The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-16 00:00:00

ALARMING FIRES.

__Yesterday morning will long be remembered by
the firemen of the London establishment, they hav-
ing been engaged for at least 12 hours in rendering
assistance at various fires which occurred during
that period in different parts of the metropolis.
One fire, attended with loss of property estimated
at several thousand pounds, took place in the pile of
buildings belonging to Messrs. Taylor and Greening,
printers, carrying on business in Oreystoke-place,
Fetter-lane, Fleet-street. The fire was at first per-
ceived in the engine-room, on the ground floor, by a
police officer of the city force. He at once gave the
alarm. In the course of a few minutes two of the
Royal Society's escapes arrived, under the direction
of Mr. Baddeley, the inspector of the society, as
well as the engines of the London Brigade, under
the superintendence of Mr. Fogo, the chief
officer of the B section, and Mr. Perryer; Captain
Shaw, the newly-appointed chief, not having yet
arrived. In spite of the endeavours made to ar-
rest the progress of the fire, however, it continued
to rage, and eventually the whole of the engine-
room was enveloped in one great sheet of flame.
Efforts were made to confine the fire to that part
of the premises, but it was of no avail, and the 1
flames quickly extended to the first and second
floors, used as warehouses, Nothing short of the
demolition of the entire block of houses, extending
nearly 200 yards, could be expected. Mr. Fogo,
the chief officer of the B district, and Engineer
Perryer had as many as five or six engines taken
round the place, so as to protect. if possible, the
surrounding property, and Mr. Foreman Gerrard
had Shand and Mason's powerful land steam engine
brought to bear upon the flames. Some thousand
tons of water were thrown upon the blazing pre-
mises, but several hours elapsed before the firemen
could obtain the mastery over the conflagration.
Among the property consumed was the whole of a
new publication, including stereotype blocks, wood-
cutt, &c. Mr. Fogo, in his official report, returns
the damage as follows—No. 5, Greystock-place,
Fetter-lane, Messrs. Taylor and Greening, printers,
—engine-room on ground floor, and the first and
second floor, used as warehouses and machine-
rooms, and the stairs, destroyed ; the rest of pre-
mises and contents severely damaged by water and
fire, and part of roof burnt off. No. 4, adjoining
and communicating—composing-rooms and ware-
houses severely damaged by fire and water. The
origin of the fire is enveloped in obscurity. The
firm, it is expected, is insured, but in what offices is
at present not known. The premises of Mr. Sands,
builder, No. 18, Cursitor-street, are slightly da•
maged by water, &c."
Another fire, and unfortunately one of no small
magnitude, happened yesterday morning about 3
o'clock, in the premises belonging to Messrs. E.
Hagen and Co., oil merchants and refiners, carry-
ing on business in Rushton-street, New North-road,
Hoxton. The premises were of great extent, and at
the time of the outbreak contained property worth
some thousand pounds, there being in one portion
of the factory stored away goods which covered
a space of ground 70 or 80 feet long, and not less
than 50 feet wide. The flames assumed a most
fearful aspect, rolling and curling round the refin
ing-house, the tank-rooms, and warehouses. Under
the direction of Mr. Bridges, the district fireman, and
a powerful body of firemen of the brigade, the most
strenuous exertions were made to extinguish the
flames, but they continued to progress, and at
length ,he whole of the manufacturing houses and
stores presented a general body of fire, the tallow
and oil in a thorough state of ignition running in
streams among the feet of the firemen. The fire-
men, however, although exposed to the greatest
danger, kept to their posts, and were aided by a
plentiful supply of water. The effect produced for
nearly three hours was that the fire appeared to
extend with greater violence ; the weight of water
seeming to drive the blazing oil and tallow far and
near. ' Eventually, however, by dint of great per-
severance, the brigade and parish engines managed
to get the flames extinguished, but not until the
refining house, the tank rooms, and the warehouses
were destroyed. As to the cause of the disaster not
the least reliable information could be obtained,but
the prevailing opinion is that it arose from sponta-
neous ignition of some oily rags or wipings in the
refining-room or tank houses. Fortunately, the
firm was insured in the Phoenix fire-office.
The firemen were just "making up" their en•
gines when information was received that another
fire had broken out in a pile of warehouses facing
the Custom-house Quay in Lower Thames-street.
As many engines as could be spared, including the
steam floats, Shand and Mason's land steam engine,
and nearly a dozen manual engines of the parish
and London establishment, attended under the
direction of Messrs. Bridges, Henderson, Fogo, and
Gerrard, as well as Clamp,:with the hose from the
Custom-house stand cock. The last machine was
the first at work. The premises were in the occu
pation of Messrs. Coldbatch and Co. ; they were five
floors high, and were adjoined by numerous other
extensive buildings, including the threefold house
of Mr. Owen, the Yorkshire Grey, of Lower Thames-
street. The proprietor of that builning had had
his attention for same hours previously attracted
by a strong smell of something burning, but he
was unable to find out where it proceeded from
until he saw 'huge bodies of smoke roll out of
one of the back windows on the ground floor.
He at once sent off for proper assistance. Engi-
neers Withers and Clamp were almostsuffocated by
the intense heat and smoke, but they fortunately
succeeded in getting
,the fire extinguished. The
damage is considerable, although principally con-
fined to the ground floor. Mr. Barber's engine and
firemen, of the Brewer's quay, were quickly on the
spot, as well as the ponderous engine of Messrs.
Hodges, the distillers of Lambeth. The firm, it is
understood, was insured, but in what offices is at
present unknown.
Yesterday afternoon a calamitous conflagration
broke out in the premises belonging to Mrs. Green,
let out to various lodgers, situate at No 32, Lans-
down-place, St. George's New-town, Kent-street,
Borough. As far as could be ascertained, the fire
was caused by children playing with lucifer matches,
and in the course of a few minutes the rooms on the
first floor were in a blaze. Unfortunately one of
the children, about five years of age, was unable to
get out of the front room. It fell down in the
midst of the fire. The engines of the parish and
London Brigade were soon in attendance, and a
good supply of the Southwark comp-iny's water
was obtained. By order of Mr. Henderson, the chief
officer of the D district, search was made, when the
poor child was found in the front room. M,-dical
assistance was procured, but it was found that life
was quite extinct. Unfortunately the sufferers—
there were several—were not insured.

