The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-12 00:00:00

soli, jun., surveyor to various fire offices, were early
in attendance, to look after the salvage for the com-
panies interested in the loss. Captain Harris, one
of the commissioners of police, with superintendent
Price, H, and Beckerson, L, with Inspector Worel,
Dun, Constable, and others, were remarkably early
in arriving, and they were instrumental in keeping
an immense crowd out of the gardens, and conse-
quently out of danger.
The four towers which were about 120 feet high,
have fallen nearly one half, and the remaining por-
tions are still in a very insecure condition. From
the inquiries made last night there seems no doubt
but the fire was caused through the carelessness of
some workmen, who had been employed in repair-
ing the roof, leaving one of the "devils" burning
there whilst they went to dinner ; a similar occur-
ence took place the previous evening, from the same
cause, in the premises of Mr. Allon, No. 4, Victoria
Cottages, New-cross, Deptford, which partially de-
stroyed the roof of the house.
At nine o'clock last night a great body of fire
still remained in the hall, and there seemed no
chance of its being entirely extinguished until an
advanced hour this day.
The whole of the contents were uninsured, but
the building, which was erected at an expense, it'is
stated, of £16,000, was insured in the West of Eng-
land, and several other fire offices.
Unfortunately, the destruction of this splendid
lyric temple will disappoint a great number of per-
sons, many having taken tickets for the grand con-
cert, at which Sims Reeves tu4 other celebrities
were to take part in the ensuing week.
The gardens were, however, thrown open to the
public last night, minus, of course, the entertain-
ments in the hall, and the public will be admitted
as usual until the hall is rebuilt. Messrs. Bishop
and Caldwell, whilst entering into a contract for
advertising the approaching musical entertainment
to be given by Prince George Galitzen, were ap-
prised of the disaster, and upon hastening to the
gardens found the great hall in one body of flame.
One of the musicians named Browning was fortu-
nate enough to save £3O worth of musical instru-
ments belonging to him, and several other bands--
men were also equally fortunate in saving their
music books and instruments.
With the exception of some of the side chare;bers
on the ground floor and the bars, the hall may be
said to be burnt out.

ANOTIIER.ROBBERY AT THE GENEIML
POST-OFFICE.

,For some time past the author;:ties of the Post-
office have had under investigation several cases of
mysterious robberies which have taken place inside
the establishment, two of which have been lately
made public, namely, the violation of the tills of the,
Receiver's office, in the south side of the centre
hall, and the abstraction of moneys therefrom, and
the breaking open of the desk of Mr. Leal, one of
the clerks employed there, and the stealing of £9
19s. 6d. from his private drawer, cash belonging to
the Clerks, &c., Widows' and Orphans' Fund, of
which he is the honorary treasurer.
For some time past it has been noticed by the
officers of the stores department, that those in what
is called the bag room" have run unaccountably
short. In his particular part of the building ire
St. Martin's-le-Grand, some hundreds of bags, most,
of them now being made of canvas, and mar.,v
used for the reception of foreign and colonial cor-
respondence of considerable value, are stored, the
part of the prem'ses occupied for the purpos-4 being
in the basement at the north-eastern erAd of the
building. The knowledge of this fact, and the re-
cent failures on the part of the exerAtive to dis-
cover the thieves in the former cages, who are be-
lieved to be persons employed ur,,on the establish-
ment, has caused a most rigid system of detective
inspection to be adopted throughout all parts of
the office accessible to labourers, porters, and other
" unclassed" or " supernumerary" employes. The
result was that on Monday evenin at a little
after eight o'clock, 8,-,a departure after the departure of
the outward mails, one of the men employed in the
"bag room," was stopped in going out of it by an
officer who noticed his bulky appearance. Upon.
searching him, six canvas bags of the best quality
were found concealed round his person, most artfully
arranged underneath his apron. Upon his residence
being visited by the officers, several other articles of
morn in Post-office property were found, and on Tuesday
g he made disclosures which may not only
implicate several other parties, but lead probably to the elucidation of the mysteries which have long'
surrounded the previous robberies in the depart-
ment.