DISASTERS IN ENGLAND.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 5, Issue 283, 26 June 1865, Page 3

DISASTERS IN ENGLAND.

Great conflagrations have of late become a regular and lurid feature in each month’s annals. This month will be no exception to the rule. Just after the departure of the February mail, another old historic building fell a victim to the flames. This was the group of erections in Leicester-square known as Saville-house. Though recently used as El Dorado Music-hall, it was for many years associated with royalty as the residence of the Prince of Wales during the time of the Georges, and derived its name from Sir George Saville. At an intermediate period it was much frequented as a fencing hall, when Leicester-fields was the accustomed resort of fashionable duellists. The origin of the fire was the leakage of gas in a cellar, which a workman incautiously aproached with a light for the purpose of examination. The flames spread with such rapidity that the building was soon in blackened ruins. It is becoming a fashion in London to attend fires, |and the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Southerland, Lord R. Grosvenor, and Lord Amberley, were all present on this occasion and worked hard too.

Two other conflagrations, though not on British soil, deserre a passing notice, if only on account of tlioir terrible dcstructivaess. One of these was the burning to the ground of the place of the Duke of Brunswick, the calamity taking palace during the progress of a court ball given by. the Grand Duke. The loss is estimated at two mile lions sterling, but happily no lives were sacrificed. The rich furniture aud valuable paintings have all perished. The facade of the palace was oruameuted'with magnificient bronze chariot and four horses, which cost the sulptors, Eieschel and Hovrald, ten years of labor, and which were presented by the inhabitants of the principality as a public memorial to the Grand Duke. This, too has been utterly destroyed. The other conflagration was at Philadelphia, and arose from the ignition of 2000 barrels of petroleum* It involved the loss of many lives and of a vast mass of property. The burning oil floated on the stream of and ran in liquid flames along the streets and gutters, carrying destruction to the houses on each side of the thoroughfares, and causing the terrified inhabitants, who rushed in alarm from their houses, to step into liquid fire some two or three inches deep, into which they fell never to rise again. Pew tragedies of modem times have equalled the horrors of this American conflagration. ' ■

On the evening of Feb. 27 there was an explosion at the gunpowder mills of Messrs HaU, at Faversham. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but a quantity of machinery was utterly destroyed. Appropos this subject, I may mention that the explosion at Frith, In October last, has led to the of a new gunpowder, the discovery of a German. It consists of taunic gallic acid, or the resin of commerce, and chlorate or nitrate of potash, and whilst possesing three times the explosive force of that now in use is one-half cheaper. It leaves no residum when exploded. It can also be kept in magazines with safety, by the ineredients being kept separate, and only mixed as wanted, both the articuls named being incombustible by themselves. On the following day a very lamentable boat accident occurred on the Thames, at Frith. The training ship Worcester, moored off Frith, has more than one hundred cadets on board, and on the 28th ult., the ship’s barge and two boats went out to excerciso the boys sailing in and rowing. The barge contained twenty-two boys, one of whom lost his cap, and the boat being turned to pick it up, a puff of wind capsized her, precipitating them all in the chilling water. Some could swim, and some could not; and, as usual, drowned those who could, for in spite of assistance from the shore, ten were drowned. The labors of the commission appointed to examine into the claims in connection with the Sheffield inundation are just on the point of termination, and are estimated to have cost the company £50,000 or at the rate of one guinea minute.