The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-31 00:00:00

DOllOl%lll AND SPITALFIELDS.

The demand has improved. rine parcels command
full prices, with a fair average business doing, but other
kinds are a slow sale. The markets are well but not
heavily supplied. The imports into London last week
consisted of 88 tons from Dunkirk, 110 Rouen, 42 St•
Brieux, and 46 bags from Caen.
Regents
Scotch Regents
Flukes „1008 to 1508 „

WOOL.

Colonial wool has met with but little attention since our
last report; nevertheless, prices are unaltered. The trade
for English wool has inch decidedly quiet, but prices rule

firm. Last week's imports consisted of 1,444 bales from
the Cape of Good Hope, and 559 bales from Odessa.

Current prices of English wool per lb.

sd s d
Fleeces—South Down hogets 1 71 1
Half-bred do 1 9/ 1 10/
Kent fleeces
South Down ewes and wethers 1 7 1 8
Leicester do
Sorts—Clothing
Combing

TALLOW.

The tallow trade is firm to-day, and P.Y.C. is putecl at
44s 9d to 45s per cwt on the spot. Town tallow is worth
43s 31 net cash. Rough fat, 2s 2id per 81bs.

Jan. 1, Dec. 31,
1861. 1865. 1866. 1866.
Stock—(this day)
Prices of Y.O (4ls 9(1 to ils 3d 48s 3d 41s 9(1
142 s 00 —s 05 48s 65 45s 05
Delivery last week
Ditto from June 1
Arrival last week 990 1,411 349
Ditto from June 1 75,33`) 68,249 85,010 77,1)2
Price of Town

DE3TRUCTIVE FIRE AT THE CRYSTAL
PALACE.

Yesterday an alarming fire broke out at the Crystal
Palace, threatening at one time the destruction of the
entire fabric. The fire was discovered in the northern
transept, but where exactly and how it originated are
not at present known. The prevailing opinion is that
it was in some way attributable to the over-heating of
the flues employed in warming the Tropical Depart-
ment. It was first observed about 2 o'clock in the
afternoon, and a gentleman residing in the neigh-
bourhood is said to have heard a slight explosion as
he passed the northern end of the building about
that time. This attracted his attention, and pre-
sently afterwards he saw smoke and flame. He
immediately gave an alarm, but by that time the
men on duty in the Palace had become aware of the
fire, and were doing their best to cope with it and
to summon assistance. The alarm was flashed by
telegraph to the head-quarters of the Metropolitan
Fire Brigade in Watling-street, City, and Captain
Shaw, with seven powerful engines and all the
men whom he could collect, was soon on his way
to the scene, other members of the Brigade fol-
lowing, until at length nearly 100 of them
had reached the spot. The alarm was received
at Watling-street at 20 minutes past 3. In the
meantime an engine from Croydon and another from
Clapham, which were the first to arrive, did good
service in controlling the fire, until the superior
force, with all the necessary means and appliances,
under the direction of Captain Shaw, reached
the spot and was brought into action. For-
tunately their operations were not in the, least
delayed or impeded by any lack of water, the
numerous hydrants in the Palace and the fountains
outside being readily available. Fortunately, also,
the wind, which was from the south-west, blew
the flames away from the main body of the fabric,
and confined them very much to the compa-
ratively limited area in which the fire began. But
what, probably, more than anything else, or more
than all other fortunate circumstances together,
saved the Palace from destruction, was the im-
mense screen, partly of glass and partly of canvas,
which separated, and still separates, the tropical
compartment from the rest of the nave. Volumes
of water were thrown upon the canvas, and in that
way the screen was preserved ; but, what was of
more importance, it served to cut off the current of
air which would otherwise have rushed along the
nave, and carried with it the flames. As it was, the
north-eastern transept was almost wholly de-
stroyed, and a huge breach made in that eud of the
building. With the transept perished the Queen's
apartments and the library attached. Tip Assyrian,
Alhambra, Byzantine, and Indian Courts were
more or less injured by fire or water, or both, and
the gallery containing marine architectural models
was destroyed, as were also the carpenters' shops,
situated at the north east end of the building and
below the flooring. Some of the floors of the
water-tower also caught fire, one after another,
but the fire there was speedily extinguished, and
the tower is said not to have bceu materially in-
jured. Nearly the whole of the animals and birds
have, however, perished, including the monkeys,
and chimpanzee, the singing birds, the working
bees, the parrots and cockatoos, and " the Baby
Hippopotamus." A fine parrot brought from Flo-
rida, and given to the company by M. Blondin, was
saved by the Duke of Sutherland fro:u the destruc-
tion to which its companions were doomed.
Mr. Bowley, the manager, who resides in the im-
mediate neighbourhood of the Palace was early
on the spot on the alarm being given, as
were also two of the directors, Mr. Olgivie and
Mr. Bicknell, and Mr. Williams, the deputy-
manager. Chief Superintendent Walker and about
50 picked men of the metropolitan police were de-
spatched to the Palace to aid the divisional police,
under the charge of Superintendent Payne, in main-
taining order, and others followed to the number
of about 200 in the aggregate. Thirteen persons are
said to have been apprehended in the course of the
day within and about the building for acts of theft
and other offences.

Up to 11 o'clock last night all was safe, no further
danger was apprehended, and the Palace will be
open to the public to-day and henceforward as
usual.