The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-21 00:00:00

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT LIMEHOUSE.

On Saturday night a fire broke out at Limehouse,
which for magnitude and destruction of valuable pro-
perty has not been equalled by any conflagration in the
metropolis since that which destroyed Pickford's wale-
houses at the Camden station of the London and North-
Western Railway.
The tire broke out on the premise; known to every
traveller on the Rack wall line as the life-boat manufac-
tory of Messrs. Forrest and Co., situate between the
Stepney and Litnehouse stations of the railway. These
premises consisted of a series of lofty timber buildings,
resting upon brick wells and piers, and ruing conridtr-
ably above the level uf the line of the Blackwall Rail way,
and on each side of the line. The area c.,verecl by Ins
burning mass is estimated at four acres iu ex eut. They
were minded on the east by the oak tuuber-y rd of
Messrs. Dixon and Co., which extended to the grounds
of Limehouse Church, on the south by the cut which
leads from the Thames t the entrance to the .1.4,n River,
on the north by the Commercial-road, and on the we•t
by a street runninv down to tne creek or cut b‘Aor,.-
mentioned, called Mill-place.

--:-About 10 o'clock she alarm of fire was given, when
flames were observed rusl,ing out of a stuah house called
tee beat-house, in which a man who had charge t.f tt,e
premises resided, and who is stated to have been pulled
out of one of the windows by Mr. J. Pitceford, of the
Island Lead Works, which is reached by a bri,ge at the
south- western end of Messrs. Forrest's premise,,
or. as-
lug the River Lea Cut. No sooner had he succa. ded in
doing so than this part of the premises became a mass
of flames. Tee the continued to extend in a north-
easterly direction till it reached the timber yard of
Mr. Dixon, in which there were imtnease stacks of
oak timber of great value, and Mews. Dalton's mast
and sail yard, the whole of which, in consequence of the
combustible nature of the materials, were speedily in•
velved in flames. By 11 o'clock the fire bad extended,
despite the efforts of the servants of the company, to the
northern side of the Blackwall Railway, and the flames
shot up on either side c f the arches and line, and the
light was so great that it was seen fur a distance of many
miles. The engines of the brigade arrived in rapid succes-
sion, but in consequence of the immense extent of the
bunting mass, the efforts to reduce the fury of the fire
were of little avail. The view of the immense area of the
fire from Lea River Creek was grand in the extreme; but
trea
t
difficulty heat was so intense that even the firemen had
Front
•
r cat
difficulty in approaching near the burning ma
this point could be seen the eight or ten archsses of the
railway apparently in the midst of he fire, with the bricks
of the buttresses nearly red hot. The towerand
er of LilllCllollblll
g
Church formed the background,is naiteedless to say that
was one of terrific grandeur. It
from the outbreak the trains on ema ay were stopped.
The whole of Messrs. Forrest's workmen left the pre-
mises, as is usual on Saturdays, at .5 o'clock, and at this
period of the year there is no gas burning or fires lighted
on the premises. T
is estimated at something like
100,000/., and it ishsetaltoes
dthat Dies-re. Forrest and Mr.
Dalton are insured, but to what extent has not trans-
pired.
Another fire broke out while the above was raging, in
the Back-road, St. Georges-in-the-East, and as many en-
gibes as could be spared were draughted to that spot.

The Select Committee appointed by the House of
Lords on Friday, to inquire into the present system of
proceeditio in Porlian3eat on private belle, and to con-
sider whether any improvement can be effecttd to regu-
late and facilitate suca legislation, and diminish i s ex-
pewit), cousi.t of toe f-dlowing pr.re :—The Dukes of
Somerset and Ne xcastle, Duke of Bucch-uch, Duse of
Montrose, Eml. Stanhope, Romney, Powis, Grey, and
Granville, Lord., DunGughalcre, Eversley, Wodellouse,
Redeidale, Portman Stanley of Alderley, Belper, and
the Marquis of Clanricarde. The committee meet on
Thursday next to appoint a chairman,