The Sun.
London, England, 1844-06-04 00:00:00

FIRE AT GRAVESEND.

About eleven. on Sunday night a fire commenced at
Gravesend, which caused a far more extensive destruction
of property than any similar event in that town for the last
half-century. It commenced at a small house in West-street,
frail the flue of a 'chimney belonging to a shrimp boiler, and
quickly communicated to the building, which, as well as the
adjoining ones, was constructed principally of wood. The
fire spread with great rapidity, and the wind fanned the
flames from house to house. The town engines were speedily
got into play, as was the engine from the fort, and assisted.
in'a very short time by engines from Rochester, Dartford,•
and other places, which, on seeing the brilliant blaze caused
by the fire, had at once started for the scene of conflagration.
The detachments of soldiers lying at Tilbury and at Graves-
end, rendered every assistance in their power, and were of
the greatest service in keeping order'and working the engines.
After burning for several hours, and destroying about twenty-
ae houses, several wharfs, and consuming a vast quantity of
materials connected with shipping, the fire was fortunately
giktunder. At four o'clock all further danger had ceased.
An entire square of building between West-street and the
River was eonsumed, and some houses on the upper side of
that street were burnt, and others damaged. Considering
the nature of the fire, and the place where it occurred, it is
ahnOst surprising that the whole of that part of the town of
Gravesend was not consumed. We have not heard in what
offiqes the property was insured.

Tim SHIPPING INTEREST.—A considerable number
of seamen belonging to North Shields, on Saturday last;
waited on the relieving officer, Mr. Tibbs, to submit to his
notice their sad situation, some declaring that for two or
three days they had scarcely partaken of the common neces-
sarieN of life. Their statement was attentively listened to,
and a few of them have since been set to break stones in the
poor-house at Is. per day—an extent of relief far from ade-
quate to meet the urgent nature of their requirements. These
seamen cannot find employment, many vessels having gone
to other ports and fitted out for sea, owing to local causes,
which gtherwise would have, in all probability, shipped the
most of those poor but worthy and industrious men. On
Wedneilay a number of keelmen also applied, who, on being
offered Work in the collieries declined.
MOuNTAINs ON FIRE. —The Cork Reporter of
Tuesday Contains the following passage from a letter received
from a arrespondent at Mitcheistown :—" The Galties are
are all in ablaze for hundreds of acres together ; one sheet of
flame every night; a most splendid sight. • The flame will
be entirelvturned out. Several attempts have been made, to
stop the Are. by digging trenches across, with great labour
and numbers of iten ; but it breaks out again in other places,
when the wind rises. Galtirnore is on fire to the, very top,
near the Engineers' Obelisk."
INCOMIP•TAX ASSESSMENTS.—The following notice
has been issued by order of the Commissioners of Stamps and
Taxes to the different assessors appointed under the new In-
come Tax Act sth and 6th Victoria, both in the City of
London, and the parishes within the bills of mortality of this
great metropolis :—" As to the assessments made in the -year
1842, under schedules A and B, in respect to lands, tenements,
&c., they are to ''remain in force for three years, from the. sth
of April in that year, no return is required to be made forithe
present year undtr the schedules, except in cases where lands,
SW./ him been omitted to be 'charged in.the as-
sessments already (made, or where new buildings have since
been erected." .
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