The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-23 00:00:00

DREADFUL CONFLAGRATION
AT THE CROYDON RAILWAY TERMINUS

TIES MORNING.

Between the hours of two and three this morning
!ire of a very fearful character, attended with a serious,
destruction of property, broke out upon the Croydon
-tation of the London and Croydon Railway. From in-
quiries :eade during the progress of the fire it appears
that whilst one of the constables of the I' division was
I.7.,:".'inds tavern he perceived a dense
passing the Fox and
body of smoke issuing from tug lam
p room of the ter-
minus. This satisfied the officer that fire bad broken
out, and without a moment's loss of time he raised an
alarm, but before any person had time to come to ta.:B
assistance the flames broke through the roof of the car-
riage depot, a spacious building upwards of 100 feet
long, and which was filled with carriages of the
first and second classes. Contiguous to this build-
ing stood another erection, in which several other
carriages were deposited. Fortunately the servants of
the company and police succeeded in saving the contents
of this place ; for, on seeing the imminent danger to
which it was exposed, they pushed a train consisting of
several carriages out of it. Intelligence was immediately
sent to the engine stations of the town ; and soon the
barrack and parish engines arrived. By this time the
old locomotive depOt was enveloped in flames, and more
than a dozen first and second-class carriages were on fire,
the flames from which illuminated the immediate dis-
trict and a portion of the metropolis. This became a
speedier messenger than the intelligence sent, and several
London engines started for the place. The first that
arrived belonged to the West of England Company, from
the Waterloo-road, under Mr. Connorton's direction: the
Watlieg-street brigade engine, with Mr. Braidwood,
was the next that came down, and Mr. Garwood followed
directly after with the County engine, from Regent-street.
For some time the greatest difficulty was experienced in
obtaining a supply of water, meanwhile the flames pro-
gressed with such rapidity, that before four o'clock both
the stations of the present atmospheric and the old loco-
motives presented an immense body of flame, which
roared as it issued from the several windows like a num-
ber of furnaces in full operation.
By leading the hose of the engines through the win-
dows, the military and firemen were enabled to pour
a limited stream of water upon the destructive element ;
but it had obtained too film a hold to be easily extin •
guished, and carriage after carriage fell a prey to the
fury of the fire, and it was not until the whole of the
combustible articles in the two buildings were
burnt that the fire was subdued. The conflagra-
tion was only cut off just as it was attack-
ing the ticket station and booking-offices. Had the
flames here progressed only a few feet further before
they were stopped, the work of destruction would have
been far more serious than it really has been.
By eight o'clock the fire was so far subdued as to
allay all further apprehensions of its extension. By that
period, the old locomotive depot was burnt down, an
immense number of first and second-class carriages
destroyed; the atmospheric carriage shedding was like-
wise consumed; the electric telegraph was also displaced,
and a large number of the sleepers on the line were
burnt, and the metal tramways were forced into various
shapes, so as to prevent the regular transit of the trains.
The total loss must amount to several thousand pounds
at the least ; and whether the property was insured or
not we could not ascertain during the excitement which
prevailed.
The whole of the carriages destroyed were placed in
the station ready for the first passage this morning.
An inquiry into the cause of the outbreak will be in-
stituted by the directors of the company this afternoon.
The traffic of the line must of necessity be suspended
for some time, on account of the rooting up of the rails
by the fire.
Too much praise cannot be given to the superinten-
dents of the London engine establishments, and to the
West of England and County Companies, for their early
arrival at the scene of destruction.

REDUCTION OF POSTAGE TO

AND FROM DENMARK.

The following notice was yesterday affixed at the chief
office, St. Martin's-le-Grand :
" General Yost-office, Sept. 22.

" On and after the Ist of October next, the postage
upon letters posted in the United Kingdom, and ad-
dressed to Denmark, and vice versa, when conveyed
direct by packet boat, or private ship, will be reduced,
in those cases where the rate is collected in this country,
to the uniform rate of 10d. on a letter not exceeding
half an ounce in weight ; ls. Bd. on a letter not exceed-
ing one ounce, and so on, according to the scale in
operation in the United Kingdom for charging letters
by weight.
" These rates of 10d., ls. Bd., &c., comprise both the
British and Danish postage on letters between the two
countries. They must be either paid in advance or the
letters forwarded unpaid at the option of the sender.
"It is necessary, however, that the postage on all
registered letters, as well as the registration fee, should
be paid in advance.
" When the letters are not conveyed by direct packet
boat or private ship, between the United Kingdom and
Denmark, but are specially directed to be forwarded by
the routes of France, Belgium, Holland, or any other
foreign country, they must be treated in every respect as
letters sent in transit through such countries.
" British newspapers, duly stamped and posted in ac-
cordance with the usual efficient regulations, may be
forwarded by direct packet boat to Denmark, free of
postage; and newspapers published in Denmark, and
forwarded to the United Kingdom by direct packet, will
not be liable to any postage on delivery.
" When such newspapers are conveyed by private
ship, they will be liable, in this country, to one penny
each on those dispatched, and to the same sum on those
delivered. _ _

" By command of the Postmaster General."

AFFAIRS OF HOLSTEIN.