The Sun.
London, England, 1848-09-11 00:00:00

DESTRUCTIVE FIRES.

Yesterday forenoon a very alarming fire broke out in
the oil and colour warehouse belonging to Mr. Denton,
27, Bolingbroke-row, Camberwell-road. It appears that
Mr. Denton took a lighted candle for the purpose of ex-
amining the cisterns containing the turpentine, in order
to ascertain whether any of them leaked, as a large
quantity of that spirit had escaped on to the floor.
Whilst he was so engaged, the candle fell into the tur-
pentine, which becoming ignited the fire spread over the
shop with fearful rapidity, doing considerable damage,
and nearly enveloping the inmates. The parish engines,
with several belonging to the London Brigade, and West
of England attended with all promptitude; but they were
unable to get the fire extinguished until the stock in
trade was seriously damaged by fire, and the furniture
by removal. At the time of the outbreak there were
1001bs. of gunpowder in the back of the premises, and
lolbs. in the window ; fortunately, the flames did not
touch either ; if they had the consequences would have
been fearful in the extreme. Mr. Denton was insured in
the Phoenix Fire- office.

Last evening, shortly before five o'clock, the premises
belonging to Messrs. Wookey and Co., known as Cran-
bourne House, near Leicester- square, were discovered
to be on fire. The building, which was very extensive,
was fitted up in a costly style, with plate-glass, and was
occupied as a lace and millinery warehouse. The shop
alone contained It deal of valuable property, and when
the first alarm was given, the ground• floor was in a
blaze. Information of the outbreak having been con-
veyed to the proper quarters, in a very brief period the
engine belonging to St. Ann's parish arrived, followed
by several others belonging to the London Establish-
ment, and West of England Company. Two or three
engines were immediately set to work, and vast bodies
of water were scattered into the fire, which had the effect
of preserving the upper part of the premises, but the
whole of the valuable stock in trade, chandeliers, mirrors,
and plate-glass in the shop, were destroyed.
On Thursday evening, between eight and nine o'clock,
a most alarming fire broke out in the extensive railway
carriage establishment of Messrs. Dunn, Son, and Co.
(at the Sugar-house-alley-branch of it) in this town.
The watchman was on duty, and some of the workmen
were about, when the smoke, and next the flames, ap-
peared in one of the rooms. Alarm was instantly given,
and without loss of time Mr. Superintendent Wright,
with his engine and firemen were on the spot. Mean-
while the fire raged terribly, and threatened the destruc.
tion, not only of the premises, but of the adjacent pro-
perty with which it is enclosed. For some time there
was a difficulty in getting a sufficient supply of water,
the whole having to be fetched in buckets. As soon as
possible the canal was turned off into Germany-street,
and the supply was improved. The roaring of the flames
and crashing of timber was fearful, and the fire spread
rapidly throughout the interior, which was filled by car-
riages in different stages of completion, steam machinery,
and a vast variety of valuable property, all of which, not-
withstanding the most unwearied exertions, was destroyed.
In due time the roof, and with it some of the internal
walls fell in, and the flames were checked, as usual,
when this happens, but it required hard work to keep
them under. On the first alarm, Messrs. Dunn had
promptly sent off to Preston, and we understand that in
forty-five minutes after notice was received the efficient
fire brigade of that town, with their engine, had arrived
by train, and were at work. Though the.fire was pretty
well got under by that time, their services were of the
highest value, everybody admiring the efficient manner
in which they went about their work. By great exer-
tion, a range of building, newly erected, was saved, to-
gether with the carriages in it. So awfully alarming
were appearances at one time, that all the inhabitants of
the neighbouring houses removed their furniture, but
happily the conflagration was confined to the premises of
Messrs. Dunn. There the destruction has been immense;
but we understand it is impossible, at present, to guess
at the amount of loss. We rejoice to hear that the pro-
perty is,.to a considerable extent, insured; but still the
loss must be very serious. The steam-engine is de-
stroyed, and the saw-mill rendered useless. At present
(Friday afternoon) the fire is smouldering in a large
body, but the engine is on the spot ready to act in case
of its breaking out. The building is a mass of ruin. We
understand that, generally speaking, the assembled
crowd behaved very well, the Mayor (T. Hewitt, Esq.)
being early on the spot, and showing an admirable .-
ex-
ample.—Laneasfer Gazette.

A. conflagration of a serious nature occurred on Wed.
nesday, at the farm known by the name of Mutford,
situate in the parish of Hormead, about four miles from
Buntingford. The farm is held on a long lease by Mr.
Francis Wyman, and is very extensive, consisting of be-
tween 300 and 400 acres. The homestead and farm-
buildings were necessarily very large, the barns alone
occupying an acre of ground, the whole forming one of
the finest holdings in the county. It appears that a
loaded gun was handed to the bailiff, with directions
that he should clean it. Instead of drawing the charge,
the man, about half.past two, fired at some sparrows
which sat upon one of the stacks. The wadding, which
we have heard, was made of patent felt, set fire to the
stack, and in'about two hours from that time the whole
premises, with the exception of the dwelling house, which
lay to the windward, and a wheat-hovel, were burnt to
the ground. As soon as the fire was discovered
messengers were sent to Buntingford for the
engines, and an alarm was spread through the
neighbourhood. The fire soon spread from stack to
stack, and barn to barn, and by the time the engines
from Buntingford came, which was at haff-paset four,
almost every erection of the homestead, vyli ethr barn,
shed, or hovel, was in flames. The engineswere
6 of
little use, as the fire had taken such hold, so the
l specta-
tors exerted themselves, and among the rest the gleaners,
to save as much of the property as they could. A little