The Sun.
London, England, 1834-10-17 00:00:00

OF PAR-

t•
o'CL°c 4611
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fire -.to
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ceased ;
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u
f the frC$P,
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ur
fire-dig

Zittrti ante the great element of efficiency-7a general
ow'rlujletendent. Each fire-office
acts according to its
there is no obedience to one chief, and conse-
all iatwhere the completest co-operation is necessary,
the frec'nfn,ugion or contradiction. We impute no blame to
Ras alei°m"mees or to their men : the copduct of individuals
direq praise, but the want of a general leader and
evid4r must praise,
been, in the course of the evening, as
'Pt'clat t°
thelb as it was to the discerning portion of the
4d, inr. UP to the last we observed no disturbance ;
to be —eed, before three o'clock there was scarcely a person
I`ho had except the soldiers and firemen. The myriads
Per, !or hours
4ed peopled the streets had all quietly dis-
-I)ir,o' and the only sound heard was the crackling of tim-
r the heaving of the fire-pumps.
11„ I,RX. TEST OF THE DAMAGE DONE.
aed Chamber, and the whole of the House of
an Cornmons, including the Library, and Mr. Ley's
'kpl are entirely destroyed ; and the south wall of the Li-
-14
* 848 fallen in Part of the Speaker's house is also de-
14io 4.4 - The Parliament offices, at the west end of the
1-1` of Lords, which are entered from Abingdon-street,
tiveie, gateway at the Star and Garter public-house, are
tt4eci, tegether with all the books and papers they cokn
s-
-41 fa n, d all the books from the Library. The boob
tlieplcill'tnre of these two buildings were removed early y.
tked e,,;eland placed in the yard adjoining, and in the ter
A,l,7T,en, covered over with carpets and tarpaulins.
withZ"areie mantel-piece in the Speaker's house, valued at
has taken down and removed to a place of sdafety,
The Zi„Pr°PertY, in the rooms that were consume
g,-, Entrance from Abingdon-street and the
"Ith theatease are also preserved, the communication_
144., rest of the building, having been cut off.
tvineerniuster-hall, for which the greatest anxiety
into
lathe body4rerY one, is safe. Engines were conducted
thleei wi-nitwthaethall, 'and their supply directed through the
„ 'ate the south-west end over the entrance to
`utrttoee "es of Lords and Commons : all beyond that
4ss of ii.and window appeared to be a complete ruin. The
rereain 41,e. window is of course broken, but the mullions
The gre.
hare onlyll,ll' ef law remain uninjured, or it is believed
"nstained some very trifling damage.
There

(From a Correspondent.)
4,0t1e a:ere sebed event veral re orts as to the origin of the fire, but
precise to be relied upon. The most
,'4llllose teemed to be that it originated in the flues
~"ellts ha: been lately repaired, and in which someffiecxep
e, been making for the purpose of more e i ntly
',,nJilrint, tile House of Lords. Other rumours of an
f
proof
ve. tendenev
L0r,L.841 offered. were , circulated, but no shadow o
IBPt, 471,•Melbourne and Duncannon were early on
The
tlttel. 421114 Y Watching the progress of the flames.
°„:ht:l,4l ascended the roof. of the House of Commons,
ding to +l'ld superintend the play of the engines, and
esZlapid spread of the fire was in considerable
de, all 'l as he gallantly refused to. leave the roo
('eadedfiremen and soldiers who were with him had first
tL'vvi our ret
we met a steam-vessel
the !IR tip urn home by water .
bee
~rts Westminster the floating engine. It might
th;e of :11;',1creat service had it arrived earlier ; but the
;` stP tlue and the shallowness of the water prevented
bLrtio'e,,le-larllrdert,sf!,?n eTning soouonrer u the river. We have
wasp lost before it could be
into"4_,,a nearly anhh
Posig4 lt prop y,
but w en it. did commence, the effect
unced on the burning embers was said to be
Predirg
--ntous.
ea last

