The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-03-10 00:00:00

FURTHER PARTICULARS

STANDARD-OFFICE, THREE O'CLOCK
The fire extended from the painting-room and pattern-
rooms over it to to the cotton warehouse at the top in the
the upper, or fifth story, was,
tiinne, when the firemen were taken
first
however, instance.
got
under
fora fire '
by surprise by its breaking out in the lower story, facing
Lydia Ann-street, about four o'clock. and the whole became
so filled with smoke that but little of the cotton and hemp
(as before stated) could be got out. The flames, or the heat,
reaching across the street, caught the doors of the opposite
warehouse, (Lake's,) which Cirst took fire at, and burnt from
the top. In this building (six stories high) there were stated
to be about 1,600 bales of cotton, 60 barrels of madder roots,
1&0 tons of valonia, 200 quarters of grain, and a large quan-
tity of figs, in drums. A small quantity of the cotton
was saved, in a damaged state by fire and water, and about
2000 drums of the figs, partially injured by the water. The
cotton was thrown out, partly loose, into the street, and
partly in wet bales. The figs (belonging to Mr. Bold) were
thrown from hand to hand, and lodged in a shed a little
higher up the street. The valonia was in great part de-
stroyed. The hose of the engines were passed into the third
story, the floors of those aboye having given way. About
half-east eleven o'clock, a police fireman. who had mounted
aladdeir frogsthe street, guiding one of the pipes, was struck
violently, when two stones from the ground, by a brick or
two that fell from aloft. He, however, got down safely, and
the
warehouse, in Henry.''d. A
it was found that he had sustained only abbrouuist this timeeofoneh thande,
and was
wasbbeucatmsleighdtelLe i
hurrit ir,
iaekes
t. 41
street, immediately at the hack
i of that burning in Lydia
cr
Ann-street, and separated from t by only a thin wall or par-
tition. This last warehouse was full of cotton in the second
floor,
the
st wherereettl:ue r
idangerfirstderthedi
re atliopnea anded superintendence of Mr. ; but it was all removed
into
Maxwell, of the insurance comeames. who was most active,
and had been on the ground all night. The ground floor was
also filled with cotton, but as the fire did not enter any of the
rooms, the probability is that the whole will be saved, as
well as a quantity of oatmeal, beans, ate. in the upper rooms.
The hose were taken to the top atory, and the water well
supplied, to prevent the ingress of the flames by the parti-
tion. The intermediate rooms, however were, at noon, so
full of a dense smoke, from the burning timber of the other
warehouse. that when our reporter, who went into it, left, it
was impossible to breathe in
T 1 long, and the eyes were pain-
fully affected. The top of enry-street, near Dickenson-
street, is piled, on the west side, with tiers of bales of cotton
taken from the warehouse, and others are being taken out
lest the buildings should take fire.
The engines were at an early period of the fire stopped,
for at least an hour and a quarter, for want of water from the
fire plugs. Whether this was the fault of the water compa-
nies, or of some of their servants appointed to attend the
cocks by night in such emergencies remains to be seen; but
certain it is, that a supPlY of two or three tons at the com-
mencement would have avoided nearly all the destruction
that ensued.
We observed none of the agents of the fire offices present
until a late hour in the morning, with the exception of Mr.
Maxwell. Mr. Bold, of the Sun Office, Mr. Glynn, of
the Phoenix, Mr. Miller and Mr. Anderson of the Norwich

