, 1865-01-06

ScovelFs warehouse, noticed the ascen-
sion Of smoke from the floor beneath
him. On descending TO ascertain the
cause, the report says, "llere he listened
and heard Il cracking noise, and, OF look
ing round, saw the smoke issuing from a
pile OF iute %Whereupon he at once gave
The alarm and ran for a bucket Of water"
If this evidence is good for anything it
proves that one of the most terrific fires
The metropolis has ever experienced had
It's origin in the ignition from within or
without of a bundle of iute. Fire was
discovered in broad daylight, namely be-
tween four and five o'clock in the after
noon of a Midsummer day, At that time
of the year lights were never used III the
warehouse, and is for smoking that was
always prohibited. Thus 1t IS almost i'm
possible to avoid one of two iuferences-
either that the lutte i&nitcd spontaneously,
or that il was fired vii ally. We believe
there are Whariingrrs who lean to the idea
that at ttUTst sUmF u tTUSU TUt1 fires are
of incendiary origin. Certainly most of
them are surrounded with mystery. There
is, indeed, one i~ust1uce in which the
combustion of jute is satisfactorily &C
counted tor-that Of the great fire at
West Kent Wharf, when it was pretty
clearly shown that gas was burning in
dangerous proximity to Suudry piles Of
this questionable article. One thing Is
generally admiltcd-that the slightest
contact of fire will set lutte in a blaze.
However tightly it may be compressed
by shN hydraulic apparatus the external
surface d a bundle of jute always pre-
sents a sort 0! 1uway bgaul which flies
into a running flame at the tonch of the
smallest spark. 1t may be argued that
the iucendiary Will naturally choose the
most comhu>tIble article for the accom-
plishment of his fell design. We are
rather doubtful, however, on this point.
The incendiary will choose not merely
the most combustlbIe article, but the
most convenient. He is not likely to put
a live match to a barrel of gunpoWder.
Fire may be too quick even for his pur-
pose, and it would seem almost lmpOSSl-
bile for a villain TO fire a mass OF Jute
and leave himself reasonable time for
escape so as to avoid detection. There
is also another objection to the theory,
and which has nothing TO do with the
nature OF the article consumed. When a
fire is found to commence in one of the
upper floors of a huge warehouse, the IN
cendiarv-if there be one-must be a
party who has some lawful access to the
interior of the premises. In other words,
he must he one Of the persons employed
there. Thus, for the sake Of his own
wages, he has a direct interest in the pre-
servation rather than in the destruction
of the premises where he has the oppor-
tunity to work this dIaboIical mischief.
AS for strangers, they cannot enter the
great warehouse of the water-side unob-
served by the Waterman, even during
the day, while at night the premises are
still more strictly guarded. Thus there
is all the difference in the void between
a wheat stack on the Wolds and floor B
at CottOn's Wharf.
The fire at MesSrs. Barry's. at Dock
head, Bermondsey, which broke out on
Friday evening, was presaged by a SINH
lar fire on the same premises in June
last. Damage was then done to the ex-
tent Of many thousands of pounds, and
the official record states-"Cause of fire
unknown" But the fact remains TO be
~ot.l 4Lo4 49, n ~