4130 Z„„: (Prom a Correspondent.)
"teg', at about a quarter to seven o'clock, the
the of Parliament-street was thrown into a state
rin;(l;test alarm and consternation, in consequence of
at:Se°Vered that the House of Lords was on fire.
the 'll'4'n:es. after the
.commencement of the fire,
spot, t Regiment of Grenadier Guards marched to
01)e,Ptt Squattrirde with the assistance of a strong body of police,
.sPace before both Houses, in order that no
O,l'Z :treat; °ldea be given to. the firemen. Fifty of the
as ed out t 'lards unarmed, in their undress, were also
frozught, b ° render the firemen assistance. The bridges,
th the
.Le expected, were thronged with. persons • and
Rit into
ial,o',,:ucals that continued during the night to pour
Spree tl4-ee''''sahtoertri: ighbourhood, we might conjecture that,
itself pace of an hour, the alarming news had
lik her of 'ln every corner of the metropolis.. A great
Nise gent
tk,,e_ to be
seen
vehicles and hackney carriages were.
of the :_ee,rl driven to and fro ; and another glaring in-
-I,;lited itseifeckless conduct of those ruffians, cab-drivers,
"e
°kis 4 :vas first disco • red in the lobby of the House. of
'i•-tilerr:e'sistitihleik_ .communicated\ea__toastthe left wing, burning
Rith coin seven o'clock, the
d Bydhthlfe-p
interior of the building,
donekiNtes exceptionple'oifY gutted
eraafrerwards the
of Parliament-office,h and in a few
roof fell. in with a tremen-
th:Wia 11(14,,Ch;ltl'is atPldaertdfuetl the roof
the fire, and together with
s was blowing sharp to the north-east, caused
liOnt.be rieexiel,e_?Pm. communicate to the House of Commons, and
Wl,7la:lince half hour
.the majestic buildings presented the
of tb„ burning city. About eight o'clock, the
lik roof of the Commons' House fell in, and made
tn,t°4 e the firing of guns, which led to the greatest con-
N1:7311g the assembled multitude, who were to be seen
,'eCti,s'eSPerateefforts to effect an escape, a cry being
^i
lllNeTiat a magazine of gunpowder had ignited, and w s
e(1 t°
blo up.
During this time several engines
lar-,
wereewpla-ced in Westminster Hall, so as to ptha)e
444,,e„k41,4t1.411,t,f eon the Speaker's premises, and also on
the_ Hall itself, which was now threatened with
4) 0, the body of flames showing through the windows
l 411)1
Aid ete y illuminating the Hall. Engines were also
oZryierefNi°,t of both Houses in Parliament-street, and the
ytt; Ndo likewise brought over the tops of the houses
10k 0-street to play upon the fire. No. time or ex-
the Ita lost in obtaining the fire-ladders which are kept
pSttage leading from Bridge-street to the hall, and a
plS°ldiers and civilians were actively engaged re-
alnable Parliamentary documents and papers from
,t'tia,'''s of the building as they could approach, to the
11'1'1 a :01Vogite the hall, which were guarded by the police
It tllollllanY of soldiers, who arrived previous to 9 o'clock.
Dtt,rteh, originated is of necessity at present involved
tilea" °wing to the extreme confusion and bustle that
"`•
t
:041.00()11 gelehesk the whole of the three regiments of Guards_.
Ist, el 'fiv
_pot, under the command of
.Sir George Hill,
'':fict also "uferd. Lord Butler, and Captain Davis. There