Union, and a gentleman from the Liverpool were in attendance
soon after eight o'clock, and were active in giving the neces-
sary directions. At noon, all further damage to the ton dry
works ceased to be apprehended. The main force of the
fire police had :or some time been directed to Lydia Anne
and Henry street, and continued to operate in both, in ex-
tinguishing the burning materials, and saving such as could
be got at. We have nut yet ascertained the loss in the ware-
houses, most of which, the property and buildings, were in-
sured in floating policies at the offices named, and it may be,
in fome others. The amount insured at the foundry will be
found below, and we are glad to say that the loss and delay
of work at that establishment will not be so great as at first
supposed, though still to be much lamented, both as
regards the proprietors and the workmen. Messrs. Murray
and Brviwne's premises are preserved, as also great part of
Mr. Waring's adjoining. The books saved from Mr. Waring's
were got out by Mr. Inspector Walaer, Mr. Melville (of the
Liver Theatre,) and others, by their breaking an entrance
through one of the office windows in Lydia in-street. A
valuable horse was also got by them safely out of the stable.
The angle portions of Fawcett's warehouse facing the same
street, still stand in a perilous position—if indeed, they have
not already fallen; the cotton, black with the fire, is seen
within the interior walls 20 to 30 feet high from the ground.
The manner in which the middle portion of the front wall
of this warehouse fell, showed the great inefficiency of the
mortar for a building of such height, containing so great a
weight of materials. It fell in almost separate bricks, the
lime appearing to be little better than sand. The same
may likewise be said of th.; warehouse opposite—" Lake's."
The police-force and their assistants, from Mr. Wlutty
down, exerted themselves to the utmost throughout. After
their night's toil at the engines, and amongst the ruins, most
of them were so begrimed, and their clothes so much disor-
dered, that they could scarcely be recognised. Mr. George
Hewitt, brother of the fire superintendent, was particularly
active. The ruins of the premises at the foundry cover a
large space, and present in broken walls, chimneys, beams,
and other materials, a fearfully interesting and romantic pic-
ture of the rapid devastation of the destructive element.

Our reporter applied to Mr. Fawcett, sen., to com-
municate such particulars of the catastrophe as might
be within his knowledge, and the request was complied
with, with the greatest courtesy, which we have un-
qualified pleasure in publicly acknowledging. Mr.
Fawcett commenced by stating that the fire was of a
very extensive character, and that its magnitude had
been altogether caused by the want of water in the first
instance. His dwelling-house is upon the premises,
and he had sat up till one o'clock this morning. The
watchman, who is constantly kept upon the premises,
usually sat in a place underneath the office, which
might be looked upon from the window of the room in
which he (Mr. Fawcett) was sitting. Just before re-
tiring to rest, he observed that there was no light to he
seen from the watchman's box, and he naturally in.
ferred that the man was then engaged in perambulating
the works, which, of course, was his special duty. Mr.
Fawcett then retired to rest, and had just got into bed,
when he was alarmed by hearing the watchman run-
ing rapidly down the yard, a circumstance which im-
mediately led him to think that all was not right. In-
stantly rising from his bed, he went to the chamber
window, inquired what was the matter, and was in-
formed that a fire had broken out in the works, the
watchman hastily adding that he had been attempting to
extinguish the flames as well as he could, but that they
had completely mastered him. The man then rushed
into the street for the purpose of creating an alarm and
procuring assistance. Mr. Fawcett, of course, left his
room, and on entering the yard observed flames of very
alarming violence issuing from a building immediately
adjoining the packing room. In the meantime a
number of persons had collected in the yard ; and
a fire-engine, which is constantly kept on the works,
was forthwith set to work, water being at this time
supplied pro tempore from two wells in the yard. Se-
veral firemen also came, and setting to work vigorous-
ly, the flames were rapidly being got under ; two of the
engines belonging to the police establishment were
next brought, in a very few minutes after the alarm
was given, and at that moment there was an absolute
certainty of the fire being extinguished, but, most un-
fortunately the water from the wells failed at this cri-
tical period. Recourse was then had to seven fire plugs
in the neighbouring streets, but none of them yielded
a drop of water; and Mr. Fawcett here added, that if
a supply could have been then obtained for only twenty
minutes longer, the works would have sustained very
little injury, and the neighbourhood scarcely have been
alarmed. The destructive element, under these unfor-
tunate circumstances, increased very greatly ; and in
the model room, adjoining the room where the fire was
first discovered, it made such progress that in a few
moments it was evident that it could not be controlled-
For a long time (one hour and a quarter) there was no
supply from the plugs, all of which were kept open,
therefore whatever damage may be done is owing solely
to this cause. The further course of the flames, and
the mode in which they extended to the adjoining
buildings, are detailed elsewhere. Mr. Fawcett
added that the machinery on his own premises, being
all of metal, when its condition came to be examined,
he hoped would not be so materially prejudiced, as in
the first instance it appeared to be. A considerable
pile of buildings was certainly destroyed, but fortu-
nately not so as to impede to any great extent, the pro-
ceedings of the works : it would be very far from stop-
ping them altogether. It would only curtail the capa-
bilities of the establishment for a time—until the
part of the premises destroyed had been rebuilt.
['he works altogether are insured for £27,000 in Lon-
don offices, and for £3,000 in the Liverpool office,
making a total of £30,000. This town, therefore,
will suffer but an inconsiderable loss, so far as this firm
is considered. In reply to a question, Mr. Fawcett
stated that the engines built by the firm for the great
East India steamer, the Bentinck (lately launched),were
entirely completed, and two-thirds of them on board :
the parts remaining on the works were not at all da-
maged by the fire, and the brace-work, &c., would only
require a little re-polishing. The erection of the engines
on board, therefore, will be very little, if any, retarded
by this event. Besides the packing-room, four rooms
are destroyed, which were used for finishing ma-
chinery; the working tools in this place, however,
being principally of metal, are damaged only, not
destroyed ; the fine lathes, being also of massive metal
have sustained no injury, and neither of the two steam
engines are injured. The catastrophe indeed generally
is of a character only to impede for a time, not to stop
altogether the works; and Mr. Fawcett concluded by
stating that considering the extent of the premises, the
magnitude of the damage he did not apprehend to be
so great as at present it appeared to be.
Mr. Fawcett then conducted our reporter over a
portion of the premises, and very obligingly entered
into a variety of explanations, which are embodied in
other parts of our general account. We fear, from the
great confusion of materials in parts of the premises,
and the obvious destruction of some of the valuable
property, that the loss will nevertheless be very consi•
derable.

