The Sun.
London, England, 1851-01-16 00:00:00

COTTON MILL BURNED.

MANCHESTER, JAN. 15.—Since FrAgy morning
last we have had no less than b;X orfier fires, (Jilt• of
which, lust evening, destroyed a considerable portion
of the cotton factory of Messrs. Robert iilarsland :;m1
Co., Ancoats.

Messrs. Robert Marsland and Co. are spinners and
doublers, and their premises, called the Ancoats-
bridge Mills, consist of three parallel buildings, on the
north side of the river reledlock, the middle and prin-
cipal building being 120 feet long old 32 broad, awl
consisting of six stories and an attic. It was in this
larger building, filled principally with spinning ma-
chinery, that the fire originated. It was discovered
about a quarter past six o'clock in the evening—the
work-people having left their employment at six—by
some perscns outside the mill, who immediately com-
municated the fact that there was a strong
light in the top story to the private
watchman. An alarm was given immedi-
ately in the neighbourhood, and Messrs. Galli-
more and Co.' whose print works are on the
opposite bank of the River Medlock, sent a private
fire-engine, which was got into play with considerable
e&ct, ttough some delay occurred owing to the
muddy bed of the river rendering it necessary that
the water should be laden into tubs before it could
be passed through the engine. The town fire-engines,
under the direction of Mr. Thomas hose, arrived at
the scene of the fire about twenty minutes to seven
o'clock. At this time the fire, which had commenced
at the north end of the mill, had extended nearly the
whole length of the building, and the two upper
stories—the sixth and seventh were a mass of flames.
By the energy of the firemen—who succeeded in
getting at the flames by taking the hose from the
engines to the top of the adjoining buildings, and
directing the jets of water immediately into the
winclaws of the top stories—the flames were much
reduced by ten o'clock, and there was a hope that
the damage would be confined to the two top
stories of the mill. By an accident which occurred
at about this time similar to that at the fire of
Messrs. Wallace and Co.'s, last week, the amount of
damage was much augmented. The floor and
other supports of the top stories appear to
have been so much injured by the fire,
that about ten o'clock they were no longer
capable of sustaining the weight of machinery upon
them at the north end, and the floor, extending along
nearly one-half the building from the north end full-
ing in, carried down corresponding portions of
the fifth, fourth, third, and second stories to the
bottom of the mill. Had the fire not been so much
reduced at this time, it is probable that the flames
would have extended to the lower stories of the other
part of the building, in which case the destruction of
the entire mill would have been almost inevitable.
As it is, the fire has destroyed nearly one-half of the
larger mill, and the two top stories of the remainder,
including the entire roof. The whole of the walls
are standing, except a small portion of the top on the
western side. The other buildings upon the premises
have not suffered except from water. The buildings
are insured in the North of England to the amount of
2,7001.; in the West of England for 2.9001 ; in the
Guardian for 6001. ; and in the Atlas for 600/. ; total,
6,8001. The amount of damage done by the fire is
estimated at about 5,0001. About two hundred and
thirty hands will be thrown out of employment by the
calamity. The cause of the fire is not known. It is
said to have originated in some waste rovings at the
north end of the sixth story of the building, but how
they were ignited is a mystery.