The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-02 00:00:00

TOTAL DESTRUCTION 0? DARBY'S
FIRE WOR4 FACTORY, LAMBETH.

Yesterday (Wednesday) morning at an early hour a fire,
attended wit,, a serious loss of property, and almost with
fatal results to three persons, happened in the premises
belonging to Mr. Isl. Darby, firework maker to the
Queen and many public gardens, carrying on busineis at
No. 9S, Regent-street, Lambeth-walk.
The premips in which the misfortune commenced were
four floors high, including the basement—the lower rooms
being well stocked with pyrotecht ie devices, whilst the'
upper parts of the homie were occupied as sleeping rooms
for the accommodation of three p'arties who were left, in
charge of the building of a night. On Tuesday night tro
of Mr. Darby's sons went to ,bed in one of the top rooms,
and a fema'e servant named Broad retired to rest in a
ro nn on the same floor.
Shortly after one o'clock yesterday morning, a p:ilice-
rnan of the L division, whilst standing opposite the pre-
mises, had his'attention directed to the kitchen or base-

ment floor by hearing an unusual noise proceeding from
that part of the house. The constable immediately
crossed the road to see what had occurred, he at first
thinking that thieves had entered the place. He had,
however, scarcely time enough to get to the railings in
front of the building, than he became aware of the dire-
ful nature Of the accident, for several gross of small fire-
works, such as squibs, Catherine wheels, roman candles,
and rocket, exploded, making a noise like the discharge
of many fire-arms,' At the same time sheets of flame of
various colours shot forth from the windows, and could
be seen travelling up the staircase towards the rooms in
which Mr. Darby's sons and the servant were sleeping.
T
out
butliui someia flee IwY;sprang
minutes elapsedh i3mole,
a
before n hd
called
make the occupants sensible of their impending danger,
and not until the flames had taken complete• possession
of the staircase, th reby cutting off ail means of retreat
in that quarter. The three ,persens having gained one of
the front windows, they begged of the parties in the
street to run off and fetch the Royal Society's fire-escape,
but whilst this was being done, a ladder was brought,
raised in front of the house and the lives of the three in-
dividaals were happily saved, the escape arriving within
a few minutes after the persons had been rescued.
The necessary intelligence having been sent to the va-
rious engine-houses with all possible expedition, the large
engine belonging to Messrs. Hodges' distillery, that of
the parish, and several of the London brigade, West of
England Insurance Company, and others attended. The
firemen then found the flames issuing from every window
in front of the building, and at frequent intervals loud
explosinns ensued. Fortunately, the fire-plugs of the
Lambeth and Southwark Water Companies
,yielded a
plentiful supply of the opposing element ; and the fire-
men, taking advantage of that fact, had their engines
set in operation, when•the men went to work in an in-
trepid manner, and, by taking the hose into the front
Windows, they were enabled to scatter continuous
streams of water upon the conflagration, a work of no
little risk, owing to the frequent ex?losions of rockets
and other fireworks. The men, however, nothing daunted
by the danger they were exposed to, kept to their posts,
and eventually-had the satisfaction of seeing the fire
palpably diminish beneath the weight of water thrown
upon it. This, however, could not be accomplished
until the destructive element had taken a complete sweep
through every room in the building, consuming in its
progress the whole of the zOanufactured stock in trade,
the prepared composition, and the costly furniture,
wearing apparel, &c. Fortunately the gunpowder was
kept iu a magazine away from the house, and Ithe fire
not being able to reach it prevented a far more serious
explosion than any that had occurred upon the ignition
of the fireworks previously alluded to. The loss is very
considerable, and it is to be; regretted that Mr. Darby
was not insured for either stock in trade, furniture, or
the building. The came premises have suffered in a
similar manner on one or two previous occasions. The
police cf the L division mustered in strong force,. under
Inspectors Harmsworth and Byron, and kept a great
crowd of idlers and others out of the reach of danger.

As to the origin of the catastrophe not the least intor-
mation could be obtained. Mr. Braid wood, in his official
report, describes the damage done as follows :—" An
eight-roomed house and contents destroyed."

THE NEW RUSSIAN TARIFF. •

The subjoined shows the new Russian tarff, as offici
ally proposed. For facility of comparison we also ap-
pend the old scale of duties :

Old. New.
Ron. Cop. Rou. Cop.
3 N ... 2 50
6 0 ... 4 0
3 0 ... 2 50
0 60 ... free.
3 0 ... 3 0
2 90 ... 2 10
O 50 ... 0 30
O 90 ... 0 90
O 35 ... 0 20
2 0 ... 1 51
O 80 ... 0 40
O 35 ..: 0 20

Indigo, per pood
Cochineal, do
Coffee, do
Rice, do
Sugar, do
Wine, do
Ditto, per bottle
Champagne, do.
Beer and porter, do
Almonds, per pood
Fruits, per 300
Vanilla, per lb
Pepper, per p00d......
Cinnamon, do
Tobacco, all sorts....
Snuff, per lb
Twist, per pood
Ditto, coloured, do
Turkish red. do
Gums, do
Madder, do
Sal Ammoniac, d o
Spelter, do
Brimstone, do
Sewing silk, per lb
Cotton goods—
White, up to 10 sq. arshines
White, up to 12, sq. do
White, more than 12A sq. do
Coloured, up to 10 sq. do
Coloured, up to 12. sq. do
More than 124 do —
Tulle
Mil'inery
Silk stuffs, thick
Flannel
Silk stuffs, thin
Ditto, worked with gold and