DETERMINED SUICIDE.—On Saturday a determined
suicide was committed by a gentleman about 45 years of age.
Deceased arrived by railway from Seven Oaks the previous
evening, and engaged an apartment at the King's Head,
High-street, London. During the evening he partook of
gin and water, and smoked some cigars in the coffee-room,
and afterwards retired to bed, desiring the waiter to call him
the next morning at ten, as he was going by the Dover Rail-
way. At that hour on Saturday morning, on 4oing up stairs.
the waiter found the door locked ins;de ; he knocked loudly
several times, but could get no answer ; an entrance was
made through the window, when the unfortunate gentleman
was found in his night-clothes, hanging from the bed-post,
dead. To effect his purpose more securely, he had tied his
wrists together with a silk handkerchief.
SINGULAR CASE.—On Saturday Mr. Baker held an in-
quest at the Ship, Limehouse, on the body of Joseph Ran-
dall, aged 40, a shipwright. It appeared in evidence that
about six weeks since deceased, as he was standing on a scaf-
folding and hauling up a plank, overbalanced himself, and,
falling a distance of several feet, fractured one of his thighs.
He was taken to the London Hospital, from which he was
discharged cured on Tuesday week. On the following even •
ing he complained of pain in the throat, which rapidly grew
more serious, and, in spite of medical aid, deceased died
early on Thursday morning. Mr. Luke, one of the principal
surgeons of the London Hospital, surprised at the very sud-
den demise of deceased, caused, with the consent of the lat-
ter's friends, a post mortem examination to be made, by
which it was discovered that deceased died of inflammation
of the throat and larynx, produced no doubt by exposure to
a cold atmosphere, after having for so lung a time breathed
that of the warm wards of the hospital. Verdict, " Natural
death."

MR. HENRY HOLT AGAIN.—In the course of the past
week the town has been visited by a swindler calling himself
Henry Holt, and representing himself as an extensive dealer,
occupying premises in King-street, Manchester. It appears
that on coming to Kendal, he staid at the Crown Inn,
whence, after procuring a directory, and learning the names
of the several manufacturers, he 'sallied forth with the pre-
tence that he had been recommended by parties of known
respectability, to select goods for supplying large shipping
orders. He in this way procured to be made up at Messrs.
Whitwell'a carpet warehouse, about 600 weight of carpeting,
to be sent off to Manchester on Tuesday last ; and at Messrs.
Simpson and Ireland's he ordered about 4100 worth of
goods, and succeeded in taking away with him a parcel of
the value of £4. In all the cases cash was to be paid on
delivery. Fortunately, on Wednesday, the character of the
scamp was ascertained from a report in the Guardian of his
prOceedings in Manchester, where he had been playing the
same game: in many instances with complete success. We
hope that this neighbourhood has not sustained serious loss
by the impostor; and that this notice of his attempts may
assist in putting manufacturers on their guard.—Kendal
Mercury.

