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

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT LIALEHousE.

On Saturday night a fire br .1:e out at Limehouse,
winch for magnitude and destruction e f vuluable pro-
perty has not been equalled by any conflagration in the
metropolis eirce that which destroyed Pickford's ware-
houses at the Camden station of the London and North-
Western Railway.
The fire breke out on the premises known to every
traveller on the Rack wall lino as the life-boat manufac-
tory of Messrs. Forrest and Co., situ ere between the
Stepney and Lituehowe stations of the railway. Tnese
premises consisted of a series cf lofty timber buildings,
resting upon brick walls and piers, and rising consider-
ably above the level c f the line of the Black wall Railway,
and on each ride of the line. The area covered by the
burning mass is estimated at four acres in ex.ect. They
were le mnded on the east by the oak timber-prd of
Messrs. Dixon and Co., which extended to the grounds
of Liniebiuso Church, on the south by the cut which
leads from the Thames t the entrance to the Lea River,
on the north by the Commercial-road, and on the we t
by a street runnicc down to the creek or cut before-
mentioned, called Mill-place.
About 10 o'clock the alarm of fire was given, when
flames were observed rushing out of a small house called
the beat-house, in which a man who had charge of the
premises resided, and who is stated to have been pulled
out of one of the windows by Mr. J. Pitchford, of the
Island Lead Works, which is reached by a bridge at the
southwestern end of Messrs. Forrest's premises, cross-
ing the River Lea Cut. No sooner had he Elleed ded in
doing so than this part of the premises became a mass
of flames. The fire continued to extend in a north-
easterly direction till it reached the timber yard of
Mr. Dixon, in which there were immense stacks of
oak timber of great value, and Messrs. Dalton's mast
and sail yard, the whole of which, in consequence of the
combustible nature of the materials, were speedily in-
volved in flames. By 11 o'clock the fire had e x:ended,
despite the efforts of the servants of the company, to the
northern side of the Bleckwall Railway, and the flames
shot up on either side of the arches and line, and the
light was so gnat that it was seen fur a distance of many
miles. The engines of the brigade arrived in rapid yucca,
con, but in consequence of the immense extent of the
burning mass, the efforts to reduce the fury of the fire
were of little avail. Tne view of the immense area of the
fire from Lea River Creek was grand in the extreme, but
the heat was so intense that even the firemen had great
difficulty in approaching near the burning tease. Flow
this point could be seen the eight or ten arches of the
railway apparently in the midst of thefts, with the bricks
of the but resses nearly red hot. The tower of Limehonse
Church formed the background, and altogether the scene
was one of terrific grandeur. it is needless to say that
ircm the outbreak the trains on the rail e ay were stopped.
The whole of Messre. Forrest's workmen left the pre-
cliBeFle 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. Trio loss is estimated at something like
100,0001., end it is stated that Alts:r. M
. Fcrrest and e
Dalton ate 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, aud as many en-
gines as could be srared were drauglated to that spot.

The Select Cummittfe auointed by th 3 House of
Lords on Friday, to inquire into the present system of
proceedings in Parliament on private His, and to con-
sider whether any improvement can be effected to regu-
late and facilitate such legi,lation, and diminish ex-
pense, conei-t of the following peers :—The Dukes of
Somerset and Newcastle, Duke of Buccleucb, Duke of
Montrose, Earl-4 Stanhope, Romney, Pewis, Grey, and
Granville, Lordi Doncugbmore, Evershy, Viodtheuse,
Redesdaie, Postman Stanley of A!derity, Belptr, and
tfe Mare-Lula of Clauricard.. rittet cr,
Iburidaiy aext to apixeirtt a chain:an.