The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-08-23 00:00:00

INCENDIARY FIRES.

We regret that it becomes our painful duty to state that
three fires have taken place in this town since our last publi-
cation, the origin of which, from the almost simultaneous
occurrence of two of them, the combustibles found at one,
and the sameness of material affected in all, leave no other
conclusion to be arrived at than they were all the work of
indendiaries, belonging to one body of workmen, and that,
too, by no means the most suffering amongst our dense com-
munity in periods of depression in trade such as we have
recently experienced—the sawyers. We hope and trust that
the wanton destruction attempted—and, to a considerable
extent, with evil success—of the property of individuals who,
so far as we can learn, have given no cause whatever to pro-
voke so grievous an aggression, will yet be avenged by the
strong arm of the law, though it is painful to reflect that no
clue has, up to the time of our writing, been found to the
guilty parties. The following are such particulars as we
have been enabled to collect of the circumstances, which,
though somewhat alarming, are yet, from the remoteness of
the localities of the fires, and their happily speedy suppres-
sion, but little known to our townsmen.

On Saturday morning, about one o'clock, a fire was dis-
covered by a policeman to have broken out in the timber-
yard of Mr. Adam Creighton, joiner and builder, Upper
Hill-street, recently formed on a vacant piece of ground a
little to the eastward of St Patrick's Chapel, and on the
same (the south) side of the street. The alarm was sent
down to the police fire station (above a mile distant), and
in about twenty minutes a strong force of the fire-police,
headed by Mr. `Witty and Mr. Hewitt, were on the ground
with four powerful engines. The fire, from the nature
of the material, had gained so great a head by the time
of their arrival, that little could be done to save
the timber, and the exertions of the force were mainly di-
rected to the preservation of the contiguous buildings, which
though for some time in imminent danger, were all eventually
saved. All being rendered secure from further combustion,
the engines and men were withdrawn about three o'clock in
the morning. The timber burned had been placed for season-
ing, in boards, in the usual triangular position, on what are
called " horses," and it appeared that a great quantity of
shavings had been placed inside of them at the base, and
ignited ; so that instant combustion, and the almost irre-
midiable destruction of the whole was inevitable. A small
portion only was saved ; and we are sorry to say that no
insurance had been effected. The loss cannot yet be cor-
rectly estimated, as Mr. Creighton had but shortly before
taken the yard, and had not removed to it his whole stock
from another locality. Some baulks, at a short distance from
the reared planks, also took fire, but the flames were got out
by the engines before much damage was done.
At daylight on the same morning, an attempt was made to
set fire to Messrs. Archer and Hassall's timber-yard, Scot-
land-road, in three separate places, also under the horses.
This was luckily discovered in time by the police. Several
bottles of turpentine, and a quantity of lucifer matches and
shavings, were found amongst the timber, which was partly
singed before the fire was got out by the police-officers on
duty in that quarter. Considerable showers of rain had fallen
on the previous day, which had probably so saturated the
wood that it was difficult of ignition, otherwise it would pro-
bably have been all consumed. As it was there was little or
no loss.

On Sunday morning, shortly before two o'clock, a fire
broke out in the yard of Messrs. Jones and Williams, Great
Nelson-street, which runs between Scotland-road and the
North Haymarket, where the property exposed was very ex-
tensive. Notice of a suspicion of something wrong was first
given to the police by a professional gentleman, (we learn,)
who happened to observe two men getting over the wall.
Some of the officers went into the yard accordingly, but saw
no appearance of ignition, and returned. Very shortly
afterwards, however, the fire broke out, and the alarm being
given, Mr. Hewitt, of the fire-police, and our active head
constable, Mr. Whitty, were speedily present, with a strong
body of firemen, and several of the most powerful engines
from the station ; and, by their prompt attendance and active
exertions, much of the property was saved. They found the
joiners' shed in flames, and it had got too far ahead to be
saved. In two other parts of the yard—corners at a consi-
derable distance from the shed—fire was found amongst the
timber reared on the horses, in a manner similar to that at
the first fire of the previous morning. We need scarcely say
that had this taken more immediate effect, the whole of the
property would probably have fallen a prey to the flames.
Much praise is due, on these as on former occasions, to
the fire-police, whose conduct is alike honourable to them-
selves and to those efficient public officers under whom
they act. . _

We regret to add, that at the last-mentioned fire, one
active and highly-esteemed fire-policeman, named Moffat
(No. 95), met with a serious accident, from the effects of
which he is still in a dangerous state. A very rough and
unruly concourse of persons got round the engines, in the
hope of gain by assisting in working them. A strong party
of these men, who had been idling in the streets, got hold of
the levers of one of the engines ; and while Moffat was in
the act of screwing on the hose to the bottom of it.
they, in their impatience, and before the word was
given, began to work with vigour, and by the first
violent motion of the levers (or handles) his arm was instantly
broken in two places above the elbow. Mr. Whitty was
much distressed at the event, and, in maintaining order, had
his temper naturally put to a severe test. The poor man
was immediately sent to the Northern Hospital, where he still
remains, doing as well as can be expected, he being rather
advanced in life.

A private meeting of the borough magistrates took place
yesterday, in the room at the Sessions House, with a view
to take the most effectual measures to detect the incendiaries
and bring them to punishment, as well as to keep a watchful
eye upon similar evil-doers, and it is devoutly to be hoped
their exertions will be crowned by success.
It is supposed that these incendiary fires have arisen from
a feeling of some of the sawyers against the steam saw-mills,
as opposed to sawing by manual labour.