The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-10-23 00:00:00

FIRES IN LONDON

Between eleven and twelve o'clock on Sunday night a fire
broke out in the manufactory of Messrs. Samuda, engineers,
Summer-street, Bankside. In a few minutes after the disco-
very of the fire, the engine and men from the Southwark-
bridge station arrived, followed by the West of England en-
gine and a dozen others belonging to the brigade, and being
plentifully supplied with water, played with such effect on
the burning mass, as to confine it to the stack of buildings
(occupying nearly half an acre of ground) in which the fire
originated, but not before the whole of Messrs. .Samuda's
manufactory was destroyed. By two o'clock all fears of fur-
ther danger were at an end.
Just as the firemen belonging to the London Fire Establish-
ment and those of the West of England, assisted by the police
of the M division, had succeeded in extinguishing the fire
which had broken out on the premises of Messrs. Samuda,
another was discovered raging in the centre of the extensive
piles of timber in the yard of Messrs. Rosling, timber-mer-
chants, and proprietors of the extensive steam saw-mills,
Bankside, and within a hundred yards of the spot of the other
scene of destruction. The first intimation of the second fire
which the firemen received was a sudden blaze, which at half
past twelve o'clock illuminated the horizon. The West of
England engine, which had the horses put to for the purpose
of going home, was immediately got round by the Borough
market, and upon reaching the spot it was placed under the
arch of Southwark-bridge, while the men belonging to the
brigade, under the direction of Mr. Braidwood, attached other
hose to their usual lengths and played upon the fire. By this
time the new floating engine lying off the Southwark-bridge
was got into play, as well as four more of the brigade engines.
Although the whole were at one time throwing immense
bodies of water on the flames, the fire had obtained such a
hold on the timber as to render all the exertions of the men
useless. The fire at this period presented a most magnificent
spectacle—five or six piles of timber, about forty feet high,
being enveloped in one sheet of flame. While the fire was
thus raging above, it worked its way to the arches beneath,
in which the more valuable timber was kept, the greater part
of which was destroyed. Through the judicious exertions of
the firemen of the West of England, they succeeded in saving
the premises facing the water side, otherwise the loss and
destruction of property would have been most extensive.

. . .
The extent of damage attendant on these calamitous con-
flagrations is described by the official report as follows. With
regard to the first fire :
The factory of Messrs. Samuda and Brothers, engineers,
&c., burnt to the ground, together with outbuildings, machi-
nery, &c.. The firm are insured in the Alliance Fire Office
to the extent of £3OOO.

The distillery of Messrs. Vincent and Pugh, greatly da-
maged by fire at the back • insured in the Sun Fire Office.
The factory of Mr. Sandeman, back portion much injured;
insured in the Licensed Victuallers to the extent of £l5OO.

The hop warehouse of Mr. Smith, also damaged by fire
and_water ; insured in the Sun for £lOOO.

Nos. 2,3, 4, and 5, Heremes-court, occupied by poor fa-
milies, seriously injured by fire and water. The buildings
and the unfortunate inmates, who are considerable sufferers,
are not insured.

Other houses in the neighbourhood are stated to be da-
maged, but the entire amount of loss cannot at present be
ascertained.

At the fire at the Southwark-bridge Wharf, the whole of
the saw-mills, one large stack of timber, and the southern
part of the wharf destroyed, and other stacks of timber much
injured. Messrs. Rosling are insured in the Phoenix to the
amount of £BBOO.

Messrs. Hutchinson and Co., dye and drug mills, the
frontage severely injured by fire; insured.
The Windmill public-house, in Horse-shoe-alley, occupied
by Mr. Thomas Dowsett, much damaged; insured in the
Licensed Victuallers' Office.—Morning Post.