, 1861-07-11
The GREAT FIRE IN LONDON.
Immense Loss Of Stores and n1erchan.
dise-Loss -, 900, 900.

great fire in 1896. Certainly, for the amount
IF property destroyed, nothing Ike 1t has been
experienced the last half century, the loss
being estimated at s2 ,0o0, GOO. The scene Of
this catastrophe was On the waterside portion
OF Tooley street, nearest London Br1dge-a
locality which has been sing gularlJ I'M ortunate
during the last twenty five years-some of the
largest fires having occurred there. The out
break took place in the extensive range Of
premises known as Cotton's wharf and bond.
They had an extensive river frontage, and the
wbtle space on the land side extending to
Tooley street was covered with eight OF nine
massive brick warehouses, six stories high,
some Of which were formerly used IS ord
nance {gosernment) stores, the whole occupy
ing, as We we're informed about three acres.
These buildings were filled with merchan-
die Of every description. There were some
Thousands Of chests Of tea and silk stored in
the upper floors, while in the lower one there
Was an immense stock Of Russian tallow, va
rious oils, bales Of cotton, hops and grain.
might be said to have been loaded With goods,
and Of the whole OF this very valuable proper
ty, said to be valued at upwards Of million,
not vest1ge remains but the bare walls and
an immense chasm Of fire, which at dusk last
east end Of The city. To b added to this very
serious loes is the destruction Of the whole Of
the western rzpge Of Alderman Humphreys
warehouse fanking the new dock, known as
Hays wharf, the burning Of four warehouses
ard quay, comprising Chamberlain's wharf,
adjacent to st. olaye's church, besides many
other buildings in Tooley street.
4 TERRIFIC NIGHT SCENE.
Towards ten o'clock the aspect Of the con-
f1agration become quite appalling, aud terror
and dismay ;seized upon all. The continual
explosions Of the saltpetre destroyed all the
windows Of the surrounding warehouses on
both sides Of Cotton's wharf, as also shatter
ing the loop-hole doors Of the various floors.
b this means the great warehouses of Mr.
division Of Hay's wharf and dock, nine stories
in height, and extending inland some hun
dreds OF feet, ignited, together with large
leather warehouse in Hog lane, adjoining the
land side entrance to the wharf On the st.
Olaye's church side Of Cotton wharf the fire
was making as rapid ravages, having penetra-
Chsmber1ain's wharf, besides many houses
and other buildings in q line with Tooley
street That they must share q similar fate as
that Of Cotton'e wharf vas evident; and what
rerdered matters worse, the fremen
were comparatively Powelless. The
were compelled to be haa1ed away in conse-
quence Of the flaming matter which poured
over the wharf walls and covered the Surface
Of the river the whole length Of the burning
warehouses; as it was, they had lost large
quantity Of hose By the wills being blown
down. The two steam hand engines built for
the brigade by shand and Mason were work
ing vigorously in Tooley street, but the over
powering heat prevented the men approaching
The river near enough to be Of any practical
service. Indeed the duty Was fraught with
great danger, and they were very properly
called otl. The whole Of tie carriage way Of
Tooley street was ankle deep in hot oil and
TNh In
tte warehouses, and the fear Was that it would
Ivy come misfortune be brought in contact
with turpentine and get ;gnited.
PERSONS KILLED.
From the inquiries made Of the brigade au,
thorities, it is impossible to tell the exact
number Of persons who have lost their lives
BY the disaster, hut it is satisfactory to state
that none Of the tiremen have been lost be
yond Mr.. Braidwood, and as far as the search
made Tor the Inter gentleman the brigade are
OF opinion that the three gentlemen supposed
to have been killed at his side have escaped
Gefore the wall was blown down. A gentle
uan named Scott, who had large stock in
the warehouse on the wharf, has not been
seen einee the commencement of the fire, and
bis friends ere apprehensive that if he has not
tetn buried in the ruins he has been drowned.
Mr. c. White, Of the County Fire Office; Mr.
