The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-05 00:00:00

Last `night„shortly before twelve o'clock, a fire,
attended with great destruction of property,-
and-. loss of life, broke out in' the extensive
range of premises belonging to Mr. Williams, situate
at 287, Oxford-street, the corner of Gilbert street,
and known as the Crown and Cushion Wine-vaults.
The premises were four, floors high, and had a consider-
able depth and frontage. The fire broke out in the count-
ing-house adjoining the bar, in which was deposited.
a vast quantity of spir;ts. 'Police-constable 98 C, who
was on duty near the spot, had his attention directed
to the house by hearing a loud cry of Fire?: Upon
gaining the front of the building, he perceived that
the counting-house was one complete burning nilsS.
The officer, seeing it would be, useless to try. to ex-
tinguish the fire without the help of engines,..immes
diately sprung his rattle, which brought other -assist-
ance to the spot, and then started off to the various
engine-stations with intelligence of the calamity. At
that time three children were sleeping in the upper
part of the building.
.There were also two fernaleurid
three male servants in the place, its well as Alia:
Williams and her sister. Such was the fury Of
the flames that in less than three minutes they
had extended to the bar amongst thee., spirits,
which once on fire spread with the most surprising
rapidity to the upper apartments, The _excitement,
Which followed was most painful. At the second
floor front a young female, named Fritchby, made
her appearance ; and with such fury did the flames
travel, that before sufficient time had elapsed tQ pros
cure a ladder, she was compelled to throw herself to
the ground to escape suffocation. Fortunately the
only injury she received was a few burns about the
knees. By this time the St. Marylebone parochial
engine arrived, and was drawn in front of the blazing
premises, and an abundantsupply of water was flow-
ing from the water-works 'belonging to the Grand
Junction Water-works, from which the engine Was
set to work; No sooner had the firemen got this
engine into operation, than one of the immense Mats
of spirits burst, and the liquor heconsing ignited, It
rushed forth through the windows with terrific vio-
lence, burning Mr. Bridge, the eegineer, about the
face very badly. The King-street brigade engine
was the second to reach the spot, followed by others
froin Wells-street, Baker-street, the County station
in Regenf-atreet, the Chandossstreet, Crown-.
street, and Holborn stations. The West of England
fire-engine, with Mr. COnnorton, next reached the
scene.- As the different engines arrived, they were .•
taken to the best positions, and were all set ts
work---those of the London Fire Establishment under
the direction of Mr. Fogo, the foreman of the dis-
trict. By the time, howeeer, they-were got into full
play, thee flames had reached nearly every room.in
the immense building, and they were rushing through
the various windows, and also the roof, extending
half way across the street, causing the most fearful
apprehension to be entertained for the safety of the
contiguous buildings ; in fact, it was greatly feared
that the whole of Grosvenor-market would have fallen
a victim to the fury of the devouring element. Three
fire escapes, belonging to the Royal Society for the
protection of Life from Fire, were remarkably iptiick
in arriving at the scene of conflagration, and it is.re-
porte& that they were instrumental in saving the life
of one or more persons.' At the time the reporter left,
Mrs. Williams was still missing, and it was greatly
feared she had perished in the. flames. Such we hope
is not the case. The fire continued to blaze fiercely
until a qtiarter past one o'clock this morning, when it
became evident to the firemen that they had got the
complete mastery over it, and no further destruction of
property occurred. In the course of another half hour
it was entirely extinguished, not, however, until almost
every part of the building and its valuable contents
were destroyed. The total damage must amount to a
very serious sum. .Mr. Williams is insured in the
'Licensed Victuallers' Fire-office, but we. understand
nothing near the amount of his loss. A great•number
of other buildings are damaged, .more especially the
following :—Mr. Truebick; potatoe-merchant, ad-
joining, 1, Gilbert•street, and Mr. Godfried, tobacco-
nist,
opposite. Both premises are extensively damaged
;by fire, and the stock by removal, .S:c. The pre-'
wises of Mr. Mash, . 2 and 3, Oxford-street, and of
Mr. Cook, baker, 286, in the same street. arc like-,wise much scorched by the heat of the tire. The
origin of the fire could not be precisely ascertained.'
The police were of the greatest service to the firemen
in keeping back the many thousands of persons who
had been drawn together to witness the progress of
the conflagration.
