The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-01 00:00:00

DESTRUCTIVE FIRES.

Last night, between the hours of nine and ten
o'clock, the inhabitants of Skinner-street, Snow-
hill, and the adjacent thoroughfares were greatly
alarmed in consequence of the outbreak of a most
serious fire, which in a comparatively brief period
laid in ruin property valued at a considerable sum,
probably several thousand pounds sterling.
The premises in which the disaster took place
were in the joint tenure of Mr. J. T. Loader, and
known as the Bible warehouse, and Messrs. Frazier
and Co., pattern card manufacturers, situate at the
rear of No. 57 in the first-named thoroughfare.
The premises were of great altitude, and stretched
in one direction as far as Smith's-court, and on the
other side was Ironmonger-court, both places being
tenanted by poor but industrious families. A fire
breaking out in such a confined neighbourhood, as
might be expected, would cause great alarm under
ordinary circumstances,but on the present occasion
the fire proved far more rapid in its progress than an
ordinary fire generally assumes, for before the nearest
engine (Farringdon-street brigade) had time to be
called, the flames shot forth in immense sheets, and
rose so high into the air as to light up the steeple
of St. Sepulchre's Church, and perhaps for years
the stonework of Newgate has not been seen so
perfectly for miles distant.
The discovery, it appears, was made by Police-
constable 273, of the City police force, by smelling
for some time wood burning, but although he
searched diligently, he was unable to find out the
seat of the fire until a body of sparks shot through
the different windows. Ile at once despatched
messengers to call the engines, and remained him-
self to keep the doors, and by that expedient much
valuable property was saved, as the populace
was prevented from entering and plundering the
[adjoining premises.
r. Superintendent Braidwood and Mr. Fogg,
the foreman of the B district, and Engineer Per-
ryer, arrived on the spot in less than five minutes
after the alarm was given, and some six or seven
other engines followed in rapid succession. A good
supply of water from the mains of the New River
Company having been procured, the various engines
were set to work, and copious streams of water were
thrown upon and into the burning building, but in
spite of which the fearful element continued to
spread, and all of a sudden the roof fell in, and a
portion of the brick and tile work fell into Smith's-
court, to the evident alarm of the inmates. The fire-
men, however, kept to their work, but it was nearly
two hours before the flames could be got under and
not until the upper floors were burnt out, and he
whole of the lower floors seriously damaged by fire
and water. The origin of the misfortune is enveloped
in mystery, and owing to the absence of the owners,
it was impossible to tell whether they were insureA
or not.

The firemen had barely got the command over
this fire, when a messenger came to Mr. Braidwood
akd informed him that the tremendous pile of ware-
houses belonging to Mr. Alderman llumphery,
known as Hibernia-wharf, satiate at the foot of
London-bridge, on the Surrey aide, were on fire.
Some five or six engines were at once despatched to
the spot, when the firemen found dense masses of
smoke pouring from thelfirst-floor windows at the
eastern end of the wharf, next to the Bridge House
Hotel. That part of the wharf was occupied by
Messrs. Hicks Brothers, general merchants, and
the upper floors by numerous other merchants and
wharfingers. The discovery was made by Shine, the
watchman, by perceiving an unusual flickering light
in the floor, and a body of smoke issuing from the
windows. He at once communicated with Police-
Sergeant No. 11 M, who came and kept the doors
while the watchman went off to call the engines.
Mr. Superintendent Branford and Inspector Reid
of the M division were quickly upon the spot, and
kept the road clear for the operations of the fire-
neon. The powerful steam float was also drafted
alongside the wharf, and, after breaking the win-
dows, copious streams of water were thrown into
the building, but it was impossible to tell to what
extent the fire had progressed, for even at 12 o'clock
at night dense masses of smoke were still pouring
forth, but Mr. Henderson the chief officer of the 1)
district, with a powerful body of firemen and numer-
ous engines, were kept in attendance, lest the fire
should make anything like a formidable appear-
ance. Inspectors Mitchell and Everett, of the City
police, who were on duty in Skinner-street, sent off
to Mr. Superintendent Bramford, wishing to kr.ow
whether any of the constables of their divisions on
duty in Skinner-street would be required to take
charge of London-bridge.
No positive orders could be given, as it was im-
possible to tell what might be the extent of the
misfortune at the time. The fire, it is supposed,
was caused by the overheating of a quantity of
hempseed.

'Phis fire happened in precisely the same place as
the one which destroyed the whole of Mr. Alder-
man Humphery's wharf some years since.