DESPERATE ENCOUNTER.—On Tuesday forenoon an en-
counter was observed between a sparrow-hawk and a crow,
in a field immediately behind Upper Craigie ; and if we may
judge from the fierce and prolonged efforts of the former bird
to secure his prey under almost hopeless circumstances, and
at the imminent risk of his own lite, it was evident he had
not had a meal for a considerable time, There were a flock
of crows together in the field„ in number about 50, and one
of them had wandered from the rest a good way, until it
neared the edge of Craigie-wood. Busy picking up what the
ground afforded there for some time, the hawk was at length
descried emerging from the trees, and slowly rising above his
intended victim, who did not seem to be aware of being so
near the vicinity of so dreaded an enemy. After having
gained an altitude sufficient to strike with effect, the hawk
poised himself for a second or two, and descended with that
shot-like velocity so peculiar to these birds of prey. The
crow, however, had not been vitally struck, and a regular
battle ensued, out of necessity on the part of the crow, for it
could not effect its escape, being firmly clutched in the talons
of the hawk. The screams and cries of both birds at length
attracted, the main body of the black tribe, who, after some-
thing like deliberation, for they were not very prompt, flew
to the rescue, and surrounded the combatants, but kept at a
respectful distance, only crowing with desperate vehemence.
Meantime the hawk still continued to hold on by his victim.
who was fast giving way under the strokes of his beak, while
its feathers were flying about in all directions. But things
at last came to a pass—the sooty onlookers could stand it no
longer, and, as if with one consent, they flew upon their com-
mon foe, which was for nearly a minute lost amid the to
from
Latterly, however, he got himself extricated, res
amongst them, and soared away for the rocky portion of the
d tnesshausted that
ed the
Magdalene-hill. A countryman' .w ho
scene, went and lifted the crow, which was so ewitl
it could hardly hop ; but in a abort time it_ recovesrred so far
as to be able to join ite isompanious..—Parth Coorri •

LANCASTER ASSIZES

THE CHARTIST TRIALS
(Before Mr. Baron ROLFE.)

On Tuesday several of the prisoners addressed the jury in
their own defence, and on Wednssday morning, immediately
on the judge taking his seat, Mr. O'Connor commenced his
address, anal spoke far upwards of two hours and twenty
minutes. After alluding to the propriety with which the
prthecution was conducted, he asked why were not such men
as Col. Wemyss, D. Maude, the Mayor of Manchester, Sir
Charles Shaw, and others of similar standing, brought before
the jury. He then went on to argue, that though a zealous
politician, hr had not been guilty of inciting to any outbreak.
He had spent £12.000 for the Chartist body; and though he
had been charged with being a political trafficker, and with

making a fortune by the Nor Hans Slar, he had brought his
clerk to prove that he had lost money by that paper. He
then drew a contrast between the conduct of the Chartists
and that of the advocates of the Reform Bill, and said that
he had done all in his power to avoid the disturbances. He
concluded by an impressive appeal to the jury, in favour of
his fellow prisoners.

Several 'persons, who spoke to the peaceful oharacter of
r. O'Connor, were then examined.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL then replied. He went over
the whole of the evidence as it affected the different defen-
dants, which it is unnecessary here to repeat. He expressed,
in a feeling manner, his deep sympathy with the distresses of
the people, admitting its great extent, and alluded to the
patience and fortitude with which they have borne it; that
distress, however, formed no justification of violence and a
breach of the law. As to the framing of the indictment, of
which they had heard so much, it was necessary to adopt
it to the crimes committed; and those who said it was
monstrous, should remember that that was a monstrous con-
spiracy. He then instanced many cases iu which a greater
number of defendants, guilty of the same crime, had been
included in the same indictment. The law of conspiracy did
not require that it should be done in secret; it did not even
require that the parties should communicate with each other
their intentions or objtcts, nor did it require they should all
do the same species of acts ; it was sufficient that they were
acting together with one common object, And lie who did any
act which formed a portion of those common objects, was
guilty, in the eye of the law, of the whole conspiracy. He
contended that it would have been neither fair nor manly,
when so many persons were pining in prison, and expiating
offences which others had been the instruments of committing,
had the officers who advised the crown passed over the de-
fendants—those who, by their speeches, publications, and
proceedings, bad excited them to the commission of those
acts, and were, in law, equally guilty, and morally speaking,
perhaps more so than the others. He concluded a very long
address by calling on the jury to do their duty in the face of
the country, and to deliver a verdict in accordance with the
evidence.

The learned JUDGE then postponed his sumtuing up of the
case until Thursday; and after trying some cases from the
Cause List, the court adjourned.