The Sun.
London, England, 1844-07-06 00:00:00

EX TENSI VE FIRES.

DESTRUCTION OF GIiANGE-lIOUSE, BERMONDSEY'.
Last night, between the hours of nine and ten, a fire of a
very alarming and destructive character broke out in the
' premises known as Grange-house, situated in the Grange-
road, Bermondsey, the property of Mr. Owen. The building
was very extensive, having a frontage of nearly 50 feet, and
a proportionate depth. At the time the flames burst forth
Mr. Owen, with his family and servants were up, and em-
ployed in different parts of the premises; but such was the
rapidity with which the fire spread, that they had not suffi-
cient time to make their escape down the staircases. Fortu-
nately several persons were quickly at the scene, and having
procured ladders, Mrs-thven was dragged through one of the
windows, and lowered into the garden. The rest of the in-
mates were also rescued, and without receiving any personal
injury.- The parish engine, with several others belogging to
the London Brigade, were remarkably quick in arriving? as
was also one belonging to the West of England Company.
Water was soon obtained, and the engines were set to work,
but so fiercely did the flames extend tl:at they for some time
defied the utmost exertions of the firemen, and room after
room fell a sacrifice to the most destructive of all elements,
and when the roof fell in the flames rose to an immense alti-
tude. Towards half-past ten, owing principally to the ex-
haustion of all combustible material, the firemen got the
complete mastery of the conflagration, but not-before the
premises were a mass of ruins, and the valuable stock of
furniture, &c., either consumed or rendered worthless by the
action of the lire.

SERIOUS FIRE IN WHITECHAPEL.
Scarcely had the firemen succeeded in extinguishing the
disastrous fire in Bermondsey, than intelligence was received
of another conflagration having broken out in Whitechapel.
Thither several of the Brigade and West of England en-
gines were despatched, when it was ascertained that the
upper part of the spacious range of premises; belonging to
Mr.. Fryett, pawnbroker, carrxing on business at :No. 16,
Wlntechapel-road, immediately- opposite the church was in
flames. The fire originated in the stores, amongst a valuable
assortment of pledges. The parish engine was on the spot in
the course of a few minutes ; but the crowd was so great,
that some time elapsed before it could be got into operation,
during which the fire continued to burn most fiercly, ascend-
ing to the floor above, and at ;the same time descending to
the one below. The hose of the Brigade engines were car-
ried up the staircase, and that of the West of England Com-
pany was directed through the windows, and by that means
the firemen were enabled to pour a vast torrent of water
upon that part of the premises on fire, which extinguished
the flames by half-past eleven o'clock. The damage done at
this fire is very consideyble. To add to the misfortune,hu-
merous poor families residing in the locality will be deprived
of the property left in the charge of Mr. Fryett. The origin
of:the fire, like the preceding one, is unknown. A strong
body of police of the I 1 division were on the spot, and To-
ttered essential service, in keeping the immense crowd out of
i
the reach of danger, and in guarding the property of the ii:-
habitants.

CITY IMPROVEMENTS.—The boarding at the ter-
minus of the extensive street from Farringdon-street to
Clerkenwell has been. removed several yards backwards, by
which eight houses which have been erected and are fit for
occupation are opened to view. They are erected in the best,
style of street architecture, and as the whole of the new street
will bc built uniformly, this will when complete be equal to any
in the metropolis. The opening of the new. street presents a-
fine bold circus, the width of Farringdon-street. No steps
have yet been taken for the clearance of the houses between
West-street and Clerkenwell, and this is one of the most tardy
of any of the improvements now in progress in the metcopolie,