The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-02-24 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

ALARMING AND DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

On Tuesday afternoon, at about ten minutes to
one o'clock, fire was discovered to have broken
out in the eight-story bonded warehouse, known as
" Sill's, " No. 369, on the east side of Back
Goree, and forming a centre one of a pile of
four lofty and valuably filled buildings of the
same elevation. The warehouse runs a long way back to-
wards Drury-lane, and the smoke was, we learn, first ob-
served to issue forth from the back part by a man, who
gave the alarm. Thomas Brown, the warehouseman, soon
after, without knowing this, went to the front in:Back
Goree, and observed that fire was going on in room No.
3. (the third from the ground,) where some men, who
had gone to dinner, had been taking in cotton during the
forenoon. He attempted to get up stairs to the room, but
was driven back by the dense smoke, and hastened to his
employers, Messrs. J. Heap and Co., to give information.
The alarm was then speedily given to the police, and a
large force, with engines, water-carts, &c. were speedily
at the spot, both back and front. The building was
principally filled with grain (chiefly wheat) and cotton,lthe
latter belonging to Messrs. John Heap and Co., wit), it
is said, had 1,200 bales in two of the rooms, Nos. 1 and 2.
The fire was most furious in the upper rooms, and the
flames burst forth from the top part from two tiers of
doors nearly contiguous, and which are from the top to
the bottom of the building. The doors were of iron, re-
cently put in on the new principle, but they speedily
warped or broke off from their fastenings in the walls, and
most of them fell out, being probably secured to timber in
the brick-work, the warehouse being an old one; though
very substantial of the kind.
We noti:ed early on the ground the Mayor and several
gentlemen of the Corporation ; Mr. Dowling, hear',
constable; Chief-Superintendents Quick and Reding;
Superintendents Clough, Ride, and Anders ; the whole
of the fire brigade, and a great number of the police.
Mr. James Lawrence, chairman of the Watch Commit-
tee, was indefatigable throughout. The services of
Lieut. Maxwell and Mr. Hewitt were also extremely
valuable. The crowds that gathered at each end of
Back Goree, and other points of view, were immense.
It became manifest almost from the first that it would
be fortunate if the fire could be confined to the premises
in which it broke out, and every possible exertion was
made to attain this object. While some of the town en-
gines (all being upon the ground) played back and front
into the burning building, firemen and others ascended to
the top stories and roofs of the two adjoining warchouses,
to which hose were hoisted up, and, notwithstanding the
great height, the engines that supplied these worked well,
and did great service, by enabling the branch men to
throw down columns of water upon the roof and burning
materials.

The supply of water was, on the whole, good, though
not at first sufficient from the mains. Fire-engines were
stationed under the shed. at George's Dock, and gave a
goad supply to those near the building. All the smaller
water carts were also out, and brought up loads in rapid
succession.
_ _

About two o'clock the roof and upper floors gave way,
but not with any extraordinary crash, and the front of the
warehouse, from the falling of which danger was appre.
hended, still stood perpendicular. Flakes and large tufts
of burning cotton continued to fly about in all directions.
endangering the neighbouring property. One of these
stuck to and lighted a jigger rope of one of the adjoining
warehouses, but it was lowered to the street before any
mischief was done. The wind at the time was blowing
rather freshly from the north, and es the pile of ware-
houses lies north and south, those on the south side were
the more liable to ignition.
The flames at times rose many feet over the top of the
burning building, but at no time was the fire of so furious
a nature as many as we have seen in our locality. By
three o'clock, the top rooms, down to No. 3 might be
said to be nearly burnt out. The beams of the floor,
which were massive had given way, and such por-
tions of them as stuck to the wall, hung down,
attenuated to long, slender, and blazing pieces of char-
coal.
After this, things looked rather more favourable, and
it was confidently hoped that all further danger was at an
end. The engines, which were worked vigorously
throughout, were kept playing during the night. At a
late hour Mr. James Lawrence, and several of the super-
intendents of police, left for their respective homes.
We regret to say, however, that the fire broke out in
the adjoining warehouse to the south, called " Rawlin-
son's," and destroyed property to a very considerable
amount. It appears that about half-past twelve on
Tuesday night, when the progress of the flames was sup-
posed to be completely checked, the floor of the top room
in the warehouse in question was seen to be on fire. The
engines were at once brought to bear upon the spot, and
by great exertions, though with a deficient force, (the
greater number of persons who had been present having
dispersed,) the flames were again subdued. At seven
o'clock on Wednesday morning, however, they burst out
with still greater fury in the middle of the warehouse,
contiguous to where the great body of the previous fire
had been ; and so rapidly did the destructive element
spread, that several men, who were in the room with a
hose at the time, were obliged to make a precipitate re.

treat. The warehouse, we understand, is tenanted by
Messrs. Hallowes and Son. It was stored with general
produce, principally sugar, with the exception of the
three upper rooms, which were occupied with grain be-
longing to Messrs. Woodward, Mr. Kirkpatrick, and
Mr. Bold.

Vigorous combustion went on in the premises during
the greater part of Wednesday. Up to one o'clock it
continued very doubtful as to whether the fire brigade
would succeed in masterinc, the devouring element. The
adjacent streets were filled' with smoke from the burning
materials. The supply of water from the mains became
diminished, and in consequence a hose had to be passed
from the George's Dock through the front Goree ware-
houses. The engines were worked vigorously ; and about
three o'clock, the roofs and floors of the second warehouse
having fallen in, the fire might be said to be completely
subdued .

It was pretty generally asserted in town on Wednesday,
that the second warehouse might have been saved had
timely precautions been taken. But this was a great mis-
take. Every possible precaution was used; but as the
beams had taken fire, and as that fire continued to smoul-
der up to three o'clock on Wednesday morning unob-
served by any of the fire-brigade, it gained considerable
head before the engines began to play upon the second
warehouse. The engine belonging to the West of Eng-
land office rendered good service.
We regret to say that these have been the most exten-
sive fires we have had in Liverpool for the last two years.
The destruction of property is estimated at about X 65,000.
The first warehouse burned is insured in the Imperial
office for £2,500. The goods lost therein are estimated
at £23,500. The owners are insured in the Royal, Liver-
pool, Sun, Phoenix, Alliance, North British, Leeds and
Yorkshire. Manchester, London Union, and London
Assurance offices.

The second warehouse burned is insured in the Royal
for £3,700. Tho goods lost therein are estimated at
£35,000. The owners are insured in all the foregoing
offices, with the addition of the Guardian, and others not
yet known.
The Royal Insurance Office is the heaviest sufferer by
these fires. Their loss will be about £lB,OOO. The Li-
verpool Office is next on the list of sufferers ; their loss
will be about £15,000. It is said, but we cannot vouch
for the truth of the statement, that the other offices will
suffer i❑ the following proportions :—the Phoenix £9,000 ;
the Alliance £6,500 ; the North British £5,000 ; the
Atlas £4,000 ; the Imperial £3,000 ; the London £3,000;
the Union £2,000 ; and the Leeds end Yorkshire £l,OOO.
Smaller sums are insured in other offices.
The property destroyed consists of coffee, rum, sugar,
cotton, tallow, Indian corn, wheat, flour, currants, &c.