The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-07 00:00:00

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT WEST coffrES.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
COWES, Aram 6.
About 8 o'clock on Saturday evesing a fire was els;
covered in the joiners' shop of Messrs. White's dockyard
at West Cowes, in sir near the chip-hole. In a veil,
few minutes the fire burst through the sides and roof of
the building. The dock fire engine and the two belong'
ing to the town were got to work with as little delay as
possible, but the buildings being wooden ones, and full
of timber, paint, &c., all the eff ids that could be made
had no effect, and the hose of the engines were therefore
turned on the ships building in the yard. At 9 o'clock
there appeared to be hardly a chance of saving any of
them, nor those in the adjoining building-yard, belong'
ing to Mr. Hanson, and the lone, Royal yacht schooner
of 75 tons, which was on his patent slip repairing, Was •
then launched. There Ras such an immense quantity •
of timber and piles of deals and planks in the yard that
the engines could not be got into the most desirable
positions ; add to which the wind was blowing strong
directly from the burning buildings on to the ships, that
it is perfectly a miracle that not only the whole.orthe
ships and mortar vessels, but the gun• boat and steamer,
were not destroyed ; indeed that Hansen's shipyard'
with the workshops of the Messrs. White and their
dwelling-houses had not fallen a prey to the flames.
ship of 800 tons, in frame, building for a London firm,
was repzatedly on fire, and she is much burnt amidships.
The fire was greatly subdued by 11 o'clock, about which
time a large fire-engine was brought down from NEW:
port. J. H. Hearn, Esq., the mayor of Newport, and
a large body of firemen, came down with it. Mr. Moms',
the Cowes agent for the Unity Firepffice, had bad
large coach-boat got ready for the engine, into which it
was immediately taken, and as it was high water it was
'hauled round under the stern of the ship, and efficiently
played on her. The fire was not wholly got under be' •
fore 4 o'clock. At 6 o'clock the Echo, Government
steamer, arrived from Portsmouth with four fire•engiesi•
Tao fire was distinctly seen from Portsmouth and Lb. -
neighbouring towns, The damage done is calculated,
at between 4,0001. and 5,0001. The buildings and
stock destroyed are fully insured in the Sun. Fire-
office. The ship is insured in the Unity, and the amount
of damage done to her may probably be about 3001. _
The joiners and other workmen • will be very serious
sufferers, from the quantity of their tools that are de-
stroyed, and" very few, if any, of them are insured.
There are probably 100 men so unfortunately situated,
when for a few shillings a-year they might hive insured --
their valuable articles, which now it will take them
years to replace. Several men fell overboard in the
confusion, but sustained only a wetting. A .young max '
named Harris had some of his ribs broken by a plank
falling On'him. It is wonderful that many serious acct•
dents did not happen to the men, who employed them. -
selves throwing down the burning scaffolding connect-
ing the ship with the burning workshops, the planks
forming which being at the time on fire.
Mr. John White, the head of the firm, was in London
with his family. Mr. Robert White was in the yard all
night, most efficiently directing the men in the working
of the engines, and he was ably assisted by the work-
men, tradesmen, police, and the troops from East Cowed
and from Parkhurst Barracks. The commander and
crew of the Stag, revenue cutter, rendered good service.