The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-06-16 00:00:00

DESTRUCTIVE PIRE IN COMUS-STREET.

as police. Perceived
Coogan
Yesterday morning, about half-past one o'clock, as
which
officer 251 was going his rounds in Comus shtereet, out of
woenrYthoef wM-ers.t side of the
e.
eseonodn.
smokeßichm o
issuingudrow fromintthheeno
westrth side
et
of
ff
the
ee tow
street,n:
es
to
be at
neat
tsoupthpeose,,clGauro-sLeigfirlotmTatTheernb7
same street, and corner of Richmond-rove. It
afterwards found that it issued chiefly from one a thrlye"s
w Scotland_
holrienes
floor windows of the extensive and well-built
Messrs. Thomas & Henry Croft, soap nextmanufactureprse7sits
the brewery, and which, with a fine frontage to Comwuhsieh reet,
are bounded on the north end by Bent-street,
down nearly parallel with Richmond-row into
place. He immediately passed word to the fire-police sta
tion, and in a very short time two fire-engines and four water_
carts were brought to the spot, and these were shortly after-
wards followed by six other engines and a strong body of
firemen. Meantime police-officer Holding, (307,)
in the neighbourhood, and had been called up about a quar-
ter before two o'clock, got to the ground, and then found
the place almost in a general blaze, the flames_ bursting from
the windows of the three lower stories—such was the com-
bustible nature of the materials within. He got the plugs
all in readiness for the engines, and as there was a good sup_
ply of water from the mains in that quarter, but for the
great rapidity of the fire its progress might have been
arrested. When, however, Mr. Hewitt reached the ground,
such was its intensity within the building, that it was deemed
practicable only to confine it to the works in which it origi-
nated, and to save the adjacent buildings, in Comus-street
and Bent-street. The interior of the soap works was com-
pletely burnt down, with nearly all its valuable contents.
The roof of Mr. Cooban's brewery, which is separated frcm
the soap-works by a narrow cart passage, bad caught hie
from the (south) gable end windows of the latter, and this
was by great exertions kept down, otherwise the whole of
the upper story of two being the -cooling-room, with blirid
windows of wood—would have been consumed, and in all
probability the public-house also. The wind was from about
the E.N.E., and threw the flames in the direction of those
buildings, but it varied conSiderable, or rather drafted in
different directions during the heat of the conflagra-
than, • which was very soon so great that the flames
burst from back, front, and ends of the soapery ; even-
tually ignited two of the opposite houses, (east side of
Comus-street,) blistered the woodwork of two others adjoin-
ing; and,, about the same time, set fire to several of the
houses opposite the end, and on the north side of, Bent-
street. The inhabitants had timely notice of their danger,
and removed precipitately what funiture and other articles
they could carry off, at the necessary expense of much break-
age, destruction, and pilferage. The main portion of the
soap-works consisted of an oblong square building of four
lofty stories in height, with a handsome facade -to Comus-
street, built of patent bricks with a massive stone cornicing
and blocking, and ornamented with a surmounting centre-
piece of the same material. The premises were, we learn, of
the most approved construction in every point, formin'g, in-
deed, in addition to,architectural adornment, one of the most
complete and improved works of the kind in the kingdom.
Two immense chimney shafts of a circular form, and tapering
to the top were placed in the inner and west corners close to
the walls. These each of about, we should think, 160 to 180
feet in height withstood the effects of the raging element, and
are yet upright and apparently uninjured. Behind this part
of the premises and adjoining- them on the west, were other
extensive buildings of lower ekvation. From these last, on the
south, rose three small square chimneys, and the north part
was occupied as a yard, with cart sheds &c: opening to Bent-
street. The fire soon found its way in this direction also,
and the whole was burned down, the chimneys alone remain-
ing. Bounding the whole area, thus occupied, on the west
there is a small street or passage called Albion Mill-place,
on the west side of which there arc two cottages, next Bent.
street ; further on another brewery and yard attached, and
further still (towards Richmond-row), a cotton warehouse,
fortnely known as " the old Porter brewery," and containing
6,000 to 7,000 bales. This last was in great danger during the
height of the fire, the windows, Ow shutters of which are of
being left open and the flames passing in that direction
wood, being
before the engines got up, Mr. Allen, of the Gas-
light Tavern, was roused from his bed, and on looking out of
the window was nearly suffocated by smoke. He half
Sec.,
and used
dressed himself, and hastened with his family out of the
, were thrown
Ourpast
threeworthy
o clock,m ayor , a
n d hearingex er t
eodf
i w whichns a
m someong amongst
etdhse,
fibread bedding, g
the, a,
intoitrh. e street, across which the flames by that time passed.
house,i‘ ‘f\rrohmitt
g Comus-
thli'aelfiserli with a coolness and intrepidity in giving directions
by men of experience in thefire-police.
his aeceusetaoimn:depdisschroeuttiohna.if.
which we have heard highly commended by all parties, and
were, from its great extent, and therm
ature of its
street, .
most intense for a considerable time. The articles
especially
ilie
contents.
of lave
quantities of tailow, oils, including palm
consisted
of the artielesused in soap-making. The alkalis were,
flames from the burning building, frod,
oil, and
tnbustible, but the oil substances, raw
of course, not co d
e a blaze that way s altogether unconor
'manufactured, pro ucd . -
trollable. and floors having all
half-east four o'clock, the roof
About
the bored timber in the walls having been burnt
falleu, and wall of the facade fell from top to of the
out, the centre part
treet, filling it across with -
Immense
bottom into COUIUS-f. .
and blocking, co '
the - cornicing
etones from c
these blocks of stone would weigh upward
brink's. Some of h
was the blow on Lhe ground from the
s
of a ton each, and such
aggregate w
materials, that a shock was felt in all
-eight of the
, houses, even as fir as Rose-hill. Several of
the neighbourin„
were close under or near the wall, bad a
the the-police, whowith their lives—officers Dixon, Hodg_
very narrow escape
and Bell, in particular. Dixon was in
Little,
son, Nelson, He was engaged with one of the engine-
pipes,ne anger. " hair-breadth 'scene," having sea l
rce y
d hada truly
an , bairn waybefore the whole mass fell upon
time to get out of
just occoPied• Mr. Whitty, too, had-also
the spot lie had
tusat ourt having just the moment
nearly got his pie
Fengths of hose were buried in
before left Hodgson.
ses were vaulted beneath. One of the
The premi
he ruins. d against the cellar window -

