servant, J. RUSSELL"—
Edinburgh Witness.