The Sun.
London, England, 1850-07-22 00:00:00

4, C.-

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I A MERI CAN NEWS
t d SMaJ
I DF.ATiI OF PIIESID,ENT TAYLOR.

ARRIVAL OF TIIE NIAGARA.

LIVERPOOL, SATURDAY NIGHT.%

The British and North American Royal Mail steamer
Niagara, Captain Eyrie, arrived at her moorings in the
Mersey about 11.30 to-night. She sailed from Boston
on the 10th, and Halifax on the 12th ; brings sixty-
five passengers, zed the United States and Canadian
mails. She left Boston on the 10th and Halifax on the
12th instant, and has made the entire run, inclusive of
the detour to and detention at Halifax, in the remark-
ably short spec ) of ten days six hours, being the quickest
passage ever made from Boston except by the Canada
and Asia on former occasions. The United States mail
steam-ship Georgia had arrived at New York, from
Chagres, with 40,000 pounds in the hands of passengers.
The Pacific steam-ship Oregon had arrived at Panama
with mails to the Ist of June, and 745,6001. sterling in
gold-dust on freight and in the hands of passengers.
The Hibernia reached Halifax on the 11th, and pro-
ceeded on to Boston.

The present arrival brings a variety of interesting and
important intelligence.
General Taylor died on the 9th inst., after a short but
severe attack of diarrbces, ending in congestion of the
brain. A telegraphic dispatch in one of the Boston
papers of the 10th thus announces the important but
melancholy event:—
" WASHINGTON, JULY 9, ELEVEN P.M.

" The President died at thirty-five minutes past ten
o'clock. his death was calm and peaceful. The Vice-
President, Cabinet, mayor, marshal of the district, the
attending physicians, and his family surrounding the
bed:

" Ilia last words wero—l
deavoured to do my duty.'"
Much anxiety existed in relation to the disputed ques-
tion of territory between New Mexico and Texas.
Troops were being marched to the spot by Texas, and
New Mexico had organized a constitution. The docu-
ment had arrived r,t the capital, and the Statas' senators
were shortly expected.
The British Government bad made a communication

.‘ lam prepared—l have en-

to the United States Government in reference to the
wreck of the steamer Missouri, which was sunk while
burning in the harbour of Gibraltar. The wreck en-
dangered navigation. The subject was before the Com-
mittee on Naval Affairs in the Senate. The expense of
removing this wreck is estimated at from 80,000 to
90,000 dolls.

On the 4th instant the ratifications of the Nicaraguan
;reaty were published officially with tho treaty.
A letter had been received from an officer of the Arc-

tic Expedition in search of Sir John Franklin, dated off
Newfoundland, June 7, stating that they had been re-
tarded by head winds and heavy weather. The officers
and men were all in good health.
A terrific fire took place in Philadelphia on the 9th.
The following are the details as they have reached us:—
.

" PIIILIDEL PHIA, TUESDAY EVENING.-A fire broke
out in a five-story warehouse on the wharf below Vine-
street, entirely consuming everything through to Water-
street—demolishing Ridgeway and Budd's establishment,
and seriously damaging a number of stores and dwel-
lings on the west aide of Water-street.
A large quantity of gunpowder and saltpatro stored
in a cellar exploded, blowing fifteen or twenty persons
into the river. Ten or twelve are seriously injured.
" The fire is raging terrifically. At least ono mile
square is in a blaze, and from 150 to 200 houses have
.Iready been destroyed. Several lives have been lost.
" Morse's telegraph line has been cut off by the con-
flagration, and Bains's is in jeopardy.

" SECOND DISPATCH.

" The Mayor of Philadelphia. by telegraph, has re-
quested the corporation of New York to send on all the
.aid that couid be spared from the file department of the
latter city, to assist in checking the conflagration. Se-
voral fire companies were dispatched to Philadelphia
by an express train, among which was Engine Com-
pany No. 5.

" THIRD DISPATCH.
"The Mayor cf rhiladQlphia has countermanded the
reviest for fire-engines from New York, stating that the

cuo-ft agration was tieing got under.

" FoURTII DISPATCII.

" THE *FIRE STILL RAGING-DREADFUL LOSS OF LIFE.

" The tire broke out in the store, 78, North Dt.laware-
avenue, at half-past four o'clock. The building was occu-
pied for storage purposes, and when discovered the fire had

already made considerable headway„ with the flames
spreading in every direction. But a short time
elapsed before that large building through Water-
street was enveloped in flumes; the one ad-
joining north, No. 80, was on fire, as well
_

as the one south, No. 76. Eefore the devouring element
had reached the ground•floor of the building in which
the fire originated, two terrific explosions of saltpetre
rent the walls asunder, throwing the flames of the com-
bustible matter in all directions, by which the fire was
communicated to a large number of houses, which will

be detailed hereafter.
" Delaware Avenue was filled with a mass of human
beings, among whom were severel hundreds of our re-
solute and noble firemen. The first explosion did not
seem to cause much excitement or fear with the people
present; nor did the second, except some slight fears of
their safety, when they moved towards the eastern side
of the wharf:.

