The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-15 00:00:00

CONFLAGRATION AT THE NEW ,
CROSS RAILWAY STATION.
One of the most fearful fires that has occurred in the
neighbourhood of the metropolis for many years took
place at a late hour last evening, at the works attached
to the station of the Dover and Brighton Railway, at
New-cross, resulting in the destruction of property to an
enormous amount, the principal buildings and works
being totally destroyed, and vast damage done to the
adjacent property.
The spot in which it commenced was a loft imme-
diately over a large octagonal brick building, used as a
store-room in the engineering department. This store-
room was fitted up as a painters' shop, and was upwards
of eighty feet in breadth, having in its centre a lantern-
roof, upwards of seventy feet in height. It occupied a
large area, and stood westward of the station, being ap-
proached by a gateway on the London side. Beneath
was a repository for the locomotive engines and car-
riages, and it contained at the time four or five of the
former (each of which, at a rough estimate, is valued at
1,800/.), and also a number of tenders. The works were
all shut up, and the interior of the station was in a state
of animation in consequence of the approaching arrival
of the King of the French, he having signified his
intention of proceeding to Dover by this route. Ther e
were present Captain Charleville, superintendent of the
Dover Railway ; Mr. Howell, deputy superintendent of
the same line ; Mr. Cubitt, the engineer ; with several
others. While the workpeople were engaged erecting
the tent on the platform for his Majesty's reception,
they were startled by cries of " Fire," which subse-
quently proved to come from the watchman. On turn-
ing toward the octagonal building they discovered to
their astonishment the flames kindling in the upper part,
among the paint stores. A general alarm was instantly
raised, and on admission being obtained, the fire was
found to have attained such a hold of the combustibles
contained on the floors that it was morally impossible to
prevent it from consuming those departments. The
police, of whom there were a large number present, both
of the company's and metropolitan forces, directly
exerted themselves in every possible way to prevent the
flames extending. Unfortunately, although the
company have but recently been visited by a similar
calamity, there appeared to be no provision made in
cases of another emergency of the kind ; and the con-
sequence was, that when their engine was got to work
there was not sufficient hose to reach the part in
danger. From that moment the conflagration was
fearfully rapid. The flames rushing through the sky-
light into the lantern, from whence they burst forth with
increased fury. Before there was time to send informa-
tion of the outbreak to the engine-stations, the ascent of
the flames had completely illuminated the whole of the
metropolis, causing a complete turn out of all the engines.
Long before any of them arrived, although not a mo-
ment was lost, every portion of the " octagon" was in
flames, the floor and the roof had given way, and fallen
upon the locomotive power beneath, which also speedily
fell a scrifice, notwithstanding its almost fire-proof con-
struction. Previously attempts had been made to extri
cate this valuable property, but unfortainately without
the least beneficial effect. The railway police and work-
people, seeing that there was not the least chance of
saving anything this building contained, directed their
efforts to preventing the flames from reaching another
building, termed the fitting-house and carpenters' shops.
These, although under one roof, were more extensive
as regards depth and length than the other. They
were upwards of one hundred feet long by nearly forty
wide, and were contiguous to the warehouses and
other buildings attached to the line. Although
every person exerted himself to the utmost, the
fire continued pro ress and defied all human efforts to
stop it. The consternation now created was indeed be-
yond description, for it could be too plainly perceived
that the last building would share the same fate as the
previous one. About this time an engine belonging to
her Majesty's dockyard at Deptford arrived, attended by
a detachment of Marines, under the command of Major
Hamilton and other officers. The men were of great
assistance; conjointly with the work-people and the po-
lice they scaled the walls of the warehouse adjoining
the octagon, and got through the windows, and removed
a vast quantity of materials used in the engineering de-
partment. Whilst these operations were going on, Mr.
Henderson, the foreman of the southern section of the
brigade, arrived with his engine from the Southwark-
bridge-road, and was followed by Mr. Connorton, with
the West of England engine. Both of these, as soon
as possible, but with the greatest difficulty, were brought
alongside the burning property to two well holes, out of
which they were got to work. Subsequently arrived the
brigade engines from several other stations, under the
spperintendence of Mr. Braidwood, as also the County
engine, with Mr. Garwood, the foreman. The
whole of the force had reached the scene before ten
o'clock, the fire having broken out soon after nine. The
firemen at first appeared to be completely bewildered—
the flames were rushing out of the roofs, and through
nearly every window in the octagon and fitting
departments, and were roaring with an awful
sound. At the same moment, the molten lead
was running from the cornices round the blazing
property, thereby exposing every one to great
danger. Nevertheless, every man exerted himself with
the greatest intrepidity, and by that means, a long range
of premises, used for the erection of carriages, was
saved. There was a spacious tank between the two
buildings ; but the fire was so extraordinarily fierce,
that it completely reached over it, and almost set the
roof in a blaze. It was indeed truly distressing to see
the valuable lathes and splendid machinery in th e
fitting-house falling a sacrifice to the fury of one of th cod
most alarming of all elements. There was no alter
no
; the whole was quickly destroyed, or r endere°
useless. The loss in this department is also said t'
amount to several thousand pounds. On each side o
this fitting-house, or, more properly speaking, the
factory, stood, on the east the platform of the station, in
the opposite direction, the remainder of the works,
stretching along to a considerable distance. Fortunately
there was a large space between sufficient to admit the
firemen and others engaged in their arduous operations.
