The Sun.
London, England, 1850-10-25 00:00:00

FRIDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 25, 1850.

EXTENSIVE FIRE AT PLYMOUTH.

PLYMOUTH, THURSDAY.—L.Ist night one of the
most extensive fires that has ever occured in this
neighbourhood breke out in the large soap manufac-
tory at Coxside, in this town, the property of Messrs.
Bryant, Burnell, and Co. It appears that after the
men had left work, the wife of Mr. James, of the
starch-works, when retiring to rest, was attracted to
the window of the house, when she discovered a hart
of the soap works to be on fire. An alarm was in-
stantly given, and it was ascertained that the fire
originated in the engine-house, which was almost
consumed before the engines could be brought into
operation. Simultaneously with each other the en-
gines of the County Fire•oflice and West of England
arrived, the latter accompanied by its brigade, who
at once directed the jet of the engine to the main
building. The County engine was also set to work,
and played on the right wing of the factory.
By this time the fire had got considerable mastery,
and, stretching from the engine house to the boil-
ing house, broke out with great violence at every
part. Barrels of oil, tallow, and resin were fortu-
nately removed, as were also the papers and books of
the office. Two companies of the 23d Royal Welsh
Fusiliers, under Captain Philips, arrived, followed by
four companies of the same regiment in fatigue dress,
under Captain Wynne, the whole con:mandrel by
Mejor Lysons. Tile people, es ho had considerably
increased, were driven back, and the soldiers in good
earnest set to work at the engines, taking the County
engine to the hack part of the premises, and prevent-
ing the fire front extending to the starch works of
Mr. James. Some of the sparks fell down one of the
chimneys in Mr. James's house and set fire to a bun-
dle of straw, but further than this no injury was
done. Captain Fyers, Lieutenant Harrison, and
Surgeon Garnbell, with a party of 150 men of the 4th
King's Own Regiment from the citadel then joins d,
as did also Captain Willett and Lieutenant Elgee,
with 25 men of the Royal Artillery, with the garri-
son engine. A party of 20 marines and 80 seamen,
under the direction of Lieutenant Dowell, of her Ma-
jesty's ship Albion, arrived, with Lieutenant Bow-
land and Mr. Harris, mate, and 50 men from her
Majesty's ship Agincourt. There was also a large
party of seamen and marines from her Majesty's ship
Rattlesnake. A party of Marines front the barracks
was also in attendance, with an engine.
The attention of the seamen was directed to the
starch works adjoining the property of Mr. James,
when they climbed a high wall, and jumping into a
large reservoir, threw out large quantities of water
on the remains of the engine-house, which nearly
extinguished the fire that was raging there. The
whole of the windows of the building, above one
hundred in number, were wholly destroyed, as was
the roofing, which fell in, together with the flooring,
with a tremendous crash, forcing up large showers of
red sparks and volumes of thick smoke. Two coppers
of soap in the boiling house, ready for clearing, were
burnt, together with several thousand pounds' worth
of manufactured soap of all kinds. The inside of the
building appeared to be one mass of flames. Indeed,
never did a fire do its work more completely than on
this occasion.

Major-General the Hon. H. Murray, accompanied
by Brigade-Major Nelson, was on the ground, as was
also the Mayor, Mr. John Moore, and several of the
magistrates. About twelve o'clock the whole esta-
blishment was thoroughly gutted, and withi❑ the
bare walls lay a heap of burning ruins, now and then
sending forth immense showers of red sparks. The
extent of the damage, we regret to say, is very large,
amounting, it is said, to about 30,0001. Of that sum
only 2,500/. was insured in the Star-office ; and
2,7001. in the County Fire-office; and it also unfortu-
nately happens that a great number of poor men will
be suddenly cast on the world. The manufactory
was built in 1844, at a great outlay, and a flourishing
business was being done up to the time of this dis-
aster. At one o'clock the troops were marched home,
there being no probability of the fire extending fur-
ther, and the police were then left, in charge.

MELANCHOLY SHIEWRECK.—A most distressing
shipwreck was made known at Lloyd's by a letter received
from Captain Chadwick, master of the ship Solway, dated
Quebec, October d. The particulars are briefly as follow :
On the 13th of last mouth, about six o'clock in the evening,
when the Solway was in lat. 45 90, long. 40 7, a wreck was
observed on the lee bow, and the master perceiving a human
being on board, bore up with all expedition to render assist-
ance. She proved to be the George Lockwood, of Scar-
borough, and had apparently lost all hands, except one man,
who was lashed to the tafrail, and a corpse of a seaman was
hanging to the lower part of the wreck. Immediately on
the Solway getting within reach her boats were sent along-
side. Although the sea was running very high at the time
and making clear breach over the wreck, the boat contrived
to take off the unfortunate sufferer, whom they found almost
dead and insensible. They distinctly ascertained there was
no other living person on the wreck, and her bull and cabins
were full of water. The survivor being carefully at-
tended to and food judiciously administered, in a day or so
he sufficiently recovered to give the following account of the
wreck. It appeared that on the morning of the Bth while
the vessel was lying to, and all hands up aloft, except the
master and boy, stowing away a sail, a sea struck the ship,
throwing her on her beam ends and sweeping away bowsprit,
bulwarks, stancheons, boats, galley, and part of her broad-
side. The ma-ter and boy disappeared amongst the wreck,
and were never seen afterwards. Those who were aloft were
all immersed, and three only contrived to keep hold of the
rigging and get on board again, but on the 9th one of them
was again washed overboard and disappeared. The survi-
vors then lashed themselves to the iron bar on the tatrail,
where they remained till the 13th without food or water.
One cf them named George Mookman then expired. His
(heath took place about two hours before the Solway came in
sight. The survivor was the mate of the brig; his name
is George Jarvis.