HARVEST PROSPECTS 1N THE SOUTH
OF FRANCE.

(From a Correspondent of the Morning Herald.)
The spell is broken at last; the long-continued
and painful drought and excessive heat appear now
to be at an end. During the last night some heavy
showers of rain have been falling, the first time
since the early part of last June. Since that period
the heat in this part of France, as well as in the
whole of Southern Europe, has been quite tropical
and excessive, such as has not been experienced for
some scores of years past. The summer of 1861
will on this score be as memorable as the winter of
1860-61 is memorable for its excessive cold in many
parts of Europe.
The rain set in rather too late to benefit the vin-
tage, which has now just begun in Provence, Lan-
guedoc, and the Var. If rain had fallen a few weeks
earlier and more abundant, the present vintage
would have been numbered as among the very best
and most productive of the present century. The
very long drought has greatly injured the grape—
considerably withering the crop, or keeping it from
gaining that fulness which is promoted by a degree
of moisture. While the quantity therefore will be at
least one-third below an average crop, the quality, it
is allowed, will be one of the best ever known, and
equal, if not superior, to any of the former years
notable for good and choice wines. It may be re-
marked that if one were to judge from the immense
quantities of grapes which are daily brought to this
market, and the low price at which they are sold,
one would scarcely be led to believe that the wine
crop is scant and below an average. Thousands
upon thousands of kilos. are daily exposed in the
market, and sold at six sous, or three pence the
kilo., which, according to our weight, is two pounds
and a quarter.
The long continued dry weather has proved
equally injurious to the olive trees in the neighbour..
hood of Grasse, in the department of the Var, the
fruit having extensively dried up and fallen off, so
that a considerable rise has taken place in the price
of olive oil.

The importation of wheat and other grain from
the Black Sea and the Danubian provinces con-
tinues unremittingly and,
on the most extensive
scale, such as I have not known in any preceding
year during my long residence here. In two days at
the end of last week 51 vessels entered this port
from Odessa, Taganrog, Birdianski, and Galatz,
laden with wheat, beside previous arrivals occurring
daily for some time past. All the warehouses and
the wharfs are encumbered with grain, and the store
gathered up here alone seems sufficient to supply
the whole of Francs for one yea/ at least. Still
the markets are firm and prices tending upwards,
though larger quantities are expected from the
Russian ports ; ships have lately been chartered
here for the Black Sea and the Danube, at a higher
rate of freight than is usually given to bring ear- J
goes of grain. Surely there must be a good deal of
speculation and unfair dealing in keeping up prices '