I;ilPredetii).!,eser,it the Earl of Munster Lords Adolphus
Fitzclarence Lord Melbourne,' Lord D un-
tb--4N'ter'l Sir John Cam' Hobhouse ; these distinguished.
'Y
Were • engaged in managing the milt-
of -111 N, th were
police, actively
latter
ilittitcodentofthwhii‘c.hdhaitstieorn.was under Mr. May, the
There were vast gangs
allii,tl,l,gerede gentry in attendance,, who doubtless
Illere;rate ne"trearvest, and did not fail to commit several
At'llioris ages, which were,however, much checked by
,°1 the police.
lieefri°e°_l(,, the Royal Horse Guards (blue) arrived
k'-ee,i°4 s-park barracks,. and at this time the con-
titstile
p;i:i-ts:witolirtrabatin fury, although nothing could
conductg of the firemen and military.
t,4,r:t',lrlittil,? Foot GYuards had been nearly cut off at one
.„.'tiblti ft:l'oY were doing duty on one of the westernof
3,,Nt:,,''rtr) 17 House of Commons. Some proportion
'Nbe'te building fell, and left the poor fellows in a
~.N,,'ver„`°ne situation, completely surrounded by flames.
however, providentially saved by the app i.ca-
ne-317c1e 8. B the direction of the Noble Preamndiera,
gat - ilkkOcitnerv-coayches, cabs, &c., were hired,
ti,4ls4l4llheieli er Of • the military were employed. in removing
Netekt: records that were deposited in the remaining
iffi olthe House of Lords. These waggons, when
L4ifespeZtblo,:"en driven to the newly-erected State PapeAr-t
r 1 "°, mg-street, under an escort of soldiers.
e4tilerlll 0 clock most of the furniture of the Exchequer
wqksit s
aw courts had been moved on to the pavement
e the entrance of Poet's-corner. At eleven
Polij•gtittio"nse was the populace round the scene of
Itt'gr,e; 441,11,11 that it required the utmost exertions of h
N-15 whet
the military, to prevent persons gaining
4)1,4 epth iitiere the valuable relics lay that had been
rapidly
414:4 °IISeS* The flames were spreadingf so
th. It wontesttninst hll that it appeared as every tid , er- a ,
't t, me 1411 a victim to the destructive element. By
levelled 3
adwhole the of the exterior walls of the House
h~t° th 'len, and that important edifice was now
'rn; Severelearth, with the exception of the
_Par_kam.negnet-f
tnihe-,at serious accidents occurred by the lath
dt<ereave their uty in
firemen, many of
Fwohoormorwfieir.ee
personsobliged
es,
.0 r 0„ yin a crippled state.
4inst " ever in
er H° Petal.
the confusion, and were conveyed to
krhalf.Past
444 Y cif th 12 O'clock the Painted Chamber and the
it4t:ll4:lll:tththeelall'ords were completely reduced
made
ashes ;
taking fire, a bold effort was by the
4,t'pl'arts, engines to save it, but notwithstanding their
ttrat'tte, ho,,,exhaustion was too apparent. After a severehat
nll,°ble 4ver, it gives us great pleasure in stating t
, SZ`, two 0, edifice was rescued from the impending danger,d
41"t'eral et°ek the flames were almost entirely subdne
weill.sons wbo witnessed this grand though awful
tiveh,k k,,? bed also been spectators of the destruction
Nti'ed'lreokilltArster, declared that the latter was, cor_nparrea..-
f WI; 'vent!' a small fire to the above much to be
°tit 0 4 the e
'Peedil five firemen r walls of the House of Lords fell in,
got obf were buried in the ruins, an were
and conveyed to Westminster Hospital.

