The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-10-06 00:00:00

2361
1884

Majority for Pirie
Majority for Johnson

ATTEMPT TO FIRE SHEERNESS DOCKYARD

(From the Morning He, aid of Yesterday)
Her Majesty's ship Camperdown, 120 guns, lying in Sheer-
ness Dock, was attempted to be fired in the basin on Friday
evening by some incendiary. The tire was first discovered in
the midshipmen's berth, but was extinguished after burning
a locker ; but on further search a well-laid train was disco-
vered in the warrant-officers' store-rooms, consisting of resin,
oakum, and lucifer matches.
At ten minutes before six o'clock the inspectors of ship-
wrights went their usual rounds on board the different ships
in the docks and basin, to see all the lights extinguished. Mr.
J. Duff visited her Majesty's ship Camperdown, a first-rate,
and reported all lights out. The Camperdown lay in the fit;
ting basin, close to the stern of the north and middle docks,
in which were the Amazon frigate and the Achille. second-
rate. The carpenter of the Camperdown, Mr. Henty, whose
duty it was to visit and report, followed Mr. Duff, and he
also reported all light out. Mr. Henty, having shortly after-
wards recollected he had left his umbrella, returned to the
ship, and on going down on the lower deck he saw a dense
smoke arising from the after cockpit ; he ran down below,
and found it proceeded from the midshipmen's berth, on the
larboard side. He saw the fire proceeding from the lockers.
He immediately gave the. alarm, and with the assistance of
Mr. Banes, one of the foremen of the dockyard, they suc-
ceeded in getting the fire under. The fire-cask and buckets
in the after cockpit were fortunately close to the cabin door,
and they soon put the tire out. The alarm being given, the
gates were closed, with strict orders to prevent ally person
passing out. Captain Superintendent Sir John Hill, and all
the respective officers, were shortly on the spot, and all the
engines surrounded the docks and basins, and got ready to
work. A strict search was made throughout all the ships.
Mr. Henty declares, that on his proceeding down into the
after cockpit, on discovering the smoke, be heard a heavy
footstep running across the cockpit, as though the person had
nailed shoes ; but, being dark, he could not see any person.
Upon examination of the Camperdown, the locker in which
the fire broke out was found to contain a large quantity of
tarred oakum, picked loose and mixed up with fir shavings and
new birch brooms cut open, and immediately over the lockers
a quantity of hay and oakum was stowed between the shelf=
piece and beams, leading into the openings between the tim-
bers. On further examination, in the fore part of the ship,
they found stowed in the carpenter's store-room, in one of the
lockers, a large quantity of tarred oakum, pitch, tallow,
resin, brooms cut loose, and a number of lucifer matches,
one of which had been lighted, evidently for the purpose of
setting fire to the mass of combustible matter laid in the
locker. Every precaution has been taken—none of the
workmen were permitted to leave the dockyard until half-
past seven o'clock. One half of the shipwrights were retained
with their respective officers, and all the military who were
off guard were called into the yard, and stationed at every
part to prevent any person leaving. Every precaution was
taken to prevent further outbreak, and a strict inquiry made
to endeavour to find out the perpetrator of this base deed.
An express was sent off to the admiralty at eight p.m. ; it
was conveyed by Mr. Luson, clerk to the captain superin-
tendent.

There is no doubt the perpetrator of this foul deed was
surprised by the unexpected return of Mr. Henty. The
following ships were in the docks and basins, close to the
Camperdown :
In docks—the Achille and Amazon. In the basin—The
Monarch and Cornwall. At the time the fire was discovered
it was blowing a fresh breeze from N.W., taking the range
of the three docks and roofs. If the Camperdown had taken
fire, it must have communicated to the other ships, and all
must have been destroyed. Fortunately for the public inte-
rest the design of the incendiary has been frustrated ; had he
succeeded, the whole of the Blue Town would most likely
have been burnt down, as they would not have been able to
procure engines from any other source than the dockyard !
They would have been fully engaged for the protection of
public property, and unavailable to the town.
The only accident heard of was to Mr. Lee, a police-
serjeant, who, on going down on the orlop deck, fell down
one of the scuttles, but fortunately was not seriously hurt;
he is much bruised.

A man has been taken up by order of the captain super-
intendent, on suspicion of being concerned in the above act.
The first lord of the admiralty (Lord Minto) has proceeded
to Sheerness to investigate the affair.

STATE OF TRADE.
LEEDS.-It is satisfactory to be able to report the conti-
nued activity of our mercantile transactions. the manufac-
turers, generally being well employed for the foreign and do-
mestic winter trade. There is, notwithstanding, a very gene-
ral complaint among both clothiers and manufacturers of the
inadequacy of profits, which are scarcely sufficient to meet
their constant losses.

BRADFORD MARKET.—We had a good attendance of
buyers at this market on Thursday, and a brisk demand for
figured stuffs, Orleans, and Low Saxony cloths. Merinos
were also in improved request. The Yarn market partook of
the animation which prevailed in the Piece Hall ; but the
Wool market was dull, and prices were scarcely maintained.
HECKMONDWIKE BLANKET HALL.—There has been a
good attendance of buyers for the last few market days, with
rather an increased demand for goods, chiefly for the home
trade, still prices do not advance in an equal ratio to that of
wool.—Leeds Intelligencer.

-----
WRECK NEAR LYTRAM.—During, the heavy squalls on
the night of Tuesday last, the Henrietta, outward-bound
vessel, which had sailed from Liverpool on Saturday last, for
Revel, with a cargo of salt, got ashore at the mouth of the
Ribble, when the captain and one of the hands were unfor-
tunately drowned. The remaining part of the crew got
ashore in a boat. Owing to the very heavy sea the vessel
went to pieces, and, as a matter of course, the whole of the
cargo, &c., is lost... Preston Pilot.