For two hours and upwards the fire continued to rage
with awful violence, although its progress had, to a
certain extent, been stopped. The immense mass of
inflammable material that the two buildings contained,
with the heavy floors and roofs, caused the conflagration
to be of frightful extent, the flames rising to such great
altitude as to be seen from many miles distant, attract-
ing some thousands of persons to the spot. An unusual
assemblage of police was at the scene almost as soon as
the alarming discovery was made, on account of their
being on the way to attend upon his Majesty the King
of the French on his arrival at New-cross. These were
under the direction of Superintendents May (A),
M'Lean (P), and Mallalieu (R) divisions, and were of
the greatest use in prevening the immense populace from
breaking into the station, which otherwise there is every
reason to apprehend they would have done, the pressure
being so great.
Ills Majesty the King of the French arrived at the
station about eleven o'clock. To get to the platform the
royal carriage had to pass over several lengths of hose,
whilst the engines were at work ; the scene at that mo-
ment was of intense interest. The appearance of the
troops who formed the royal escort, the reflection of the
flames upon their bright helmets and accoutrements—
the roaring of the engines working—the shouting of the
firemen, and the huzzas of the crowd in honour of the
French Monarch, excited a feeling that can with diffi-
culty be described. For some minutes the carriage re-
mained stationary, and his Majesty viewed from the
window the progress of the flames, which were within
100 feet of him. His Majesty on alighting expressed his
regret at the calamity.
One very fortunate circumstance was, that the wells
from which the engines worked were powerfully charged
with water, they being supplied by a steam engine on
the works, and to this in a great measure may be at-
tributed the saving of the remainder of the company's
property, for had it not been for this, nothing could
have saved the other portion of the station from being

_
consumed.
At one o'clock a great number of the engines were
still in full operation, there remaining a great body
of fire in the ruins. The hose of some were direct-
ing streams of water, from the warehouse and the
adjacent buildings, into the burning mass beneath,
whilst the firemen were stationed on all sides to
prevent the flames extending. Up to this period,
and an hour subsequently, several of the at-
taches to the King of the French, who were to follow
in another train after the royal carriage, were to be seen
mingled with the police and firemen. Their dresses
wonderfully contrasted with those of the fire corps,
whose apparel was covered with mud, and their faces as
black as sweeps. In the course of another half-hour or
so the whole of the suite left the New-cross station in a
special train, on their way to Dover. In consequence of
the arrival of his Majesty and his subsequent departure,
very little could be gleaned respecting the origin of the
fire, the chief portion of the officials of the railway having
to accompany the august party to its destination. We
ascertained from them that the loss is partly insured in
two or three offices. It is impossible to conceal the fact
that some suspicion overhangs the origin of the fire. It
will be recollected that a mouth or two ago a consider-
able destruction of property took place on the same lino
and near the same spot. On that occasion a long line
of shedding and several carriages were consumed. The
company entered into an investigation, which led to
no satisfactory result. One remarkable fact connected
with the present fire is the following :—That the work-
shops had been closed for some time previously, and no
light has been allowed to enter that portion of the pre-
mises where the flames were first observed. There were in
the workshops a large quantity of paint and other matter
which would ignite spontaneously ; but no doubt a rigid
inquiry will this day take place as to the true cause. 'I he
workpeople, it should be stated, who were employed on
the premises, were in the receipt of excellent wages,
and there is no reason to believe that any of them have
been the cause of this immense destruction of property.
The ruins, particularly those left of the octagonal or
principal buildings, as the fire gradually subsided, had a
most remarkable appearance ; the upright walls of the
upper story, or lantern, which was supported by four
stone pillars, while the body of fire was raging beneath,
were so charred and splintered by the intensity of the
heat, that they resembled the fretted pillars of some an-
cient monastery which had been worn away by the lapse
of years, and the destructive hand of time, while the
wreck of the several locomotives was to be seen along
the extensive line of shedding, showing a most serious
loss of this most valuable property of the company.
The total amount of the damage done was computed
at upwards of 25,0001.