extinguished.
ti t
huge stones was precipitatet. _
door of the opposite cottage-house ;. smashed them • and
in, with
tie strong post between them, and rolling into the cellar
who bad pre
broke a set of bcdstocks, which the inhabitants
viously fled, bad not time to get asyay. ...t
- hayloft and -ata-..-
After tbe fall—showing the
db°Lteh: h
ble contiguous also took fire, but t it
warehouse.
soon
gable ends,
or rather soap_
ery, to be completely gustte
d to*thern a portion o
the front, at each end, attached .
~
,rsot at the angles
greater part of the back wall of try i part ,tl
remained of the works
and the two tall Chit-m-10's Vanefrom standing. Post'
tions of these have since falkeend, timeleaving*
to time,
fine brick-work is much crac and th-
, stone cani?ortions of it at the
top, and also of the remaionisn
itTon' . The flameseing and blocking
hanging in threatening
Pbuilding have left that dipped
round the angles of the
obabl effectthe bricks and
stones of a bluish lead colour, pr_r _Y . the of the coin
bastion of the oil and alkali. M . Hewitt of the fire_
pollee,-
and Mr. froml the tire-office, had a narrow escape ;,,
the lane behind, the falling of some large slates. -"
We have not yet been enabled to obtain any authentic
estimate of the loss. The building was costly, as were
also
the implements—vats, boilers, &c., and the. stock was large
We have heard the whole stated at from 1-4,000 to £2 ,000,
hope that this is alkyd the mark. We have also heard'
I alt the value stated WAS insured'
that little abo
~ " one-halt
'u
underwritten for 1:7000 • ; and
that the r httnis bad r,
for about the ;ante andthe West ,
,ind the Sun
amount;
liabilities.
A cons' e
• d rable quantity of tallow, &c., in the cellars
he indraft of the flames , which
had become ignited by t. .. . , was saved
• sof the tire-ponce in throwing
by the exertionwater if
valuable pans vats, &c. were Pon
it; but many of the % , , destroyed

in the story
isaeiennfront. Mi.
the fire was firste
or injured.
n eFx
tr
whore %v,
fires were at a considerable distance from this spot, uud '
shed, and under ground, in the yard behind, there being, erwa
are informed, no fires or furnaces
ii under or in the main
pre
premises that took fire. 'y 1, has given rise to a painful,
and, perhaps, well-founded suspicion that the destruction
h agtr :nen cand,ue?: learn,
li.
arose from incendisris
1 4., as c I former occasions,
The police force on d ,resent
su
er. did their
utmost. W,e i°bsercep ins ectorps superintendents Leverett,
Brown, 811 U ,ones, and
i .. ton, Smith, and
~ ,sr whoa' were most Emmons and active. -

