The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-15 00:00:00

THE. SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, MARCH_ 15,_ 1847

paniment is easy and graceful. It will no doubt be a
favonritp wish piling ladies in th" drawinz-roam.

MADAME ANNA BISHOP IN
EDINBURG
71avin7 compl,A, 11,-r
says tile critic of the Abi, we do 11,1 6. 1,,
years a star who has so completely won the good-will and
sympathy of a public," appeared on Tuesday evening for the
first time before an Edinburgh audience. A thst appearance
in Edinburgh is a trying ordeal for any artiste for the Lan,.
burgh audience has the character of being the most learned
and at the same time the most critical in the kingdom. To
an inferior artiste this would prove a source of failure—to an
accomplished artiste like Madame Bishop, it on the co.n-
trary, a harbinger of success; for an accomplished artiste
a critical and a learned audience. The character chosen for
her delnit was Amina, in the Sonnambula. The Caledonian
Mercury, speaking of her performance, says—" The beauti-
ful rnorcenu, ' Oh, love, for me thy power,' was given with
the most brilliant finish and execution, and elicited the most
rapturous applause. But the greatest triumph of the even-
ing was the concluding solo, " Oh, don't mingle," which she
gave in the original language. Such a furore Jid the singing
of this fine composition create, that notwithLtar.ding its re-
petition, the cheering and waving of hats and handkerchiefs
did not subside until the curtain again rose, and it was given
a third time." The notice thus concludes—" This lady is
now decidedly the first English singer of the d:cy; and we
are glad the Edinburgh public have the opportunity of lis-
tening to such a splendid voice, and with all the accessories
of the musical art—full orchestra, chorus, and efficient
operatic support.

ALARMING CONFLAGRATION AT

BATTERSEA.

one :,'eleeic- refe.r.ine; inhabitents f
,a.laa. en I ot Nine Elms, shunt a quat ter of a
the terminus of the South- Western Railway, and its
nity, were thrown into great alarm by a violent explosio .
which, upon inquiry, was found to have been caused by the
outburst of a lire in the kvanizing premises of Mr.
on the banks of the Thames. At that hour all the
tants were fast asleep; and therefore, upon being aroused by
the cause named, it is easy to conceive the state of consterna-
tion into which they were hurried. It is not very often that
anything else than praise can be bestowed on the Fire Bri-
gade; but in the present instance, according to the statement
of some of the nearest residents to the spot at which the fire
commenced, for upwards of an hour that body remained alto-
gether inactive, declaring, when urged to take steps in order
to bring their engines into play, that it was utterly impossible
for them to do so. Several engines were driven home, not-
withstanding the fire was raging in all its fury, and in spite
of the entreaties of Mr. Hutton, the proprietor of some large
corn-mills, and Mr. Came, an extensive timber-dealer, both
of whose premises were threatened with extreme danger.
The only replies Mr. Hutton has informed our reporter he
could get, even after he had upon several occasions pointed
out to the brigade the way by which they could get their
engines down to the shore, and so arrest the progress of the
flames towards the timber-yard and his own mills, were that
there was no water, that the tide was too low, and that they
did not choose to run the risk of breaking their engines in
getting them down to the water's edge. Mr. Hutton sug •
gested that the horses should be taken out, and that he had
an abundance of power, with the assistance of his own and
his neighbours' men, to draw the engines down the bank
by means of planks on to the beach. The entreaties
were of no avail, and therefore several of the engines
drove off. There was, however, one engine which arrived
at the scene of desolation later than the others, and to the
men attached to it Mr. Hutton was enabled to bring home
conviction as to the feasibility of his suggestion. The
horses were taken out, all hands went to work, and in a
few minutes the engine was, without the slightest injury,
drawn to the water's edge, and was at work. This ex-
ample induced two others of the four engines still remaining
to accede to Mr. Hutton's request, so that within half an
hour there were three engines playing with all their force
upon the threatening body. And a providential circumstance
it was that this step was taken : for at the moment the first
of these machines was brought into operation the flakes of
fire by the aid of the wind were being carried over to Carne's
timber-stacks, and soon towards Mr. Hutton's mills.
Had these places ignited, no act but the interposition of a
superior Power could have prevented the devouring element
from laying in ruins the whole of the factories and houses be-
tween Battersea-fields and the railway terminus. The latter,
doubtless, would have fallen a sacrifice. From Mr. Hutton's
mills to the terminus there is scarcely a yard's length of
ground along the bank of the river which is not occupied by
whiting-factories, lime-burners, timber merchants, ship
breakers, malt-houses, and old wooden-buildings. Indeed,
as is well known, the whiting-factories are wooden erections,
which, from their peculiarity. of construction, are more than
usually favourable to the prejudicial reception of fire, whilst
the other purposes to which the intermediate spaces are ap-
plied are, as will be observed, of an inflammable character.
The complaint of Mr. Hutton is, that there appeared to be
no one who was in command of the brigade, and that, had
it not been for the subsequent steps, and the wind had con-
tinued to blow as forcibly as it did at the period when the first
engine was taken down, so far as that corps was concerned,
the whole range of buildings and timber-stacks between
the spot where the fire originated and the railway terminus
must have been destroyed. That the accomplishment of the
proposition made by that gentleman was to be gained, and
that, if adopted, it was calculated to prove of benefit, were
established by the result of the operations when it was
ultimately carried out, and therefore there is the less excuse
for that portion of the brigade which abandoned the
place. There was an increased exertion made by the police
under the directions of Superintendent Bicknell. But for
their arrangements, the destruction of property, large as it
was, must have been much greater, for we never saw such a
collection of thieves as had congregated on the occasion, and
as the length of the fire, perhaps 100 yards, was so extensive,
numerous opportunities were offered for the exercise of their
peculating vocation. There is, however, reason to believe
that in the end the visitants were disappointed.
The fire, it appears, broke out at Mr. Bethell's. Upon
that gentleman's premises were numerous casks of tar,
pitch, and some persons also said of naphtha, from a com-
bination of which he obtained a certain solution, which had
been found to be a preserver of wood by the process of
saturation. There were too, when we walked round the
place, between one and two o'clock, several large tanks filled
with this inflammable solution, and it was the explosion of
one of them that it is imagined gave warning to the
neighbourhood of what was going on. The batiks and
wards of these premises were covered with railway
sleepers piled up to a considerable height, some of which
had undergone the process of saturation, whilst others,
which had been but recently landed from barges, had not
been submitted as yet to the tteatinent. Every stick
of these which bad been stacked between the
boiling-house, or whatever it m.iy be called, arid
Mr. Hutton's mills, was at sue and the same time,
and for hours, in one general blaze, the brilliancy
of the picture been frequently enhanced by the ig-
nition of a stray barrel of pitch, of tar, or of the kvanizing
combination. Shortly after the outbreak the flames com-
municated themselves to the limeworks of Mr. Pass, and
from them to some barges which were aground off the wharf.
A density of fire was now arrived at, which time alone, and
the natural consumption of the materials, could put a stop
to. Had the engines been on the beach prior to this, the
probability is, from the peculiarity of the position of the
yard, that a very large quantity of the property might have
been saved. In a few minutes there were two extensive
lengths of wharfs and four or six barges in a blaze, and it
was against the two end barges, and the burning mass at the
eastern end of Mr. Pass's wharf, that the engines which Mr.
Hutton had got down upon the water's edge directed their at-
tacks. This proceeding, accompanied by a temporary lulling
of the wind, was attended with the happiest effects; for
when we left the spot, at five o'clock, all danger of a further
extension was at an end. The smoke, from the nature of the
combustible materials, was so dense, that we were unable to
make out the names of any of the engines on the water's
edge but that of the County. One of them, however, be-
longed to that company to which the younger Campbell and
Howell, both of Westminster-bridge stairs, are attached.
All the men connected with these engines displayed extra-
ordinary activity and diligence.
The extent of the loss will not be ascertained for some
days, but it must be very considerable. Great anxiety was
felt lest the flames should make their way to the dock at
the back of Mr. Pass's limeworks, wherein lay several steam-
boats, of which the locomotive Richmond and Hampton
boats were two. The measures taken by the police and by
the firemen referred to fortunately eventually set the minds of
those interested at ease.

