The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-23 00:00:00

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT MAN
CHESTER.

Last evening a fire was discovered in the warehouse
of Messrs. Smith and Ingle, paper manufacturers,
Piccadilly, which spread with a rapidity very similar
to that of the conflagration which destroyed the ware-
house at the corner of New Brown-street, about two
years ago, and soon ravaged through every floor of
the warehouse, and left merely the shell standing.
The alarm was given about twenty-five minutes
past nine o'clock, the police constables in the neigh-
bourhood of the warehouse springing their rattle:, ;
but, from what we could gather, no one seems to
have perceived the fire till it was bursting forth
from the windows. Mr. Superintendent Sawley,
of the borough police, states that he was past the
place at a quarter past nine o'clock, at which
time there was no appearance or smell of fire.
Intimation was given at the police-yard about
half-past nine o'clock ; and, in ten minutes af-
terwards, the Niagara engine was on the spot,
The warehouse of Messrs. Smith and Ingle is a long
building, four stories in height, with the end (four
windows in breadth) fronting Piccadilly, and one side
(ten windows in length), forming one side of the
Mosley Arms Yard, which is a narrow yard, open
through, from Piccadilly to Back Piccadilly ;
the other side of this yard being formed by
the Mosley Arms Hotel. We believe the upper
part of Messrs. Smith and Ingle's warehouse was
occupied by Messrs. Taylor, Humphreys, Hurst,
and C. 0., flannel and drugget manufacturers.
Adjoining the warehouse, in front, to the west, is the
White Bear Inn; and the aspect of the conflagration,
when we reached the spot at twenty minutes to ten
o'clock, was truly alarming. The whole of the ware-
house of Messrs. Smith and Ingle appeared to be in
flames, which rushed from the side windows, spread
across the yard, and soon communicated to the
wood work of the Mosley Arms Hotel, the cornice
and window frames of which house were re-
peatedly on fire. Fortunately, the latter were
immediately forced outwards by men stationed
in the different chambers ; and the interior was thus
preserved, though not without the greatest exertions
of the firemen. The heat was so intense that it was
impossible for any one to enter the yard, and the
chief efforts of the firemen were directed from within
the Mosley Arms and from its roof. Meanwhile
the White Bear Inn was in the most imminent danger,
and many bystanders declared that nothing could
save it. Under this impression, the furniture, bed-
ding, &c., were hurled out of the chamber windows,
and much mischief was done by the hasty and
thoughtless way in which the property was thrown
about in removal. Much of it was conveyed
across the street, to the Talbot Inn, for safety.
Behind the White Bear is a crooked yard, which
also leads through into Back Piccadilly ; and several
branchmen were stationed in this yard, and played
their jets on the walls and roofs of some low cottages
and other tenements and outbuildings, so as to pro-
tect the White Bear premises from the impend-
ing peril. In one tenement in this yard was
a poor woman confined to her bed by sick-
ness; she was hurriedly removed in her night-
dress, and conveyed away, seated on a. pile of
bedding, &c., in a large porters cart, filled with
goods removed from the premises. Some pigs and
other animals were also removed from the outhouses.
Both the Mosley Arms and the White Bear were re-
peatedly on fire, both on the roof, the cornices, and
the window-frames ; and as often the firemen suc-
ceeded in extinguishing the flames; not, however, be-
fore they had penetrated into the bar of the White