Aar
At Etb
o,o?eztt...ieler Correspondent. .41
(If 4)114 eig(lPlt"l dent.)
ommunicated with the..
44"
of bt'ilclings iammmediately opposite to Kind

Henry Vll.'s chapel, and although several engines had been
brought to bear, yet the fire did not appear to be checked.
At th's time three fatigue parties belonging to the Guards
arrived, and they assisted the firemen materially in their
exertions, and the working parties had sufficient scope for
their labour at the engines, owing to the excellent arrange-
ments made by the Commissioners of Police for keep-
ing off the pressure of the crowds assembled in every
quarter. As the fire raged at the southern extremity
of the building several persons were employed in the
adjacent parts throwing out of the windows books and
records of various descriptions into the street, and
parties were stationed below for the purpose of deposit-
ing the property saved in St. Margaret's Church, which
was opened for the purpose. The wind had rather in-
creased, and as the flames were rapidly spreading, and
danger was apprehended that the roof of Westminster-
hall would take fire, three engines were sent round to the
north entrance, and the hose of each having been laid along
the interior of the pavement, the water was directed towards
that part adjoining the roof of the Court of Exchequer.
During the whole of this time, the fire appeared to be un-
abated, and immense volumes of fire, sparks, and smoke,
poured out of the various parts of the buildings, and were
carried away in the direction of Westminster-bridge, over
the small houses called Cotton-garden, and adjoining West-
minster-hall. The scene of the conflagration at this period
was awful in the extreme. The light reflected from the
flakes of fire, as it shone on the Abbey and the buildings in
the vicinity, had a most extraordinary effect, and every place
in the neighbourhood was visible, so that a person would
have been enabled to read as in the day time. It was
nearly ten o'clock before the fire reached the House
of Lords, and it was soon involved in the general
conflagration. And although the engines were brought
into operation in every part where there was access,
yet they failed in subduing the flames which raged
in the interior with such impetuosity, that there was
no possibility of checking them ; and before 11 o'clock
there was nothing left but the bare walls. The cracking
of the timbers and the noise produced by the breaking of
the glass were heard at a considerable distance, and made
a report similar to that of a discharge from firerarms. This
portion of the pile of building was no sooner destroyed than
the flames extended to the House of Commons, and co-
lumes of fire were observed from the water-side to issue
through the three large windows at the southern end of
the house. Notwithstanding the exertions made to save
this building, it was completely burnt down in less than an.
hour after it had taken fire, and nothing but the side-walls
and the two Gothic towers at the south end were left
standing. The ravages of the flames did not subside here,
and the wind, which still continued to blow very fresh from
the south-west, carried quantities of the burning materials
along with it, and the Speaker's house shared a similar
fate as the Houses of Parliament, and by 12 o'clock
was nearly reduced to ruins. At one period of the even-
ing the library contiguous to the House of Commons, but
separated from it by a Gothic stone arch, was on fire : in
consequence, however, of the extraordinary exertions used
on the occasion, it was extinguished ; and although the fire
still burnt within a very short distance of it, hopes were
entertained up to one o'clock that it would be saved. The
anxiety displayed by the populace to witness the conflagra-
tion was so great, that much difficulty was experienced in
approaching any part from which a view could be taken,
and the river was covered with innumerable wherries,
which were plying during the whole time, and taking per-
sons abreast of the House. of Commons, from which posi-
tion there was an opportunity of witnessing the dreadful
devastation which had taken place in so short a space of
time. If the wind continued to increase, and remained in
the same quarter, fears were entertained that the range of
small houses running east from the Speaker's hosse would
be destroyed. When the Houses of Parliament were de-
stroyed, the whole strength of the engines were brought
into active operation to prevent the fire from communica-
ting with Westminster-hall. Notwithstanding it was
burning fiercely in all quarters, yet there were sanguine
hopes that this noble national edifice would be ultimately
rescued from the devouring element.

(From the Morning Herald.)
Last night the House of Lords and the House of Corn

mons were burnt to the ground. The writer of these lines
was attracted to the scene of the fire about seven o'clock in
the evening. Even at that hour, when a more than strong

twilight was calculated to subdue the appearance of flame,
a deep, ruddy glow rose high over the region of Westmin-
ster, and must have been perceptible at any part of town
where the view was not immediately obstructed. Following

such a guide, crowds of people poured down Whitehall and
Parliament-street, when the magnitude of the conflagration

was revealed by the most striking indications. Westmin-
ster Abbey was visible before the actual blazing pile, and
its appearance will not readily be forgotten -by those who
saw it lit up to its highest pinnacles by so awful a light.
Having for a moment surveyed this scene, the writer went
round to the entrance of Westminster-hall. Its strong
iron-railed gate was closed fast, but the inner door was

