The Sun.
London, England, 1827-10-29 00:00:00

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

Yesterday morning, at three o'clock, a conflagra-
tion, most destructive in its consequences, occurred

in the south-east part of the metropolis.

At the

hour above-mentioned, the inmates sof a house in
Bermondsey-street, in the' occupation of Mr. Holland,
a straw-bonnet manufacturer, were aroused by cries
of " Fire," and had just time to escape from their
habitation before it was all in a blaze. Most of the
houses in the street being principally built of wood,
the house adjoining to that of Air. Holland took fire,
which communicated with the buildings right and
left, on the sPme side of the way, and before water
could be procured to work the engines, 16 houses
were burnt to the ground. The want of water was
attributed to the stoppage of the old London Bridge
water-works. During tile awful catastrophe, the
wind, which was from the north-east, blew with ex-
ceeding violence, and it rained unceasingly. Amongst
the sufferers of loss of property on the occasion, is
the proprietor of the King's Head, who was not
insured, and has thereby lost upwards of 4,0001. in
stock and furniture. The confusion in the neigh-
bourhood was beyond conception. Fortunately the
whole establishment of Union-hall police-office were
on the spot, and by their exertions protected the
property saved out of some of the houses, from the
clutches of the thieves, who were there in great
numbers. No lives were lost during the fire ; but
we understand that about nine o'clock in the morning
the shell of one of the houses fell into the street,
and buried three individuals (two men and a boy)
underneath. The boy, it appeared, was taken out
dead, and the men were extricated, having been se-
verely bruised. The whole of yesterday the neigh-
bourhood was in the utmost confusion, and the sight
was appalling to witness the distress and misery de-
picted in the countenances of the numerous families
who have been left without house or home owing to
the awful calamity. The fire was not totally extin-
guished until half-past eight o'clock in the morning.

(PuRTHER PARTICULARS.)
Upon inquiry this morning, we are glad to state that
not a single life was lost, and that the boy said to have
been killed by the falling in of the front of one of the houses,
wily meived a slight injury. It is quite unknown how
the fire originated, and the rapidity with which it spread
on all directions was such, that but few articles of furnir
ture or property could be saved. The losses sustained by
the conflagration, are estimated at about 10,0001. to
12,0001. Of this sum Mr. Sulivan, the landlord of the
King's Head wine-vaults, loses upwards of 4,0001. being
wholly uninsured. Mr. Cook, who carried on the busi-
ness of an extensive woolstapler, is however, the principal
sufferer, and is only partially insured. The quantity of
wool destroyed is considerable. An extensive range of ware-
houses in the rear of the street were most miraculously
saved,--they were wholly composed of wood, and filled
principally with wool, part of which is damaged. The
total number of houses consumed amount to twelve or
thirteen, and several others are so much injured that
they cannot be again inhabited.

MAGNETIC REPULSION.—A very remark.
able result has been obtained by M. Becquerel, from the use
of an extremely delicate magnetic arrangement, which he
has for the present called a Sideroscope. Its use is exactly
the same in principle as that of the magnetic needle, indi-
cating iron, for instance, by the attraction manifested; but
it is so delicate that it will show it in the most minute
quantity possible ; as, for instance, in gold, silver, or cop-
per money, innumerable minerals, &c. This instrument
shows no magnetic power, or attraction in gold, silver,
copper, palladiu-,n, tin, lead, zinc, or brass, when chymi-
sally pure, and a great many vegetable and mineral sub-
stances have no action on it; but the most curious result
is, that very pure bismuth, and even that of commerce, has
a repulsive power, which if it be found ultimately to be in-
dependent of any magnetic polarity, is the first fact of the
kind that has been made known. Antimony Also presents
the same pheaouieuen.

SMITHFIEI
At this day's market, whi
crime small Porkers, but i]

MARKET.
ich was short of fat Calves and
n other respects well supplied,

each kind of meat met with a ready sale, Beef, Mutton,
and Veal, at about 4d., Lamb and Pork 2d. per stone be-
yond Friday's quotations.

PRICES FEE STONE OF 81. BS. TO SINK THE OFFALS.
s. d. to s. d. a. d. to e. d.
Inferior Beasts 3 0 4 Large Lambs 3 r. 0 0
Second quality ditto 3 6 4 2 Prime small ditto... 0 0 4 8
Prime large Oxen... 4 2 4 8 Large coarse Calves 4 4 410
Prime Scots, &c..... 4 6 410 Prime small ditto... 5 4 513
Inferior Sheep 3
.2 3 6 Large Hogs 4 6 410
Second quality ditto 3 6 310 Small Porkers 5 4 5 8
Coarse-woolled ditto 4 2 4 8 Suciding Calves 12s to 391. each.
SouthdownWethers 4 8 5 2 , Quarter oldPige 12s to 18s. each.