The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1861-07-18
From the London Star, Of June Gath.

Il visited By one ofthe most terrific conhagra
lions that has probably occurred since the great
fire of 1866. Certainly, for the amount of prop
erty destroyed, nothing like it has been expert
enced for half a century, the loss being estima-
ted at E2,000,000. The scene of this catastro.
phe was on the waterside portion of Tooley
street, nearest London bridge--a locality which
has been singularly unfortunate for the last
twenty-five years-some of the largest fires hay
| ing occurred there. The outbreak took place
in the extensive range of premises known as
| Cotton's wharf and bonded warehouses belong
ing to Messrs Scovell. They had an extensive
river frontage and the whole space on the land
side extending to Tooley street was covered
with eight or nine massive brick warehouses,
| six stories high, some of which We're formerly
| used as ordnance government stores the whole
| occupying, as we are informed, about three
| acres.
These buildings were filled with merchandise
| of every description. There were some thous-
ands of chests of tea and silk stored in the up
| per floors, while in the lower ones was an i'm
mense stock of tallow, various oils, bales of cot
| ton, hops and grain. Every portion of the en-
| tire establishment might be said to have been
loaded with goods, and of the whole OF this val
liable property, said to be valued at upwards of
a million, not vestige remains but the bare
walls and an immense chasm of fire, which, at
dusk last evening lighted up the Pool and the
east end of the city. To be added to this very
! serious loss is the destruction of the whole of
the western range of Alderman Humphreys
warehouse fanking the new dock known as
Hays wharf, the burning of four warehouses
and quay, comprising Chamberlains wharfad-
| jacent to st. Olaves church, besides many 9TH
er buildings in Tooley street.
TERRIFIC NIGHT SCENE.
Towards ten o'clock the aspect of the confa-
| grafton had become quite appalling, and terror
q md III cnuad all Tho
plosions OF saltpetre destroyed all the windows
of the surrounding warehouses on both sides of
Cottons wharf, also shaltering the loop-hole-
doors of the various floors. BY this means the
great warehouses of Mr.. Alderman Humphrey,
forming the western division of Hays wharf
and dock, nine stories in height and extending
inland some hundreds of feet ignted, together
with large leather warehouse i'll Hog Lane, ad-
joining the land side entrance to the wharf On
he st. Olave church side of Cotton's wharf the
fire was making as rapid ravages, having pen
etrated the four extensive warehouses compris-
ing Chamberlain's wharf, besides many houses
and other buildings in line with Tooley street.
That they must share similar fate with that of
Cotton's wharf was evident; and what rendered
matters worse, the firemen ere comparatively
poWerleSs, The two powerful steam floating
engines were compelled TO be hauled away in
consequence of the flaming matter which pour
ed over The warf walls and covered over the sur
face of the river the whole length of the burn
ing warehouses as it was, they had lost guam
tity of hose by the walls being blown down.
The two steam hand engines built for the Brig
ade by Schand and Mason were working vigo-
rousy in Tooley street, but the overpowering
heat prevented the men approaching near
enough the river to be of any practical service.
Indeed the duty was fraught with great danger
and they were very properly called off. The
whole OF Tooley street was ankle deep in hot
oil and tallow, which flowed in all directions
from the warehouses, and the fear was that it
would come in contact with turpentlne and get
ignited.
PERSONS KILLED.
From the inquiries made of the brigade au-
thorities, it is impossible to tell the exact num-
Der OF persons who have lost their lives by the
disaster, but 1t ID satisfactory to state that none
of the fremen have been lost beyond Mr.. Braid
wood, and as for the search made for the
latter gentleman the brigade are of opinion
that the three gentlemen supposed to be kill
ed at his side have escaped before the wall was
blown down A gentleman oamed Scott, who
had large stock III the warehouse on the
wharf, has not been seen since the commence
meat of the fire. and his friends are apprehen-
sive that if he has not been buried in the ruins
he has been drowned Mr.. G White, of the
County Fire Office; Mr. Hodsoll, Jr.; Sub-engi-
neer Palmer, as we'll as Mr.. Henderson, upon
seeing the walls falling, ran towards the water
side, and by that means saved their lives; but
Atr. Braidwood turned towards the contrary
direction, aud Mr.. Henderson the wall fall
like tent over his head, and some of the men
standing near say that they actually saw the
bricks over his body rise after he had been pros
trated by their great weight, and red with heat.
To get TO :he unfortunate gentleman was then
impossible, owing to the explosions that sue
ceeded each other III such rap d succession and
the flames rushing completely across the wagon
golty M htItf RI lat fhn
body remain until such time as the fire could be
somewhat got under which could not be accom-
piished until yesterday morning.
SECOND OUTBREAK OF THE FLAMES.
Owing to the many floating policies upon the
property stored in the different warehous ca, and
the owners living at such long distances, it is,
as vet Impossible 10 fad out the losses the re-
speetive persons have sustained. Messrs. Scoy-
ellis wharf alone, at least those portions des-
troyed, consisted of seventeen tremendous ware
houses similar i'll construction and size to the
London Docks, and contained similar des-
cTiption Of goods, the most explosive and danger
Gus being saltpetre, phur and oils. In some
Of the other warehouses were hemp, Jute, rice
and spices, such as mace "a very lnHamable ar
ticlc) pmento, of which there was over twenty
tons innumerable barrels of ginger, over 1000
tons of rice aud vast amount OF artists and
other colOrs, but to tell the exact amount of
Russian taow and oils in the various buildings
is at present impossible. One immense ware
house four floors high, stocked in every
part with colonial produce, worth nearly ElOO,-
O00 The seeds of various kinds III another
warehouse adjoining, are stated to be worth
EI5J 600. Gums, shelac, arabic dragon, gam
boge. and cochineal were stored, which it is
stated were worth G1S0,000s The building had
hre-proof iron doors, and might have been saved
had the doors been closed, but unfortunately,
they were all left open. The warehouses on
the other side Of the premises were also divld.
ed by double iron doors, but as in the case OF
the other buildings, they were left fully open,
and when the flames caught the spices, espe
ciaily the mace, it burnt like gas the oil that
ran from 1t, as the top part of the cases was on,
flew along the flooring like streams OF running
gas. Every one who had anything to do with
! the wharf then became convinced that all they
could possibly do would be of no avail in saw
| inc the property, unless they could manage to
close the lion doors, but that they could not
do. owing to the fury with which the flames
| rolled out of the windows and loophoes with
terrific violence and grandeur.
! pbe warehouses near Chamberlin's wharf con-
tanned stocks IN trade of nearly half million in
value. consisting of glue, jute, varnish, paints,
colors, white and pig lead, oils, tallows, gums,
i &c and other articles Of drysaltery. There
were likewise in the premises soft soap lin
Scotch casks), resin, sugars teas, coffee and
an immense cargo of black andy white pepper,
| the latter said to be worth $4,000. This prov
ed to be of great inconvenience, and caused
much pain to the firemen, for as the condlment
became gnited and the water fell upon it, the
spice entered their eyes, and greatly injured
their power Of seeing.
They have got an officer down at Cairo
named Lieut., Col. Mersey. The other day some
ladies Of Belleville went there to present nag
20 D the Ninth Regiment, and there wrs consider
able speechifying on the occasion. Calls were
made for "Mersey, Mersey,' when a voice IN
the crowd cried out, Eyes, for GODS SAKE 40
chow US Mersey psf Louis Republican,
FEMALE RIOTERS COMMITTED AND FINED