The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-27 00:00:00

PRUSSIA.

A letter from Berlin, dated Feb. 21, after allu-
ding to the various rumours of a rapprochement be•
tween Austria and Prussia, says :

_ .• _ _
"At Vienna, as well as at Berlin, nothing will
be done until the. state of affairs in Europe is clearly
defined, and this must shortly take place, on ac-
count of three questions which must soon be re-
solved—the result of the debates in the English
Parliament; the issue of the negotiations between
France and Austria concerning Venetia, and the
war which may ensue therefrom; and, finally, the
•annexation of Savoy to France.
" When the hour of decision shall have struck,
Prussia may, probably, have more difficulties to
overcome than last year, for it may be necessary
to make an offensive war. Now it would be neces-
sary to induce the German States to take the field,
while last year Prussia had only to ask them to
follow her."

GREAT FIRE IN TILE CITY.
(THIS' DAY.)
A most destructive conflagration, attended with immense

loss of property, broke out this morning about half-past ten,
on the premises occupied by Messrs. Morley, late Keen,
Rippen, and Co., silk and shawl warehousemen, 122,
Wood-street, Cheapside. It is almost unnecessary to ob-
serve that, on an alarm of fire being raised in such a narrow
thoroughfare as Wood-street, Cheapside, occupied as it is
almost entirely by wholesale silk, lace, and Manchester
warehousemen, the greatest excitement was instantly
produced, which became heightened by the fact that
all entrance to the building in which the fire was
raging was barred by immense tongues of flame which
kept issuing from the basement and ground floor
doors and windows. The police, as soon as the cala

mity became known, took possession of the street, and the
numerous entrances thereto were strongly guarded by the
constables, so that on the arrival of the engines no impedi••
meat was offered to their being got instantly into operation.
At least a dozen engines from the Fire Brigade Establish-
ment were quickly in attendance, and the greatest exertions
were used to extinguish the flames, but all efforts to accom-
plish this appeared futile, as instead of decreasing the fire
was rapidly extending itself backwards. The moment this
became known a number of engines were ordered by Mr.
Braidwood to be taken round into Gutter-lane, and
there set to work. The most successful results fol-
lowed this arrangement. For at least an hour and a
half torrents of water were poured on the burning mass by
the brigade men, and a number of auxiliaries in Wood-
street, who manfully kept their station at the engines despite
the cataracts that were momentarily falling upon them
from the engines in operation in Gutter-lane. But one point
seemed to defy all efforts, namely, the cellar of the ware-
house. At length it was discovered to arise from the main
gas pipe in the front cellar, when one of the servants of the
Chartered Gas Company, Benjamin Branch, with the
greatest coolness and courage volunteered to enter the place
and plug up the orifice. Having possessed himself
of the necessary tools for the operation, he allowed
himself to be lowered into the cellar, and in a minute or
two the immense flame became invisible. Branch shortly
afterwards returned from his perilous position in perfect
safety, having successfully accomplished all he promised
to perform. The gallant fellow, notwithstanding the ex-
citement that prevailed, was highly complimented by a
number of gentlemen whe had witnessed the daring act.
At 12 o'clock the fire, so far as any fresh extension was
concerned, was subdued, but the engines were kept in ope-
ration until the flames were completely subdued.
The back premises of Messrs. Hedger, Sturgeon, and
Peacock, No. 121, Wood-street, suffered severely from the
effects of the fire, whilst Messrs. Young and Rance's ware-
house must have sustained great injury from the.water.
The premises and stock of Messrs. Morley are totally
destroyed, but we believe they are fully insured.
The fire was occasioned by an explosion of gas from
the " centre plate " which had been placed under the front
windows on the ground floor.
Some of the assistants of Messrs. Morley were injured by
the fire in their efforts to escape, but none, as far as we could
learn, fatally.
The loss of property is immense.

MR. MOORE'S " APOLLO AND

M.ABSYAB.."

,From the Gazzettf4 Offiziale de Venezia of Feb 18.)
The Supreme Ministry of Worship and Public
.nstruction, by a despatch of the 28th of last
January, No. 1,592-23, ordains that room be made
in the halls of the Accademia for a public exhibition
of the painting representing " Apollo and Marsyas"
belonging to Mr. Morris Moore, of which the Acca-
demia preserves the original drawing. The Presi-
dency therefore hasten to make known the follow-
ing notice, to the end that the public have full
cognisance of this exhibition.
Mr. Morris Moore, possessor of the famous paint-
ing, by Raphml, representing " Apollo and Marsy as,'
the original drawing for which is preserved in this
I. R. Accademia di Belle Arti, after having exhi-
bited it in the principal cities of Europe, as Paris,
Munich, Dresden, Vienna, &c., to public admira-
tion, which was full and entire, resolved to come
among us, that the painting itself might be
placed, after a separation of three centuries
and a half, beside the drawing which re-
veals the first idea of the immortal artist.
For the period of ten days, then, commencing on
Monday next, the 20th of February, the painting
in question will be exhibited from 11 a.m. until
3 p.m., together with the drawing, that all may
see it who love the polite arts, which have risen in
Italy to imperishable glory in virtue of the mighty
spirits of whom she was mother, and over whom
sits Prince the Urbinate. And, as the kindness
and humanity of the aforesaid Mr. Morris Moore
has desired that, as was elsewhere by him effected,
the proceeds of the entrance fee, fixed at 25 soldi
for those not belonging to the I. R. Accademia,
should be devoted to the fund for succour to un-
fortunate artists ; thus all are incited to contem-
plate a most celebrated work of Sanzio, of whom
Venice suffers entire defect, and so to co-operate
towards augmenting that fund from which art and
,o
artists await aid and comfort.