The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-14 00:00:00

MIDDLESBOROUGH AND REDO &R.

This company held its meeting at the same time and
place, Mr. N. Plews in the chair.
The proceedings were of a similar character, and a 6
per cent. dividend Wa3 declared.
RAILWAY TRAFFIC RETURNS.

GREAT NORTHERN ItAlLWAY.—Traffie return for the
week ending Aug. 3, 1856 £24,162 5 6
Corresponding week last year 23,812 10 8
LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE RAILWAY. —Traffic re-
turn for the week ending Aug. 10, 1856 £25,732 14 4
Corresponding week last year 22,529 18 5
CHESTER AND HOLYHEAD RAlLWAY.—Traffie return for
the week ending Aug. 10, 1856 £7,255 4 5
irresponding week last year 6,622 17 5

Increase in 1856 .

LONDON GENERAL OMNIBUS COMPANY.—Traffic re-
turns fur the week ending Aug. 9, 1856 .....211,117 11 10

THE FIRE AT MESSRS. BROADWOOD'S
FACTORY.

It is stated that. had the premises for which Messrs.
Broadwood have for years paid a large annual suns to
the Chelsea Waterworks Company been properly
charged at the time of the outbreak, the fire would have
been confined within comparatively narrow limits. It
appears that when intelligence of the disaster was first
cauveyed to Mr. Russell, foreman of the works, he in-
stantly hurried into one of the shops, where two work-
men were employed, and calling upon them to assist
him, they together conveyed two or three lengths of
hose and a branch to that part of the yard in which the
outbreak had occurred. The flames were then just visi-
ble, fl ekering within a window on the third floor, and
Mr. Russell having screwed on the hose to one of the
firemains, of which there were no less than a dozen on the
premises, took the branch in band himself, and directed
a stream of water immediately upon the spot where the
flames were playing. For a few moments a full stream
of water was thrown into the building, and the flames
were so far subdued as to give great encouragement to
the parties engaged, when, of a sudden, the supply of
water altogether ceased, and the fire unexpectedly in-
creased in a terrific manner, bidding defiance to all fu-
ture efforts to stay its progress. The contract 9f the
water company with Messrs. Broad wood was to have
the mains full charged at 6 o'clock every evening,
for the express purpose of being called into action in the
event of fire. Yet at a quarter to 7 o'clock on Tuesday
evening the supply failed at the only one tested out of 12
contracted for. The agents of the various insurance
companies, on visiting the premises yesterday, expressed
themselves very strongly upon the subject.
The outbreak occurred in the close vicinity of one of the
stoves, in which theretiad been a fire during the afternoon.
There can belittle doubt, therefore, that, not withstanding
the precautions taken, a spark must have fallen beyond the
iron framework in which the fire is encased, and that
t line the disaster originated.
The loss has not yet been estimated. About 200 instru-
ments, in various stages of completion, were rescued dur-
ing the are, and deposited io warehouses and depots in the
neighbourhood, kindly placed at the disposal of Messrs.
Broadwood. To this salvage has to be added a very
large quantity of pine wood and ebony, which, being
stacked at the northern extremity of the premises, which
the fire did not reach, has escaped destruction.
_ _

The sympathy expressed for Messrs. Broadwood has
been very general. Happily, they have another large fac-
tory iu Pulteney-street, Golden,quare, where the busi-
miss was originally establiThed, which, with the premises
estill standing in tt e Horseferry road and other conveni-
ences which have been offered to them, will enable the
firm to carry on tibair business without interruption.
The official report sets forth the extent of the premises
destroyed (already described in our report of the catas-
trophe), and adds a list of ten houses on the west side of
Holy wea-street, tile fronts of which have been terribly
scorched, the wine:ows broken, and the contents much
injured by the water necessarily thrown upon the tene-
ments to prevent tieir