This part tally maintains that high char:let- r wh eh
The Music Beek has already :.cqurcii. It contains a
b,dlad by Crouch, and a waltz and a song by Mrs.
Gilbert a Bizckett. The words of the latter are from
the pen of Barry Cornwall.

THE LOVER'S TEXT.
The lover has no conscience in his dealiags! He gets his
due, and asks for it again ! He is never paid ! Something
remains, or the coin is hardly to his mind ! He accepts it at
one moment, and rejects it at another—weighs it, to the frac-
tion of a grain, and, still, doubts whether it may not yet be
light!—rings it with such an ear, as never tuner of an instru-
ment appiied to a string! scrutinizes the mintage, with an
eye that magnifies, a thousand fold! and, after all, suspects,
from sheer inability to trust his own jealous senses, or for the
pleasnie of imagining default, where he knows that none
exists, that he may enjoy the reiteration of sweet, though
uncalled for warranty! Our hero felt convinced that Phee're
loved him ! The frank lips of the maiden had avowed it;
" a world," not only " of sighs," but of tears had attested it ;
at sundry times had her changing cheek revealed the fitful
mood! and yet he wanted more!! more, even though it cost a
pang ! a pang, but questionably commiserated, from the
knowledge, not only, that it was without a cause; but that
it was certain of being superseded by transport
" Defend us," some of our fair readers may exclaim " from
such a lover 1" No lover, that is not like him, is worth a
sigh. The thorn is property of the rose, as much as its blush
and breath I They never lived, asunder.— Sheridan Knowles's
New Work of" George Lovell."