" The third explosion was fatal in many cases, and
proved the death cf a number of men, women, and
children. On Delaware Avenue and Water- street the

scene presented was appalling in the extreme, and such

as we cannot and will not atiempt a description of.
" On the eastern front of the stores, when the third
and last explosion of the saltpetre occurred, the rush for
life Ras terrific; men and boys, firemen and bystanders,
rushed away from the conflagration, and as they endea-
voured to tzet beyond the reach of danger hundreds
were knocked down and run over, causing their legs and

arms to be broken, and injuries inflicted of a very sorious

character.

" In the fright some were thrown into the Delaware,
while a large number voluntarily threw themselves in to
'shield themselves from the bricks and cinders thrown
from the burning stores.
" The fire then entered through Front-street, near
Race, to above Cullenhill, then through Nine to Second,
through Newmarket, up to Cullenhill streets, destroying
at least 400 houses, as far as we have been able to learn.
" We give the following list of killed and wounded:—
" Daniel Milford, a member of the Northern Liberties
House, killed in- Water-street, at the time of the third
explosion. Mortimer Morris, a fireman, a young girl,
three men. and two boys were drowned in the Delaware
at the time of the third explosion in attempting to jump
on board a schooner.
" A young man named Martin, aged 16, was carried
to the hospital awfully burnt, and he stied almost as soon
as ho entered that institution. A fireman was burnt to
a crisp in Water-street. David May, a young man, was
instantly killed by being struck on the head by a brick.
William V. Buckman had both legs broker:. Thomas
Stuz, a member of the Vigilant Engine Company, was
very, seriously injured by being crushed bstween the
engine and falling bricks at the explosion. A long list
is given of those taken to the hospital, of fractured arms
and other wounds, many of which will prove fatal.
" At my present writing, eleven o'clock, the fire .en-
compasses two squares round, extending from Race-
street to Callon-hill, and from the river to Second-street,
certainly not less than 250 houses, all destroyed. On
Water-street, from Race to Vine, all old fashioned dwel-
lings, occupied generally by poor people, 20 to 30 fami-
lies in acme of the houses. Their sufferings cannot be
imagined. It is reported that in one ef the houses a
woman was found dead, and by her side her infant alive;
and another woman and five children were found burned
to death. This, I believe, is true.
" The loss is roughly estimated at upwards of
1,000,000 dollars.
" The flames are still raging with unabated fury. God
preserve the poor women and children."
At Brooklyn there was another terrific conflagration.
by which property to the extent of a million of dollars
had been destroyel The fire broke out on the 7th, and
raged fearfully. The affair is thus reported in the New
York papers of the Bth:
"
At about four o'clock yesterday morning a fire
broke out in the attic story or roof of the large building
in Furman-street, occupied by Messrs. R. V. W. Thorn
and Co., us a bonded warehouse. In the attic story was
stowed a quantity of hemp, and on the lower floors
heavy stocks of other combustible materials, with which
the flames soon communicated, and in a very short time
an immense volume of gaseous smoke was evolved, that
gave promise, which was painfully realised, of an exten-
sive and dangerous conflagration.
" With great promptitude the fire companies of Brook-
lyn hastened to the spot, but at a very early stage of the
calamity a series of violent explosions took place, that
not only disconcerted their movements, but spread the
fire. The roof of Messrs. Thorn and Co.'s buildings was
blown off. and the gable end fell upon the adjoining
building, occupied by Messrs. Tapscott, as a storage for
shipping stores, enmphine, tar, turpentine, &c. Thence
it spread, and finally wrought the following mischief.
We have neither room nor time to describe the awful
appearance of the conflagration during the first hours of
its ravages, of which, however, the reader will form
some conception from the following details. At a ,late
hour last night the light of the still burning embers could
be very distinctly seen above Thirtieth-street, New York,
on the west side of the city.
"The explosions involved the firemen in very im-
minent peril. Two companies, Nos. 17 and 13, who
were working their engine from the docks, were almost
cut off by the immediate spread of the flames. No.
17 bad no alternative but to run their engine off
the dock into the river to save it from the conflagra-
tion, and some of the men swam round the dock
to save themselves. No. 13 fought their way throngh.
the flames at great risk, but lost a large portion of their
hose. There explosions continued for a long time, and
.
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" About half-a-dozen of the explosions were of a very
violent and destructive character, and were felt as far
o the
them.t
as East Brooklyn and Bergen Point, in New Jersey.
Timbers and fragments of buildings were thrown many
hundred fce:, damaging some of the buildings upon which
they fell.
" The premises of Messrs. Thorn and Co. contained,
In addition to the contents already enumerated, heavy
quantities of corn, flour, sugar, molasses, &c., and-a large
stock, it is said nearly 300 hogsheads, of the latter
article were stored on the dock, a-portion or which was
burned. We have heard their loss in stock estimated
at 200,000 dollars, covered, we understand, by insurance.
" From. the store of Messrs. Tapseott and Co. the ig-