The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-03 00:00:00

CITI COMMISSION OF SEWERS.

At the usual wrekly meeting of the City Com-
missioners of Sewers, held on Tuesday at Guildhall,
Dr. Letheby, the medical officer of health, reported
on the state of 205 houses that bad been inspected
during the week, and he submitted a list of 60
places for sanitary improvement. He likewise
submitted a list of places requiring fur-
ther proceedings on account of orders already issued
but not yet complied with. He also reported that
the officers of the market had seized, 1,3491 b. of
meat as unfit for human food-1,1411b. were dis-
eased, and 2081 b. were putrid. All of it was seized
in
Newgate-market, and the salesmen to whom the
meat was consigned gave every assistance to the
officers, by informing them of the arrival of the meat
at the market, and by giving up the names of the
senders. All the meat was sent to the boilers to be
destroyed as food. The mortality returns are still a
little above the average for the season. Last week
the number of deaths was 57, the number for the
corresponding week of the last five years being 45.
25 of the deaths were among children of less
than five years of age, and 13 among old persons of
60 and upwards. The chief increase in the propor-
tion of deaths has been caused by diarrheea. The
number Qf deaths from this cause is 10, and there
were also two deaths from summer cholera, and one
from choleraic diarrhea. Nine of the deaths were
among children, and four among adults. Much of
the diarrhea which prevails at this season of the
year is caused by the use of unripe and decayed
fruit. There were 72 births in the city during the
week--.-namely, the births of 42 boys and 30 girls.
Dr. Abraham pointed the attention of the Court to
the alarming account given by Dr. Letheby, in
his recent quarterly report, of the impurity of
the water from the pumps in the city. He said
at a time of year when cold water was in
so much request, it was the duty of the Court
to caution the public that in drinking water from
the city pumps they were drinking poison. He
suggested that the pump handles should be chained,
believing that the parish authorities had the power
to do that. At his instance it was resolved to in.
struct the clerk to the commission to send a copy of
the medical officer's last quarterly report to the
different authorities of parishes in the city in which
„Dr. Letheby had tested the water, and calling atten-
tion to the passage respecting the city pumps.

ALARMING FIRES'. •

A fire broke out yesterday in the premises belong.
ing to Messrs. Collins and Abrahams, batmakers, 35,
Lambeth-walk. A police-constable of the L division,
in passing along his beat, discovered smoke pouring
out of the lower part of the house. He succeeded in
arousing the inmates, who happily escaped. The en-
gines of Messrs. Hodges, the distillers, of the parish,
and several of the Londonßrirr°ade were soon in attend-
ance, and were set to work from the Lambeth and
Southwark Companies' mains. While the firemen
were actively engaged a fearful explosion took
place, which blew the front of the house out. One
of Hodges' firemen fell through the flooring, but
was rescued by one of the Royal Society's escape
conductors. The building was entirely consumed
before the fire could be extinguished. Another
fire happened at No. 71, St. John's-street, Clerken-
well, the property of Messrs. Guppy and Clarke,
grocers. The inmates were fortunately saved by
means of a ladder by the police, before Bunsigh, the
conductor of the escape, had time to arrive. The
engines of the parish and lour of the London bri-
gade having arrived, the firemen, under Messrs.
Fogo, the superintendent of the B district, and en-
gineers Swanton and Perryer, went to work, but
they were unable to get the fire out until the stock
in trade was destroyed. A third fire happened on
board a vessel lying at Shadwell, which consumed
the cargo. The losses will fall upon the Phoenix,
Scottish Union, and other offices. Last night a
fourth fire also broke out in the premises numbered
7, in Commercial-place, Kentish-town, near the
Assembly-rooms and Police-station. It originated
in the back room second-floor, and rapidly extended
to other rooms in the buildings,—a very extensive
one. The engines of the parish and four of the
London Brigade were quickly on the spot, and a
good supply of water was obtained; but the fire
could not be extinguished until the 'premises were
nearly destroyed. The origin of the fire is un-
known. Fortunately, the sufferer was insured
in the Sun Fire.office. A strong body of police
rendered essential aid to the firemen by keeping
an immense crowd of spectators out of danger.
The second fire in Tooley-street continued to burn
during the whole of Thursday night and through-
out yesterday. Even as late as 8 o'clock last
night there remained a great body of flame under
the ruins, and it seems questionable whether the
fire will be completely extinguished for some days
to come. The powerful steam floating engine of
the brigade, under the direction of, Mr. Gerrard,
the superintendent of the steam apparatus, has
been kept at work, and about 8 tons weight of
water have been scattered hourly over the flames.
The fire last night was raking fast in every direc-
tion on the wharf. Under the direction of Mr. En-
gineer Tozer and Mr. Wade, however, a wall was
run up, composed of bricks and clay, whereby some
thousands of pounds' worth of property have been
saved, including resin, turpentine, and other
equally inflammable articles stored in Mark
Brown's Wharf and other warehouses.

THE DANBURY MURDER.—Mr. T. M. Gepp,
under-sheriff for Essex, has received a letter f, oni the Home-
office in reference to the woman convicted of the murder
if a little boy at Danbury, near Chelmsford, whose execu-
tion had been originally appointed to take place on Thurs-
day, commuting the prisoner's sentence to penal servitude
for life,