open, and -allowed one to see through the great
southern window volumes of flame rolling through three
windows opposite and immediately near it. There
was no one in the Hall—it seemed as if it were deserted
and abandoned to the approaching fire. It was in vain to
think of breaking the iron fence. Some gentlemen, who
felt the nature of the emergency, returned to the scene in
Palace-yard, and succeeded in persuading a party of fire-
men to break open the small postern, which from that side
leads into the Hall. When the work of sledge and axe
had been nearly done, some one from within (for at length
a person connected with the building was forthcoming !)
called out to stop, and by his key saved further labour of
violence. The incursion was not too soon. All our read-
ers know that a short passage of ten paces in length has
led from the Hall into the body of the Parliament building.
That short space alone intervened between the great win-
dow of the former and the three from which the triumphant
flame rolled. A little above the pointed top of the former
sprung that venerable roof, which, if we err not, has seen
the Plantagenets—at least the Tudors! To save it seemed
to be the only object to which the attention of all parties use-
fully occupied on the occasion could be rationally directed.
After a while the iron gates of the Hall were opened, and
two engines were introduced into the body of the building,
the one to convey water to the other, which worked against
the formidable enemy. The Hall has been of late in the
hands of masons to be newly faced, and it is full of brick
and mortar and scaffolding. From the latter some ladders
were taken, under the direction, still, of casual advisers,

and placed against the great window, and the firemen, as-
cending to its base, found there ample room to play upon
the blazing element which thence confronted them. Their
exertions were all that could be expected from zeal
and manliness. They had to work amid dense smoke
and a constant fall of sparks, while they had also occasion-
aPy to brave the more formidable danger of molten lead,
which, in one instance, fell on and completely burned the
front of one of their helmets. It was about eight o'clock
when they established themselves in their position, and by
ten they had so successfully opposed the fire, that although
it had consumed all but the beams and walls of the building
in which it raged, it had made no further impression on the
Hall than by causing extensive fractures of the glass
of the window. Considerable bodies of the Guards
now arrived at Palace-yard, some in arms to preserve
order, and others to aid in the suppression of the
fire. The red jackets appeared at all the engines. Earl
Munster, Lord Melbourne, Sir John Cam Hobhouse, and
many other persons connected with Government, besides
several officers of the Guards, appeared at this time on the
scene of action. Between ten and eleven two great masses
of the frontage of the House of Lords fell in, but, in conse-
quence of the heaviness of its timbers, and probably, its nu-
merous mural subdivisions, it still continued to burn most
fiercely. The House of Commons had at this time fallen.
The flames were attacking with great force both flanks of
the Hall—the Committee-rooms on the one hand, and on
the other certain private apartments and passages commu-
nicating between the Commons and the Speaker's house.
To those within the Hall, at this period, it presented a
scene of singular impressiveness. The flames at each side
showed ominously through the upper line of Gothic case-
ments, flarinc, against the old oak timbers—through some
of the larger lower windows on the middle line ; and on the
eastern side, next the Speaker's house, the fire seemed to
glow through the lath and plaster with which they have
been screened up ; while in one place, where there has
been a private door, the wooden frame-work blazed round
an orifice, which seemed like the mouth of one of the pot-
teries. Here the Hall was in truth on fire. Before the
great window, at the same time, there was a deep dull red,
in the midst of which the ribs of the burnt building stood,
but occasionally veiled by thick volumes of smoke, or a
fall of burning particles. On the floor of the Hall, and
amid piles of brick, newly-hewn stone, timbers, and
all manner of obstructions, were the two engines worked
by their respective companies' labourers. The firemen
shouted their directions from above, and numerous busy,
meddling people, whose rank embarrassed, but whose wis-
dom afforded but little guide, from below. The wind had,
in the mean time, providentially shifted more to the west,
and, with the exception of the flames at the Committee-
room corner, turned the fire riverward and from the Hall.
There were various reports circulated on the spot, last
night, regarding the origin of the fire. Some went so far
as to say that it broke out in several different parts of the
building at the same time. Others, that the corridor to
the House of Lords was the sole place of its origin. In
either case it is insinuated that there was malice prepense,
and that we are to have a second edition of him " who fired
th' Ephesian dome." But a little more inquiry than could
be made last night is necessary before this point can be de-