The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-19 00:00:00

JAMAICA.

~~j

We have received our customary file of papers and
correspondence from Jamaica. The steamer left
Kingiton on the morning of the 23d of July.
There are not in the piper from this colony any.
items at nil worth extracting, if [tie except-, ptri7.ps,
the following on the state of the weather and the
crops from the Falmouth Poe:—
" We have been informed by several gentlemen who
havo the management of sugar estatcs in this parish
(Tta.lawny). that serious fears are entertained respecting
tie crop that is now on the ground, in consequence of
the drought that has prevailed for some time. On :erne
properties the fields have been entirely re-supplied with
new plants, at a considerable expense, and unless the
season sets in rapidly, heavy lore; will be sustained.
Our advices from Hanover state that thero have been
repeated and heavy showers of rain in the country, and
the yield of ground provisions is immense. Yams are
sold at 4s. per hundred weight, and plantains are retailed
in the market at Lucia at the rate of 12 for 3d."
The weather generally was very stormy in the sea-
port towns. At intervals there were good rains, but,
notwithstanding, the heat was very great.
There had been some little disturbance on an
estate 113 st. Ann's, called Knapdale, between the

I'
----s
-
. Creoles and coolies, but nothing very terious resulted
from it.
The intelligence. which reached Jamaica by the
lyde, of the intended change in the route of the
- Royal Mail steam-packets, has caused a good deal of
, dissatisfaction, which has been expressed through the
newspapers.. They complain that all means of coin-
-12
mlnication with the Spanish Main has been cut off
from them. A writer, said to be one of the principal
merchants in Kingston, has suggested the formation
of a company, for the purpose of supplying a steamer
of about 4CO tons to pnserve the Spanish trade with
Jamaica. " Should there be sufficient energy to get
together such a company, there is every probability,"
~,rites our correspondent, "of its proving favourable
to the promoters, and the island trade."
The island remained healthy and quiet.
COMMERCIAL.
MONDAY MORNLNO, Jr. 1.1( 22.—BiRS raker
1 /fat during the past.wee us
lt, and prices wereness notW
suppr.rted
to the extent antic
.gated in -our lust. But few operations
were Effected in the market for breadstuff's. Dry Fish is
buoyant ut our last quotations, aid holdsn' hurl& are
very neatly cleared of the lsrge quantity which came in, since the sth instant. The stock of Pickled Fish is, on
the contrary, exceelingly heavy, and prices have pro-
portionably declined.
Exchanges on Lendon—Jamaica Bank-30 daj s, I per
cent. prem. ; 60 days, I per cent. prem. ; 90 clays. 1 Per
cent. dis. Colonial Bank-30 days, 1 per cent. prem. ;
60 days, i per cr!str. prem.; 50 days, par.

DESTRUCTIV—E—EiRE.
A destructive fire broke out on Saturday of ernoon, in
Dagnigge- wells-rout, Clerkenwell, by which many fami,
lies have been rendered houseleis, working men throPin
out of employment, nod property of immense value de-
btroyed.

Tie catastrophe originated in the workshops of
Messrs. Johnson and Peak, builders, Baker-street, Bag-
nigge-wells-road, near the police-station, while the work-
men were gone to dinner.
The flames, from the nature of the property on fire,
had gained a most fearful ascendency, and the idea 'of
saving any of Messrs. Johnson and Co.'s property was
not entertained for a moment. In fact, every room, toge-
ther with the stock, workmen's tools, &c., had by this
time ignited. For nearly twenty-five minutes after the
outbreak not au engine arrived, the first being that of
Clerkenwell parish, which was closely followed by
several 'of the brigade and West of England. All were
most promptly placed in Baker-street, Granville-square,
and Bagnigge-wells-road, but notwithstanding every
possible exertion to subdue the flames the fire was nbt
completely pestered until after three o'clock. The con-
fusion and alarm that prevailed when the flames were
at their height baffles description. In Baker-street, on
the side opposite to the houses abutting on the fire, a
vast quantity of valuable furniture was piled up, which
was immediately taken charge of by the police as they
arrived. In Granville-square the furniture was thrown
out. of the houses indiscriminately, and has since been
placed by the polite) in the district church of St. Philip,
Clerkenwell (now under repair), which occupies the
centre of the square, until owned; and that in Baker-
street has been put into the empty houses on the oppo-
site side for the same purpose. By this calamity it is
stated that about fifty men will be thrown out of employ;
and it is also stated that when the body of men left to
go to dinner, two were placed in charge of a pot of some
ignitable matter which was oa the fire in the upper
workshop, but which must have boiled over and caused
the conflagration.

Subjoined is a copy of Mr. Braidwood's official report
of the damage done:—
"Saturday, August 17, 1850, called by police and
strangers to a fire which occurred on the premises of
Messrs. Johnson and Pask, builders and general con-
tractors, 48, Baker-street, Bagnigge-wells-road, Clerken-
well. The cause of fire unknown. Two workshops in
the yard were burnt down and their contents consumed.
Three stacks of deals destroyed; two racks of deals
burnt; the sawpit and drying shed over burnt down and
long drying shed consumed. The private dwelling and
counting-house damaged by fire and the contents by re-
moval. The contents of the workshop and dwelling-
house were insured in the Plxelix Fire-office.
" No. 47, Baker-street.—Mr. W. Hewson; back front
damaged by fire and the furniture by removal. Insured
in the Law and County offices.
No. 46, ditto.—Mr. W. Cooper; similar damage.
Insured in the Pticeltx Fire-office.
"No. 45, ditto.—J. Meyer; building and contents
damaged by fire and water. Insured in the Phcanix
Fire-office.

" NO. 44, dia.,. —J. Sawr; premises injured by fire
and contents by removal. Insured in the Pkeniz
Fire-office.

"No. 43, ditto.—E. Perry; similar damage. Not
insured.

" No. 52, ditto.—Messrs. Noble and Co., proprietors
of the Union Tavern; the roof of concert-room damaged
by fire end building of skittle-ground burnt down. In-
Lured in the Sun-office.

" Ditto.—Messrs. Owen and Stoddart, pianoforte ma-
nufacturers; stock damaged by hasty removal. Insurance
not known at present.

" No. 24, Granville-square.—Mr. W. Newton ; back
windows and second fluor burned out, and furniture
damned by removal. Contents and building supposed
to be insured in the sun•ofice.

" No. 25, ditto.—J. Padwick; back windows burned
out, front ditto broken. and furniture dumarzed by retro-
Instoed in Norwich Union Frre- office.
" No. 26, ditto.—J. Blackwood; similar damage to
Premises and their contents. Insured in the Scottish
Union-office.

" No. 27, ditto.—F. Adams; back front burned oat,
and contents damaged by hasty removal. .Nut insured.
"No 28. ditto.—J.Fletvet; back windows and upper
part ut house burned out, the lower part seriously da-
maged by tire, and the contents by rernoial. Insured itt
the Guardian.

" The fire was extinauisinid by firemen, with water
from the New River Comp:Loy. Engines that attended
—two of A and four or B thstriets of London estab-
lishment; two belonging to the parish; and one of tho
West of England Corni,any,"

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