Tniten oiewere.—The firemen, in searching the
ruins, have just discoyered the lifeless body of a
youth, apparently about 12 or 14 years of age. The
unfortunate individual, who has thus prematurely
been hurried into eternity is supposed to be the
potboy,
Mrs. Williams and another person are still missing,
and there are strong grounds to' fear that they have
likewise fallen a prey to the fury of the devouring
element.
HALT-PAST THREE.—It is now distinctly ascer-
tained that six persons have perished in the flames.
About ten minutes after three, the firemen, on prose--
cuting their search amongst the rubbish, came in con-
tact with another body, making the fourth they have
found. From the dreadfully mutilated state of the
remains it was hardly possible to recognise any traces
of humanity, but the probability is, that it is the body
of one of the servants of the establishment Who slept
in an upper floor, in•front of the premises facing Ox •
ford-street. The utmost danger is apprehended from
the fearful state of the walls, and from the superin-
cumbent masses of brickwork, &c., which overhang
the interior of the building, the task of exploring the
ruins is rendered highly dangerous. Every credit is
due to the officers connected with the brigade and the
police who are most diligent in their joint endeavours
to explore every part of the ruins. The house is in
a Most desolate state, anti the anxiety of the populace
to view the scene of devastation increases as the dawn
of morning advances.
LATEST PARTICULARS THIS DAY.
The fire is reported to have originated from the
following circumstance. One of the servants was
pumping some gin from the cellar in doing which
it was supposed the spirit ignited, and soon com-
municated to the building. At the flaw of the dis-
astrous calamity, Mr. 'Williams was away from home,
it is said, at Exeter-hall, where an oratoria was being
performed. He parted 'with a friend he was wits
some time after, when on his way home he heard el
the destruction of his valuable property, with the loss
of his wife and family. It is almost unnecessary tc
state, that he is now in the Must distracted state of
mind, at the house of a friend in the neighbourheocl.
The' following are the names of the sufferers; as
given to our reporter by Mr. Goole':—Mrs. Eliza
Williams, Eliza 'Williams (between four and fiv
years of age, William Williams, an infant in arms,
Sarah Woolgsen, and Charlotte Fish, female servants,
and the barman, known by the Christian name of
Jacob.. The walls of the house still remain standing,
and a hrge.concourse of persons is collected in Ox-
ford-street. •

PRESERVATION OF GREENWICH HOSPITAL FROM
FlRE.—YCsterday (Thursday) n 'considerable - number of
workmen were employed within the boundary wall of Green-
wich Hospital, laving down iron piping, for the purpose of
more speedily extinguishing tire, should it at any time break
out in that national edifice, without the aid 'of tire engine.
The principle is similar to that which has been for some time
urged upon the Government, and.tried in the streets of the
metropolis. The water is conveyed in pipes of nineinch
bore, laid from the capacious reservoir in the domain of her
loyal .Highness the Princess Sophia, immediately above the
observatory. Thence it passes 'along the declivity, supplies
the Naval School, crosses the Woolwich-road, - and enters
the ,Hospital at the western gate. The piping is to be
laid throughout the whole of the exterior, and it
is calculated upon hydrostatic principles that the pressure of
-water will be sufficient, without the aid of machinery, tc
force its way through lengths of leathern hose sufficient to
reach the highest part of the building. It has been proved
by recent experiments made in town. that, though water be.
conveyed- through 5,300 yards of iron piping: consisting of
4,220 yards of 20-inch main, 550 yards of 15-inch main, and
500 yards of 9.inch main, the force wasssufficient to drive it
through two lengths of
,40-feet hose to a height of 60 feet,
giving a delivery of 100 gallons per minute. At Greenwich
Hospital it is intended to erect Aandc6cks, so as•to command
every portion of the extensive. pile, and from the diameter e
the piping and the height of the tall, there can be no clues-
tion but that the plan, when tried upon a large scale; wilt
prove eminently successful. The men tre working long
hours, in order to complete the work as soon as possible.
FIRE AT KitiGsToN.--0n Wednesdny night last,
between 10 and 11 o'clock, a fire broke out in the extensive
malthouses of Mr. Robinson, but occupied by Mr. Michael
Wells, maltster, situated at Townsend, Kingston, Surrev.
The fire was first discovered by some persons accidentally
passing. The policeman on date went instantly for the
borough engines, and, a plentiful supply of water being
obtained from the river, as well as from a well on the pre-
mises, these and other engines continued to play on the.
flames until nearly three o'clock, when the fire was extin.
guished, and no further danger-was•to be apprehended. The
building has been very.seriously damaged, and it will cost a
large sum of money to put it again in thoroUgh repair.