, 1866-04-03

were soon overpowered, and were drag
gGd out almost insenSible from ~Sutfoca-
ton. During this time the flames were
spreading furiously and fast throughout
the two uppermoSt floors Of t ware
house, while dense clouds of smoke
which poured forth completely darkened
engines were brought out the Instant
the alarm was given, aud the COmpany's
engineer put full pressure Of water on the
h|ydranls throughout The dock, SO that
when hose were affixed to them very
powerful Jets Of water were brought to
bear upon the titc. Captain Shaw, the
chief OF the metropolitan Fire Brigade
(Which force came into operation under
the Act of Parliament for the first time on
new years day., heard Of the outbreak OF
the fire about LAO, and instantly sum
moned nearly the whole of the engines
and men TO the spot, and proceeded at
once to the dock with a steam fire en-
CINE from Waiting Street. In less than
twenty minutes he was followed by sew
en- other steamers, four Of these were
taken to the northeast angle of the i'm
port basin, the hose being hoisted on to
LiC AOOi VI SthCNS with II WY hlSiS
from 50 to LOG feet. The steam floating
engine from Southwark Bridge was got
into the basin about the same time, and
was got to work directly. The other en-
gints brought up in East Smithfield,
where plenty of water was to be had from
the mains, and the firemen were enabled
to throw their streams into the burning
floors.
The excitement was then becoming
very great, for the fire had become truly
formidable and was spreading most a
larmineIy. Four floors of + warehouse
with the root were completely in flames,
and the destructive element had pene-
trated into the floor of IL warehouse, and
by two o'clock the whole of the upper
part of this building presented a similar
aspect. Great apprehensions were Great
ed in case the fire descended to the re-
naming floors, wherein where stored
palm oil and tall0W TO an enormous ex-
tent, and undoubtedly had it reached
them the destruction of the entire stack
Of warehouses would have followed.
Gangs of labOurers were set to work to
bank up with clay all the doors leading
to these floors in order to prevent the
water from escaping, and thus flood the
floors in jeopardy. For hours the en-
gines and fremcn Iaboured necessarily
to get the fire under. At five o'clock
they managed 10 get the mastery of it,
but up to nine o'clock the fire continued
to rage within the divisions Of the build
ing with great fury, and it was evident
that the brigade would have an arduous
duty to perform during the night in
preventing the flames from extending
to the other warehouse. Six or seven
powerful steam land engines were kept
in full operation on the land side of the
blazing pile, the fremen mounting the
lofty boundary wall, and directing
streams Of water through the windows
and loop holes of this Quilted floor.
BY midnight the fire assumed a mag
nitude the largest that has been known
in London since the fire at Cotton's
wharf. In the course of the evening
it was anticipated that the firemen had
obtained a mastery over the flames, but
towards ten O'Clock it was apparent that
the fire had penetrated the floors of the
third division of warehouses, and in a
comparatively short period the whole of