The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-02 00:00:00

TREMENDOUS FIRES AND GREAT LOSS

OF PROPERTY.

Yesterday morning, at an early hour, a fire, attended
with a great loss of property, and almost fatal results to
several persons, happened in the extensive premises
belonging to Messrs. Lewis and Co., furniture brokers,
situate at No. 5, Savoy-plaoe, Newington-causeway.
The discovery was made by a poliee-officer of the L
division, who, in passing on the opposite side of the
road, noticed smoke issuing from the lower part of the
building. Feeling convinced that the plane was on fire
he gave an immediate alarm, and after considerable
trouble he succeeded in making the inmates sensible of
their impending danger, and they fortunately succeeded
in effecting a safe retreat from the building, with
nothing more on than their night-clothes.

Intelligence of the disaster having been sent to the
various quarters for proper assistance, with as little loss
of time as possible the Royal Society's fire escapes
arrived, as well as the brigade engines from Waterloo-
road, Southwark-bridge-road, that of the West of
England Insurance Office, and others of the London
establishment from Chandos•street, Watling-street, and
Farringdon-street. By the time the firemen arrived the
building, which was 40 feet wide and upwards of 20
feet deep, and two stories high, presented a scene of
fearful grandeur, inasmuch as the flames were rolling
through the roof and out of the different windows,
threatening destruction to the premises of Mr. T. Wells,
a tobacconist and cigar dealer (No. 4), and those of Mr.
G. Howlett, zinc warehouseman (No. 3),.in the same
thoroughfare.

Under the direction of Mr. Henderson, the chief
officer of the D section and engineer Holloway, the
engines were set to work, from abundant streams of water
furnished by the Lambeth and Southwark Companies,
but notwithstanding the fearful element continued to
rage ; and it was not arrested until the premises,
and all they contained, were nearly destroyed, and
the adjoining houes of Mr. Wells and Howlett were
alto extensively injured by fire, water, and removal.

The sufferers were insured in the Sun, Royal Exchange,
and British Empire Fire-offices. •
The origin of the disaster is unknown.
A very alarming, and at the earns time destructive,
fire took place in the premises belonging to Mr. J.
Abrahams, a carpenter and joiner, situate No. 2,
Trinity-street, Rotherhithe. The flames commenced,
from some unexplained cause, in the workshop, a
range of buildings nearly 40 feet wide, filled with
articles of the most combustible character. A mounted
police-officer was instantly dispatched to town for
the aid of the engines, and forthwith Mr. Braidwood,
the superintendent, and Mr. Henderson, the foreman of
the brigade, started to the scene, and they were pre.
ceded by a private engine. Unfortnnat.ily the mains
of the Kent Company,.which run through the district,
for the period of three quarters of an hour, yielded not
a' drop of water, and the flames being thereby unre-
strained, they travelled with fearful impetuosity, until
eventually the whole of the workshops and the sheds
adjoining were complAely encircled in flame, At
leegth water was procured, and the fire was eventually
extinguished, hut not until the whole of the workshops
were consumed, as well II the valuable goods contained
therein, and the adjoining premises seriously damaged.
Fortunately the property destroyed was insured in the
Phoenix Fire-office and also the Manchester office.

A serious fire likewise happened at the Royal Exotic
Nursery, the property of Mr. Jas. Veitch, situate in the
King's-road West,, Chelsea. The fire commenced from
the heat of the furnace-flue in the store-room on the
ground-floor, in which a costly stock of goods, valued at
probably several thousand pounds, was stored away.
Fro it that part of the building the fire extended to the
hot-houses, also filled with plants, bulbs, and the choicest
exotics. The engines of the parish, three or four of the
London Brigade, and that of the West of England-office,
arrived, and owing to the exertions of the firemen and
the parish engineer the flames were subdued, but not
until the store-rooms were destroyed, the contests
reduced to ashes, and the hot-houses adjoining and
their contents severely damaged by fire, water, and
removal. The loss, it is understood, will fall upon the
Pbcenix Fire-office.