The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-19 00:00:00

GREAT F1R1; IN THE CITY.

The most extensi•te fire which has occurred
within the City borindariies for some years past
broke out on Saturday morning at a few minutes
before eight o'clo ck in Ivy-lane, Paternoster-row.
The fire commenced in a large double house num-
bered 3 and 4 iii the first-named lane, which was
five floors high., probably fifty feet wide, and ex-
tending to ttie rear of the houses in Lovell's-
court and Paternoster-row. The ground floor of
this build;,ng was termed the Literary Coffee and
Reading-rooms ; the first floor was occupied by
Mr. W. H. Hutchinson's lace and muslin ware,
houses ; the third and fourth floors were in the
tenure. of Messrs. Reed and Pardon, printers. The
moment the unwelcome discovery was made an
alum was sounded, when a scene of indescriba-
ble confusion ensued, for it being market morning
every approach to the fire and the whole of the
lane became crowded with butchers. In the course
of a few minutes Mr. Superintendent Braidwood
and Mr. Colf, the firemen of the B district, and en-
gineers Swanton, Fleming, and various other officers
attended with nearly a dozen of the powerful bri-
gade engines. The warehouses of Mr. Hutchinsop,
with the costly stock in trade, were in a general
sheet of flame, and then the printing offices of
Messrs. Reed and Pardon were encircled. Engineer
Swanton at great trouble succeeded in drawing a
plug, and one or two engines were set t 3 work, but
the supply of water was found too limited to have
any effect upon the violence of the destroying ele-
ment, and before a better supply could be ob-
tained the flames continued their ravages, seizing
in rapid succession upon the premises of Messrs.
lEdmonds and Remnant, the well-known book-
binders, and forming four houses, from 8 to 12, in
Lovell's-court. The flames next laid hold of the
premises belonging to Mr. Kent, bookseller, No. 21,
Paternoster-row. Every one hen present looked
with amazement at the fearful scene, as the whole
of the row and lane appeared doomed to be levelled
with the ground, more especially as the flames had
communicated to the premises of Mr. Virtue, the
extensive publisher, No. 26, Ivy-lane. The firemen
at length having obtained a good supply of water,
went to work in their usual intrepid manner by en-
tering the burning premises, and by so doing several
nearly lost their lives, for whilst they were stand-
ing in the coffee-house projecting the water fur-
nished by the engines, the whole of the heavy
presses standing in the third and fourth floors fell
through with a noise resembling a clap of thunder.
The firemen next directed the water from the
engines upon the premises of Messrs. Virtue,
Fisher, and Co., and Edmonds and Remnant, the
latter firm having already the first and second floor
windows burnt out ; and some thousand gallons of
water falling amongst the costly printed goods, it
is hardly necessary to say that the damage
done to this property alone must be of great
extent. Fortunately, the loss will be partially
covered by an insurance in the Phoenix Fire-
office. The firemen, by unremitting exertion, suc-
ceeded in getting the fire out, or nearly so,
by noon ; but it is impossible at present to give
a correct estimate of the damage done, as the
proprietor of the coffee-house did not sleep on the
premises, and he has not been seen since the out-
break. Mr. Hutchinson's premises are entirely
consumed as well as the stock; he was insured in
the Globe. Messrs. Reed and Pardon's premises
are burned out, but they are insured in the Gene-
ral Fire-effice. Messrs. Virtue's premises are
greatly damaged by water ; insurance not known.
The back warehouses of Mr. Kent are likewise
damaged very much by fire and water, as well as
the counting-house ; insured in the Sun-office.
Several of the other contiguous buildings have also
sustained serious damage by fire and water. The
origin of the catastrophe is at present enveloped in
mystery, but one thing
seems quite certain—that
the fire began in the kitchen of the coffee-house.

day night Mr. Brown, the remaining
THE
EDINBURGH ANNUITY-TAX.—On Wednes-
tax, was released from prison. At the dose of the public
martyr of the annuity-
meeting on Wednesday request was made that members pre-
sent of Lothian-road United Presbyterian Church should re-
main behind, and the result of their conference was a sub-
scription to pay the tax and release their conscientious
brother, who was accordingly the same night restored to his
family after a week's experience of " durance vile." Such
has been the inevitable result of all the income-tax impri-
sonments undergone by would-be sufferers for conscience'
sake—some less scrupulous friends invariably intervening
ere long and satisfying the collector's demands. During Mr.
Brown's brief imprisonment, he has employed his time
in the preparation of a brochure entitled a dialogue be-
tween "Dead Brown and Living Brown." the first-named
sharer in the colloquy being the shade of a very estimable
and able voluntary clergyman lately deceased, Dr. John.
Brown, whose horror of the tax was such that he offered
his goods to seizure on various occasions rather than pay,
and finally removed to a suburb of the town to be out of
reach df the impost. It is said that the late prisoner's
health, which was very delicate before his incarceration, has
become so impaired by the excitement and confinement as
to necessitate his removal to the Bridge of Allan.
THE WALLACE MONUMENT.—The Wallace
Scottish
atower,
staircase
ead proposedg t 0
Monument Committee have awarded the first premium (fiAy
pwrehsieenhts‘iil
guineas) to Mr. J. G. Rochead, architect, Glasgow. The
Irbede 2i2OvalfeeSteo,
design
height or represents
the summit.