3 20 . ... 2 50
6 0 ... 6 0
1 70 ... 0 FO
5 0 ... 2 50
G 0 ... 5 0
1l 0 ... 5 0
1 80 ... 0 40
1 0 ... 0 20
1 0 0 20
1 20 ... 1 60
0 3 ... frc 3
0 60 ... 0 15

0 48 ... 0 40
0 80 ... 0 40
1 60 ... 0 40
0 75 ... 0 40
1 0 ... 0 40
1 60 ... 1 40
6 0 ... 4 0
2 0 ... 1 0
5 0 ... 4 0
1 0 ... 0 70
10 0 ... 6 0

silver
Herrings, Dutch (per cask) :
Weighing 9 pood, per pood
Ditto Scotch
Currants
India rubber
Leather, per lb.
Annatto, per pood
Umber, do
Saffron, per lb
Arsenic, per pond
Silk, raw, do.,
Organsine frame silk, per lb
Joinery (unpolished), per pood
Furniture, inlaid, per pood
Playthings, per lb.
Flutes, per piece
Boots, per lb.
Ditto (lady's, of silk), per lb
Linens, do
Ditto, ad valorem
Table clothe, 'per lb
Bronze, do.
Ditto, below size, per piece
Gold, wrought, per lb. ......
Silver, do. per lb
Platina, do., do.
Tin plate, per pood
Ditto, varnished, do.
Ditto, wrought, do
Ditto, painted, and with orna-

12 50 ... 7 50 ,

2 85 ... 1 SO
1 30 ... 0 90
0 70 ... 0 40
1 0 0 20
0 25 ... 0 10
0 40 ... 0 10
• . 0 15 ... 0 10
0 40 0 30
1 20 0 50
1 0 ... 0 40
0 20 ... 0 15
0 80 0 20
10 0 ... 6 0
1 0 ... 0 30
1 0 ... 0 50
1 0 0 CO
2 0 ... 1 0
0 60

... 25 p. cent.
20 ... 0 70
50 ... 0 50
O 1 0
0 ... 30 0
O ... 2 0
0 ... 16 0
0 ... 1 50
O ... 1 50
O ... 2 50

O ... 8 0
70 ... 0 40
40 ... 0 10
15 ... 0 10
15 ... 0 2)
O ... 0 60
50 ... 0 25
20 ... 0 40
O ... 6 0
O ... 1 50
0 5 0

men ts, do.
Forks and knives. per lb.
Turnery (polished) d 0....,
Locksmiths' work
Ditto (polished)
Clocks
Ditto (wooden)
Guns and pistols, per lb.
Filligree work
Soap (common)
Ditto (perfumed)
Men's and children's clothes,
per value
Ladies' clothing
Braces
Earthenware (common) per
pood
China (white)
Ditto (painted)
Ditto, ditto (best quality)
Stearine tallow candles, per
pood
Glass ( window) 3 0 ... 2 0
Ditto (ware) 2O 0 ... 10 0
Stings for musical instru-
ments, per lb.
Silk scarfs and shawls
Silk stockings and gloves
Cloth of every colour
Watches (gold)

2 0 1 60
9 0 ... 6 0
20 0 ... 12 0
40 0 ... 24 0

0 80 ... 0 30
8 0 ... 4 0
1 0 ~. 4 0
1 40
1 20

2 0

LIVERPOOL, April I.—The' United States' mail steam-
ship Ericsson sailed hence to-day for New York with
five passengers, a fair cargo, and the mails. The Cunard
steelier' Ara.bialwill sail on Saturday instead of the Persia,
which g 065 into the graving deck, having sustained some
injury to one of ber oponsons on her la-.2t voyage home.
Letters will be revived at the post-office, Liverpool, till
1 pitn,, with late fee till 2 p.m., and at the landing stage
till 3 p.m.
DISSOVERY OV NEW GOLD FIELDS.—According to an
acccuut lately published in one of the Mexican papers,
some new goldfields have been ditcovered upon the bor-
ders of the State of Chihuahua, which aro said to be far
richer than those of California. The report states that
they are situate near a lake named Jace, to the south-
east of the city of Chihuahua, and just upon'the territory
known as the favourite haunt of the wild Indians.
ROBBERIES OF JEWELLERY.—Lsit night the police
received information of extensive robberies from cabs
proceeding to and from the metropolitan railway stations.
One took place between the Waterloo-road terminus and
Hyde-park, when a square box contain
noing a
the great deal
of valuable jewellery was stolen. Ar occurred
between Oxfcrd-street and the London-bridge terminus,
when a very large black leather box was carried off,
eontaining a large quantity of rings, bracelets, earrings,
and similar ornaments. •