The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-23 00:00:00

AWFUL FIRE ON SATURDAY,

(FURTHER PARTICULARS.)
The fire was first discovered by the inmates of the
house, who consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Farey, Mr.
Farey, jun., three female servants, and a youth who
acted as Mr. Farey's clerk, all of whom, with the ex-
ception of the latter, succeeded in effecting their es-
cape on to the roof of the house, in a state of nudity,
but were unable without assistance to proceed fur-
ther. Their cries of "Fire!" attracted the notice of
a policeman on duty in the neighbourhood, who, on
hastening to the spot, discovered a dense body of
smoke rising from the rear of the premises, and ia-
stantly springing his rattle raised the alarm. As soon
as an entrance could be effected through the adjoin
ing houses, the police ascended to the roofs, and res
cued the above-mentioned six individuals from thei:
frightfully perilous situation, and they were ulti
mately conveyed to No. 55 on the opposite side of ths-
street, where they still remain. The flames at th,.
time appeared to be raging on the second floor, £1,11,1]
speedily extended to the third floor, bursting throng:.
the windows, back and front, with terrific fury; arci
within an incredibly short space of time they also ap-
peared through the roof, illumining the atinosphe e
fbr miles round the metropolis.
About twenty minutes before five o'clock a portic.
of the roof at the back of the premises fell in, am' a
still larger portion about a quarter of an hour after-
wards, which carried with it the whole of the mas-
sive timbers of the floors down to the basement with
a tremendous crash, upon which the engines were
enabled to bear more powerfully upon the ruins,
which still continued to burn fiercely.
As soon as the ruins were sufficiently cooled to
enable the firemen to enter the premises, they did so
rom the back upon the ground floor, and near the
wine-cellar they found a man standing immovable
from intoxication, who was immediately handed over
to the care of the police, and was conveyed to the
station-house. At that moment one of the brigade-
men heard the moans or stifled cries of a person
coming from the front of the house. Hastening
round to the front he descended the area, and break-
ing open the kitchen window could plainly distin-
guish a man lying in the ruins, and still alive. Every
exertion which humanity could prompt was instantly
made to rescue the unfortunate being, who was lying
near the front kitchen door, with his feet under a
dresser, and a massive beam pressing across his knees,
while heavy joists, &c., were lying on his shoulders.
lie was evidently sinking fast, and, notwithstanding
some warm brandy and water was instantly procured
and administered, he became insensible, and when at
length he was, by means of jacks to raise the timber,
extricated and conveyed on a police stretcher to a
surgeon's in the same street, it was found that life
was quite extinct. The deceased was John Birlanyer,
a policeman of the E division, No. 152, who had been
assisting in the endeavours to extinguish the flames,
and the body was immediately removed to the work-
house of St. Giles's-in-the-Fields.
As soon as the confusion which necessarily prevails
on such lamentable occasions had somewhat subsided,
great fears were entertained that Mr. Farey's clerk,
a youth, named William Robinson, about fifteen
years of age, who slept in one of the attics, had
perished in the flames ; and as soon as the ruins were
sufficiently cooled an active search was made for his
remains, which were not, however, discovered until
three o'clock in the afternoon, when they were found
nearly at the top of the ruins, in a dreadfully burned
state, nothing remaining but the head and back, and
portions of the arms and legs. The remains were
shortly afterwards placed in a shell and conveyed to
St. Giles's workhouse.
Upon the police being mustered on their return to
the station, after attending the fire, it was found that
another policeman, named John Wright, No. 128 E,
who was assisting in Guildford-street, as well as
Birkmyer, was also missing ; and, up to a late hour
last night, no trace of him had been discovered, and
every fear is entertained that he also has fallen a vic-
tim, and that his body is now in the ruins. A man
named Charles Jenkins, a jobbing groom, lodging at
the Guildford Arms public-house, in the same street,
who was seen actively assisting at the fire, is also
missing, and very little doubt exists that both have
perished. It was believed that the man Jenkins, hear-
ing, about five o'clock, that a valuable dog belonging
to Mr. Farey was in the kitchen at the time of the
outbreak of the fire, was anxious to see if he could
find it, and ventured down the area steps, and into
the kitchen, in search of it (that part then being
uninjured by the fire), when he was seen by the two
policemen, Birkmyer and Wright, who followed him,
to compel him to come back, and, at the instant they
were doing so, the roof falling in, carried down with
it the upper floors to the first floor, under the flooring
of which were iron rafters, and on it two massive iron
chests, each weighing (it is stated) 1,100 weight, the
whole of which was then forced down to the base-
ment, burying the three individuals under the ponde-
rous mass.
The following statement of the outbreak was given
to our reporter by Dilley, the coachman of Mr. Farey :
" I was suddenly aroused from my sleep by a loud
knocking at my door. I immediately got up, and,
upon looking out of the window, I perceived that a
large body of fire was raging in the pantry at the back
of my master's house. As soon as I got on my trou-
sers, I ran out, and thus made the best of my way up
the stairs, and shouted 'Fire ! ' I succeeded, I think,
in awakening some of the inmates ; for shortly after-
wards I heard a loud screaming at the top of the
building. Finding the fire was progressing, I hastened
back, and called to the neighbours to come and render
assistance. I was soon afterwards joined by Charles
Jenkins, the groom, who ran into the house several
times to save what property he couli. The flames
descending and the smoke being so oppressive, I en-
deavoured to persuade him not to enter the house
again. He replied, laughing, Oh, Dilley, have a
little pluck, my boy, there's no danger; I will go and
get master's favourite dog (or bird).' Having said
this, he dashed into the house, and I never saw him
afterwards. There was no other way of escape ;
therefore I am of opinion that he perished in the
flames. I have not the slightest idea how the fire
originated."

Relative to the means which were employed to
awaken the youth in the attic, the following state-
tnent of Mr. Farey, jun., will prove that nothing
which humanity could suggest was left undone in
order to accomplish his rescue :
" Immediately I was made sensible of there being
a fire upon the premises, I ran out of my own room,
which adjoins that of the servants' on the third floor. I
called out to the parties below, and advised them in-
stantly to escape. Finding I could not descend, I
hastened towards the parapet, knocking as I went most
violently at the servants' door. Before reaching the
parapet, I found the boy Robinson was missing. I
ran back and called him ; but receiving no answer I
knocked still more violently at the door of his cham-
ber. The heat was so oppressive that I was forced to
retreat, but upon reaching the parapet a second time
I revived, and again returned and broke the windows
of the boy's room. All these attempts to awaken the
lad proving useless, I was obliged to leave the room,
and just reached the parapet in time to save my own
life."

The building in which the fire originated is totally
destroyed, with the entire of the splendid furniture,
books, pictures, drawings, jewellery, instruments, &o.
Information of the melancholy cecurrence has been
forwarded to Air. Wakley, M.P., Coroner, but it is
not yet known whether the inquest will be taken on