The Sun.
London, England, 1859-02-28 00:00:00

LOSS OF SIX LIVES.

The following are additional particulars to what
we published on Saturday :—lt appears that the
fire broke out in a ten-roomed house belonging to
Mr. John Rufus Reeves, proprietor of an eating-
house and refreshment-rooms, situate at No. 36,
Great James-street, Lisson-grove, Paddington. The
building in which this calamitous affair occurred,
although consisting of only ten rooms, was rather
higher than the general run of houses of the same
class of architecture, and it was adjoined on either
side by similar structures, and, as will be seen, the
whole width of the street did not prevent the flames
from rushing across the road and firing several of
the houses opposite, as well as two or three others
in Charles-street. So fiercely did the fire spread
at one time that every house in the immediate vici-
nity appeared to be on the point of being destroyed-
About a quarter past one o'clock on Saturday
morning a police-constable, named Peter Hobbs,
belonging to the D division, whilst pas-sing along
his beat, perceived a lurid glare shining through one
of the windows of Mr. Reeves's premises. The con-
stable seeing at the same time that smoke was issu-
ing from differentparts of the premises, became con-
vinced that the house was on fire, and without a
moment's delay he sounded an alarm in the usual
way, and sent off for the aid of the Royal Society's
escapes and engines. Some of the neighbours at
once brought a ladder to the place, and pending the
time necessarily lost in sending for the escapes, it
was attempted to be used to save the inmates, con-
sisting of nine persons, who made their appearance
at the upper windows, and were crying for help.
Unfortunately this ladder was hardly tail enough
to reach the top of the house. The proprietor of
the building, at the risk of overbalancing himself,
managed to lower from the window a female named
Wreford, who was carried down the ladder and re-
ceived no material injury. In the course of a few
minutes afterwards the shouts of the spectators
clearly indicated that the Royal Society's escapes
had entered, the street, and that there was every
probability of all being saved. Conductor Hall had
hardly time to affix his machine in front of the blaz-
ing building, when he was succeeded by another
conductor, named Horne, with another escape of the
society. The former managed to get out two chil-
dren, who were nearly suffocated. Having handed
them to some of the bystanders, he returned and
was in the act of carrying Mrs. Reeves down the
ladder when the flames shot out of the ground floor
windows, and ignited the escape. The conductor,
though exposed to such imminent danger, behaved
in the most cool and intrepid manner. The flames
were even rushing across the road, and were firing
in rapid succession five houses on the opposite side
of the street, as well as several in Charles-street.
Nothing less than the total demolition of Mr.
Reeves' premises and every soul remaining in
them, could for a moment be doubted, and to
add to the tragedy, the conductor could be seen
with Mrs. Reeves clasped round the waist, but un-
able to descend with her, on account of the fury of
the flames, and a portion of the escape being de-
stroyed. This caused the two persons—the con-
ductor and Mrs. Reeves—to be thrown off the
ladder, and both fell with fearful violence to the
ground, they having first alighted upon the head
of a policeman, who was so fearfully injured
that he was obliged to be removed to the hospital.
Hall's hands are very much burnt,, and he is
internally injured, but it is hoped not fatally. At
the instant the escape took fire, the conductor was
in the act of carrying down a child, who was so
fearfully burnt as to be compelled to be taken to
the hospital. Everything was there done for it
that humanity or surgical skill could devise, but
without avail, and the sufferer only survived a few
hours.

The other escape man made an endeavour to
rescue the remaining inmates with his short or
upper ladder, by placing it on the penthouse of the
adjoining house, but the different floors and roof
fell in almost simultaneously, and the unfortunate
creatures became buried amidst the burning
timbers.

The engines of the parish, two in number, and
three of the C district of the London brigade, under
the direction of Mr. Staples, the foreman of the
station, having arrived, this powerful force and the
parish engines went to work in a manner to elicit
the approval of all present, but they were unable
to get the mastery over the fire until the premises
were totally destroyed, the contents consumed, and
serious damage done to several houses. The total
loss is very considerable, and is thus officially re-
ported by Mr. Braidwood :
No. 30, Great James-street, Lisson-grove, Mr.
John Rufus Reeves, eating-house keeper—house of
ten rooms—burnt down and six lives lost. The
cause of fire unknown. Contents insured in the
County Fire-office—the building unknown.
No. 29, ditto, Mr. Allen Sharp, greengrocer.
Contents not insured. Considerable damage by
water, fire, and removal.

No. 31, Mary Bucksey, tobacconist. Building
and contents damaged by fire, water, and removal.
Insured in the Union Fire-office.

No. 39 (opposite), Mr. J. W. Rayner, pork-
butcher. Front of premises damaged by fire. In-
sured in the Sun•oftice.

No. 38, ditto, Mr. Joseph Shaw, shOemaker. Si-
milar damage.
No. 37, ditto, unoccupied.—Front scorched. In-
surance not known.

No. 39, Charles-street, Mr. J. G. Cooper, dealer
in old building materials.—Contents and building
unknown if insured or not.
No. 40, William Maclean, confectioner.—Build-
ing and contents damaged by fire, water, &c.
Contents not insured ; building in the Union
Office.
The following is a list of the persons burnt to
death
Mr. J. R. Reeves, aged 45 ; Miss Christina
Reeves, aged 8 years ; Jane Reeves, aged 44 years ;
Frederick Reeves, aged 3 years ; Mary Jones, the
nursemaid ; and the infant child of Mrs. Reeves.
The bodies, when extricated from the ruins, were
removed to the dead-house to await the coroner's
inquest, which it is expected will be held this day
(Monday).