Hodson, Jr; Sub Engineer Palmer, as well IS
At1. Henderson, upon seeing the walls falling,
1:n t17s-3s I:t water side,, sid by that means
saved their lives; but Mr.. Braidwood turned
| derEon saw the wall fall like tent over hiE
| head, and Eome Of the men standing near Say
| that the actually saw the bricks over his bodJ
rise after he had been prostlated by their grea1
weight, and red with heat. To get to tbs IN
fortunate gentleman was then impossible
owing to the explosions that succeeded eacf
other in such rapid succession, and the dames
1uehing completely ACROSS the wagon road
| There y as no alternative but to LET the bod,
remain until such time as the fire could b
meWhat got under, which could not be &C
compliEhed until yesterday morning.
| sRCoSD OUTBREAK OF THE FLAMES.
Owing to the many floating policies xpo1
the property stored in the different ware
houses, and the owners living at such lon!
distances, it is, as yet, i'm possible to ind on
the losses the respective persons have sustain
cd. Ncsbrs. ScoyeIs wharf alone, at leas
| those portions destroyed, consisted of seven
| teen tremendous warehouses, similar in con
struction and size of the London Docks, ant
contained similar description Of goods, tn.
sulphur and oils. In seme Of the other ware
houses we're hemp, jute, rice and spices, sucl
| as mace e. very infiammable atticle), pimen
to, OF which there was over twenty tons, innu
merable barrels of ginger, over 1000 tons o
/ rice, ard vast amount Of artists and othe
colors, but to tell the exact amount Of Russl,
| inflow ind oils In tile various buildings is a
present impossible. One immense warehous
four floors high, was stocked In every par
with colonial produce, wor h nearly 4100,
600. The seeds Of various kinds In anpthe
warehouse adjoining, are stated to be wortl
4l5o,ooo., Gums, shellac, arabic, dragon, gam
boge,. and cochineal were stored, which It i
statcd were worth ESQ, 600. The building
had tlrc.proof iron doors, and might have beef
| saved had the doors been closed, but unfor
tuIately, they we're all left open. The ware
houses on the other side of the premises wcr
also divided by double iron doors, but Us il
the case Of the other buildings, they were 1ef
fully open, and when the flames caught tn
spices, especially the mace, it burnt like gas
the Gil that ran from It, rs the top part Of th
cases Was on, flew along the flooring Liz
streams OF running gas. Every one who ha.
| anything to do with the wharf then becam
convinced that all they could possibly d
unltss: they could manage to close the ifo
docrs, but that they could not do, owing
tht fury with which the flames rolled out c
the windows and loopholes with terrific vi(
lepce md grandeur.
The warehouses Iear Chamberlin's whal
contained stock IN trade q nearly half mi
lion in value, consisting of glue, jute, varnisf
paints, co1ors, white and pig lead, oils, tallow
gums. DC, and other articles Of dryBalter,
Ihere were likewise In the premises soft soa
lin Scotch caeks), resin, sugars, tess, cofft
and an immense cargo Of black and whit
pepper, the latter said to be worth $500
This proved to be of great inconvenience, an
caused much pain to the f1remen, for as Il
condiment became ignited and the water fe
npon it, the spice entered their eyes, a1
greatly injured thefr power OF seeing.
Frona Esaaatnntoa VIA New Ox1eAn
The Washington correspondent Of t
New Orleans Reayane hvors the public vi
the intelligence that the Federal capital
about to be abandoned by President Linco]
He eays:
Everything that could be moved away b
already gone North from the Federal capt.
. ! Even the portion Of the public archives da
.. in use By the various departments Of the Ct
errment has been sent on to Philadelphia, a
! | some Of them as far as Boston This We ha
i from the most reliable authority-that Of e.
, ployees of the railroads between here and
t tiEcre, who only report what they have Sc
i with their own eyes. Their testimony, ho
1 ever, is fully corroborated by all passengs
: from Washington, and official reports receiv
!. by tie highest authorities here.
= Sharp Work by the n1ockadlnE squa
i ron 1T Mobile.
: From the Mobile Register, July ~
- DIpREDAT1oNs n TIE 6oUND.-We b.
- convened with q gentlemen who witnest
| the capture Of some Of the vessels named