COURT CIRCULAR.
The Queen and Prince Albert, accompanied by the
Princess Royal, took a drive to Newport on Friday afternoon,
in a carriage and four.
On Saturday her Majesty and her Royal Consort drove out
in an open carriage, the Prince driving.
The Royal Children took their usual airings on Saturday,
and yesterday morning went to the sea beach.
Her Majesty and Prince Albert, and the Ladies and Gen-
tlemen of the Royal suite, attended divine service yesterday
morning in Whippingham church.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent attended divine
service yesterday morning in the Chapel Royal, St. James's.
The prayers were read by the Rev. Mr. Helmore, the lessons
by the Rev. G. Repton, and the communion service by the
Rev. Dr. Sleath. The sermon was preached by the Bishop
of Bangor. The anthem was " Wherewithal shall a
Young Man" (Boyce). Mr. Turle presided at the Organ.
Lady Fanny Howard was in waiting on the Duchess of
Kent. Among the nobility present were the Marquis of
Anglesea, Lords St. Germans, Devon, Listowell, Colville, and
Castlereagh.
His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge visited
Christ's Hospital School yesterday afternoon.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, attended by
Lady Fanny Howard, Sir George Couper, and Lord James
Murray, honoured the Italian, Opera with her presence on
Saturday evening.
A Cabinet Council was held at three o'clock on Saturday
afternoon, at the Foreign-office. It was attended by Lord
John Russell, the Lord Chancellor, the Marquis of Lans
downe, the Earl of Minto, Sir George Grey, Viscount Pal-
merston, Earl Grey, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir
John Hobhouse, the Earl Auckland, Lord Campbell, Viscount
alorpeth, the Earl of Clarendon, the Marquis of Clanricarde,
the Right Hon. T. B. Macaulay, and the Right Hon. H.
Labouchere.
The Council sat an hour and a half.
A deputation, consisting of Mr. Benjamin Hawes, M.P.,
Mr. Coward, Mr. Akerman, and Mr. Grey, had an interview
with the Right Hon. E. Strutt on Saturday, at the office of
the Comn issioners of Railways, in Great George-street.
Mr, Plumptre, 111. P., and Mr. Rodwell, had an interview
with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on Saturday, at his
official residence in Downing-street.
A deputation, consisting of Mr. Alasterman, MT., Mr.
Pattison, M.P., Mr. Lyall, M.P., Mr. Atcheson, Mr. Jones,
Mr. Phillips, Mr. Williams, Mr. Saunders, and the City Re-
membrancer, had an interview with Lord John Russell on
Saturday, at his official residence in Downing-street.
Lord Lansdowne had an interview with the Earl of Claren-
don on Saturday, at the Office of the Board of Trade.
Mr. Masterman, M.P., had an interview on Saturday with
the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Mr. William Evans, M.P., had an interview en Saturday
with the Right Hon. E. Strutt.
On Saturday, Lord Campbell gave a dinner at Stratheden
House, to Lord John Russell, the Earl of Lincoln, the Earl of
Hardwicke, the Earl of Clarendon, Earl Granville, Lord
Stanley, Lord Lyndhurst, Lord Brougham, Sir James
Graham, General Fox, Mr. Lockhart, Mr. Twis.s, and Mr.
Danvers.

•
The Duke of Wellington attended the early service yester-
day, in the Chap,l Royal, St. James's. The Rev. Dr. Wesley
officiated and preached the sermon.
The Lurd Chitf Justice Wilde, and Lady Wilde, have ar-
iived at Farrance's Hotel, Upper Belgrave•street, from
Chelmsford.

The sky was illuminated over the whole of the western
part of the metropolis, whilst the opposite side of the river,
along Milbank and Cheyne-walk, Chelsea, and Vauxhall
and Battersea-bridges, were crowded by spectators. The
river, too, was thronged with boats filled with spectators,
and such had been the arrival of company, that by 3 o'clock
there was a double row of cabs reaching for upwards of a
quarter of a mile along Battersea-flelds. A singular spec-
tacle was presented by the flocks of skylarks— for which
Battersea is celebrated—which hovered for hours over the

We regret to addd that Mr. Bethell is entirely uninsured.
The nature of his business was considered so hazardous that
no office would undertake his risk for less than a treble rate
of premium, and he, therefore preferred a close system of
watching. His loss must be enormous; independently of the
buildings and stook of naphtha, he has lost fourteen thou-
sand railway sleepers, the present contract price of which is
ss. 10d. each.
The following is a copy of the official report of the
damage :
" Mr. J. Bethell, creosote and naphtha distiller and saw-
mills, Battersea-fields.—Engine-house, rectifying-house, saw-
mill, about 14,000 railway sleepers, and a large quantity of
pitch. tar, &c. destroyed. Still-house nearly destroyed.
" Mr. Robins, timber dealer, ditto.—Furniture-shed and
contents destroyed ; stock in open yard damaged by fire, and
furniture by removal.

" Widow Pass and Son, lime-burners.—A large shed, with
contents, and two lug-boats destroyed ; a sailing barge and
two of her craft nearly destroyed.
" Two barges, respectively belonging to Mr. Hetherington;
of Lambeth, and Mr. Les, of Rotherhithe."