The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-04-20
ACCOUNT OF THE GREAT FIRE AT
WINDSOR CASTLE

WINDSOR CASTLE.
From the London Times, March 3st.
On Saturday night, March 10Th, few hours
after the arrival Of the royal family at Windsor
Castle, an alarming fire suddenly broke out IN
their private apartments, which are situated in
the Prince of Wales's tower. This tower which
overlooks Eton College, and the terrace flower
garden and slopes, which are So familiar to be
daily readers of the Court Circular On its
ground floor stood the gothic dining-room, a
very handsome decorated apartment, and here
her Majesty and the Prince dined alone ON Sa.
/ turday, as is their custom on the day of their
| arrival at the castle.
They had concluded their repast, and retired
to adjoining apartment, when dense volumes Of
smoke suddenly apprized the dome sites that a
IRE had originated behind the wood work of the
dihing-room Every exertion was used to ex.
tinguish it, but we regret to say that the efforts
| made were not successful until considerable
destruction of property had taken place. We
are glad TO be enabled to state that her Maesty
has not suffered from this alarming occurrence,
| and that her wonted self possession under cir
cumstances so trying did not for moment fore
| sake her
| 1t would appear that the damage done has
| been extensive; for, from the originating behind
the wainscoting, and spreading thus from apart.
extin Tush it until an immense body of water
had been expended. The Prince of Wales's
tower.s completely Quilted, the roof even being
destroyed, and the flames penetrated into por
tons OF the Brunswick tower, which adjoins
doing much injury there also.
The apartments which have chiefly suffered
are about dozen bedrooms and the gothic
| dining room
The whole Of the valuable furniture of the
red drawing room, which was placed in grea,
jeopardy, was carefully removed by the soldiers
| and the Lord Chamberlains men, and little
damage was done to it, with the exception Of
| the breaking of some of the glass of the magni-
| ticent chandeliers. The plate rooms are stu
ated immediately underneath where the fire was
| raging, but it was not considered necessary tc
remove any portion OF the plate, as the room:
were made fire proof. l. did not appear, how
ever, that they were water proof from the
quantity which poured into them from the cell
my.
In very few minutes after the alarm was
first gwen, the Fusilepr Guards, seven hundred
! strong, had 'sdoubled' to The Castle, and the
I'd Life Guards, Under the command of Colonel
Williams, followed with thnir barrack engine
The soldiers behaved manfully, some mounting
the root OF the tower, some removing the furni.
ture with the utmost care from the apartments
were using their utmost exertions at the en-
gines
At about IL the fire was its height, when
nearly all the following engines had arrived on
the north terrace, and were playing on the tow
| er from various directions The Windsor Cas-
tie, the Windsor Parish, Mrssrs. Jennings, Ne.
viile's, Reid's, the Infantry barracks, the Cav
airy barracks, the Eton and the Slough. An
express was also despatched from the Castle t.
the London Fire Brigade, which arrived with
two powerful engines, under the superin en-
dence OF Mr.. Braidwood, al two o'clock in the
morning.
About this time the fire was now partially
got under, but it was not totally extnguised
before four o'clock. Fortunately, there was a
plentiful supply OF water from the Cranbourne
tank, which had only been laid on to this part
of The castle in the autumn of last year, or IN all
probability the whole of the castle would have
been burnt down. The frost was so intense DUR
ing the night considerably to retard the ac-
ton OF the engines, while It no doubt favored
the action of the flames. They appear to have
spread with great rapidity and force, and to
have resisted for an unusual time the immense
volumes of wafer thrown upon them.
The fire is said to have original d from a fur.
mace hue, situated at the basement at the Prince
of Waless tower, for the purpose of heating e
air which warns the Gothic dining room and
many o her apartments in this tower M est
mate has yet, of course, been fornt of the loss
which will fall chiefly on the Lord Chamber
anss department The m st praiseworlhy
Zeal was exhibited by alI engaged in exlingnish
Ing the flames; and, with two exceptions of
slight injuries, no one appears to have been Sc
r'ausy hurt. The preservation of the castle
from the imminent danger which Threatened !,
is naturally source of special thankfnness tn
tn" inhabitants of Windsor /; but it will be heard
with loyal satisfaction throug bout the country,
IN every prrt of which the destruction of the
greatest of our royal residences would have
been received as a national calamity. HIS Roy
al highness, Prince Albert, was present until the
last, as were also the Hon. Colonel Grey, the
Hon. Colonel d ddalph, and the Hon Colonel
Phlpps The Queen and the royal family, VIII,
had retired 10 their private apartments at the
southeast part of the castle, remained there the
whole OF the night. The royal family remain
ed at the castle, and We're visited by her Royal
liighness the Duchess Of Kent, who came from
her residence at Frogmore as early as nine O..
clock yesterday.