The Sun.
London, England, 1856-07-21 00:00:00

EXTENSIVE CONFLAGRATION.-TREME.N
DOUS DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY.

Yesterday morning, at an early hour, the greater por-
tion of the metropolis became suddenly illuminated by
the reflection of a tire which lighted up the Tower of Lon-
don, the St. Kathariue's Dock, and adjacent buildings.
In the course of a few minutes horses were put to tile
different engines, and despatched in the direction of the
coefligration. When the engines started the firemen
' had no other beacon to guide them as to where they were
to proceed than the tremendous glare of light, and, after
travelling along- the road for some time, at length were
informed that the misfortune had taken place in tLe
premises belonging to Messrs. Hemmings and Co., port-
able church and house builders, carrying on a large busi-
nessin Tredegar-road, Bow, near the railway station.
It should be here stated that the premises of Messrs.
Hemmings and Co. occupy a large space of ground,
whereon was erected a great number of portable houses
and -eft:itches intended for exportation. The interior of
those structures were formed cf timber uprights and
cross pieces, whilst the outer surfaces were composed of
fluted zinc or corrugated ironwork.
In one part of the ground stood a range of portable
houses, about 140 feet in length, which were temporarily
used as storee, and filled with finished work, valued at
some thous end pounds. At the end of these houses, and
adj riving, were what is termed the corrugating shop;,
another series of buildings formed en a similar manner'
as the before named, having fluted iron sides and root:
Owing to the singular construction of the buildings it was
considered that they were nearly, if not wholly, fire
proof ; but such unfortunately turned out not to be the
ease, for flamer were soon seen rushing out of the diffe-
rent windows in one of the houses used as a stet). At-
tempts were made 'to clear the different stores of their
contents, but without much benefit, and in a very brief
period, and before the engines could arrive from London,
four of the houses became enveloped in immense sheets
of fl erne, and the corrugating shops at the end had alsd
taken fire.
By the time the engines had arrived a. good supply of
water was furnished under the personal direction of Mr.
P. Edinger, the inspector of the East London Company,
and the firemen taking advantage of the saute, at. Oiled
set to work in their usual daring and intrepid manner ;
but, ire spite of their indefatigable exertions, the work of
destruction continued, and before any visible impression
could be made upon the conflegration the whole of the
four houses and the costly contents were destroyed, and
there seemed little, if any, chance of saving any part
of the corrugating slops. The firemen, however, even-
tualiy had the gratification of extinguishing the flames
in the last-named premises.
The total loss is veri considerable, and will partly fall
upon the Norwich Union Insurance Office.
Mr. Superintendent Braid wood, in his official report,
describes the damage done as follows :
" Four houses, u red as stores, and a large quantity of
finished work destroyed. The corrugating houses ad-
joining damage tby lire. The cause of fire unknown."
A fire also took place on the same premises orythe
14th of DecauLer last, at which coneiderable damage
was done.

Fires a!so occurred in Roston-square, where the upper
parts of a cabinet maker's Premises, belonging to /Mr.
Harris, were destroyed, and the adjoining premises on
either side much damaged ; and in the premises of Mr.
Rolls, a japanner, in the Marlborough-road, Old Kent-
road, which destroyed a range of drying-rooms, 40 feet
long, and their contents. Both sufferers were insured.