of tea last
and at tl
102. a. ruTliiaes dev
dull, es
~---
weTeknEweTi: i. I • been .
per cwt.
• small proportion found buyers at •
public sales penally. a ggd,GUOtsm,all
lather
lower rates g
BRISTOL SUGAR MARKET, June9.—The raw sugar mar-
ket is steady ; tile sales ?.ince our. last report amount to about
A481;31,V0111;. .1
uTnhee
West biota., at prices which were not obtain
400 hogsheads
able last week• In Mauritius and Bengals the sales are BIM..
ted.—ln rums there is nothing doing for want of a supply,
A person named Duff, residing in Pulteneytown, described
—Average.price of sugar, June 6th, is 355. 54d.
as a renovator of old clothes appealed atrainst 1,
le . ~s a e.arge made
by the assessor, of a d°g
' hea Clfd dnot o °
k e kept by laim• He
was asked i►y the board if
' ed Mr. DutefeY,,a dog ? "Keep a
dog !" toyindigntl exclaimed
... No, d'ye think
I'd keep a
no support the presentlh ministry ? I should
thingra-
hink not!"—(Roars cut
ffaug ter.) The assessor
beingable to rebut M•p 's statement, the not
his oath•—John. ' appeal wa
sustained on reference to , o Groat,s Jour-
sustained
- -

g inquiry
Wa/ .
SnocKING OCCTIBRENCE.—On Wednesth - a
IY lon
took place before ,Ir. T. Wakley, M.P., and a most--
who is alle4ed to have been killed b
strati-road, body of an infant aged six weeks, InP
at the Exmouth Arms, Exmouth-street, respect-
able_na
jury,
g been held To excited,
named
Evans, an extensive potato salesman residistead-road, in an ng in thye Mr.
Cu.
witn on deceased'sam.-
father on the night of Sunday last. The inquir
assault committed by hi,
considerable interest, Mr. Evans Navin
esses. it appeared that on Saturday night last, shortly
the magistrates of the Marylebotie police-court to awaiatiltbye
result of this inquiry. From the evidence of the varioush-
been purchased. Harper found
after ten o'clock, the mother of the deceased, accompanied
hbirseaws
by her husband. went into Mr. Evan's shop to purchase some
potatoes, at which titni the deceased was at its mother's
'';''olittoigl)ad been serving in another part
contain the whole of them,
oearper, and at once challenged and
commenced taking those over the numbre it would
Placings ..
cords
n his pocket. Whilst
Ondwfo:
.I.Evans struck Harper so
, fell into a basket'i stiasnwdiinfeg,
ensuedtit the
il
g'oseitfftt.
eseh'itablibptni %'al‘vsgesselucktPrealle:niset:Ee:wrtptsvh::aleeenuntdsmadl Evans,
and
violent a blow that be staggered a
cop of her and her deceasedl child. A nea who,
r. and
the htehrecthni
tgleiethfearth
wit-
ness named Jacobs swore positively' ' tn. t Mr. Evans used the
greatest violence,' and that after H
wife and child, he dragged by the collarlrper had fallen ove!
again struck him so violent a blow astu out of the shop, said
knock him down on
the pavement. Extraordinary to relate, the mother did not
think of looking to the safety of the deceased at the time of
the occurrence, but on her arrival at home it was discovered
by a lodger to be dead. The coroner said, v. ith such a serious
charge as the present against Mr. Evans, it was impossible
that they could come to a conclusion without a post mortein
examination of the deceased's body, and he should have to
adjourn the inquiry for that purpose; as Mr. Evans was,
however, present, he (the coroner) would .hear any state-
ment he might have to make. Mr. Evans stated that be ob-
served the deceased's father putting patatoes which did not
belong to him into his pocket. Harper and his wife were
both intoxicated, and when lie challenged the former with the
theft, he used abusive language, and sparred up to him. He
insisted on seeing how runny more potatoes Harper had in
his posseseion than he had purchased; and, notwithstanding
be kept throwing them on the floor, when weighed there were
still found four potatoes more in his possession than had
been weighed to him. When Harper sparred up to him, he
certainly struck hint. The inquiry seas then adjourned.
-------_

The Corn-rice Francais states, " that in consequence of
the immense consumption in the fortifications of Paris, the
quarries of granite in the neighbourhood of the capital have
bi•coine completely exhausted. That article is not to be pro-
cured now except at an enormous price."

parts of the Papal territory,
and according to a letter'
A letter from Rome. states that swarms of locusts hare
f:EtmidceaAtuhlseeeixdraaenPndP°neraaL7r enormous
SC
et
devastation;i
lilei n_ Itt h , a large portion of Egypt
has been ravaged by swarms of locusts..

veatlhLe.ifibir.astryofati‘Nilatyin,iectihg—agaevdaistit
upwards of 500,000 printed
volumeseo ITlel'ceti Co
i:p(,:pssalerui‘:hPiacahti:lcert'es°go:'eitt!isss
f(:sofc. aid, not included) and 10,000
lately built tor its reception.
completed: and the public, it is
PnaajedBamcrelitted to the new building early in
This
Aeointxpis,tiapegrieriueacusult:
tei co.odru: a
iwst
will
rtolibwee