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An Inspector, or Sergeant, in charge, whose duty is solely with that engine, to direct its movements, and carry out the orders of his chief as to the place and mode in which it is to be used. A man in charge of the hose' to fix, lengthen, shorten, and move it about as required, obeying only his own foreman, or the Superintendent; and a strong-bodied clear headed man with courage and nerve to guide the jet; one with sense enough not to throw away the water in mad attempts to extinguish what is not on fire, or to put out what is hopelessly blazing, and with pluck enough to take his hose close up to a burning window, or along a roof top, or a wall. These three men are the life and soul of an engine. It is valueless without them and their common sense and experience. All the rest is mere bone and muscle. Any one will do for the pulling, hauling, and pumping. If there was one noticeable feature in the performance of the Fre Brigade on Thursday, it was the absence of any attempt whatever to get that command over the fire, which a position above it affords. Not a soul ven- tured on roof or verandah to get a complete view of the scene, and judge fairly of the direction and progress of the fire. Not a hose was got up to pour water down on the blazing mass, almost the only effective mode of dealing with fire. Who has ever witnessed a London fire and not seen how every effort was made to take ground on every spot that looked down on the fire, and lead the water off points from which it could be most effectively thrown,
One word more, for the Superintendent himself. Before he gives ย single order, much less forms his plan of action, let him take a rapid survey of the whole scoue, its capabilities, and its disadvantages, its weak, and its strong points, and give himself five minutes' reflection on what he has got to do, and how best to do it.
D.
The Late Fire.
FURTHER PARTICULARS. Although the more important facts conuected with the fire that broke out on Thursday night, at Messra. Fawcett and Co.'s store, have been already published, the real cause of the origin and spread of the conflagration have not yet been made public. Froni what can be learnt, the following particulars of the first outbreak of the fire may be relied on. The store occu- pied by Messrs. Fawcett and Co., situate at the gorner of Wyndham-street and Wellington- street was peculiarly constructed. The store itself, in fact, somewhat resembled the yards attached to old English Iuns, having an inside verandah and rooms all round. On the north! side of the store, that is the side facing Wellington-street, there was a suit of rooms, occupied by Mr. Bleecker, assistant to Mesars. Fawcett & Co. On the west side a long row of bedrooms extended, which formerly were pur tions of the Oriental Hotel, and on the south side were the private apartments of the firm. The cast side was a wall. The store at the time of the fire of course held a stock of the usual materiale connected with the Shipchandlery business, but in one corner, which may be de seri ed as the W., or the angle of the store, almost in the centre of the bl ck, there was placed a few barrels of tar and the general refuse of the store, and it is supposed that this particular corner was the seat and origin of the fire. About eleven o'clock on Thursday eve- ning. Mr. Bleecker, who occupied the north side of the store as apartments, bear-i, or rather fancied be heard being in bed at the time), a noise as of the crackling of burning wood, and accordingly went out into the verandah oppo- site Atick's store, to see if anything was wrong. Seeing nothing he returned into his room, and from thence passed into the store, (to which he bad entrance) where he imme- diately discovered the presence of fire. On examination be discovered that the S.W. corner of the building mentioned above was smouldering slowly, evidently baving been in a state of ignition for some time. The disco- very of fire in the store, was alaruing at first, and caused him to rush into the verandah attached to his apartments and loudly call out "Fire!" Mr. David Brown, who keeps a saloon and bowling alley next door to the store, (part of the old Oriental) promptly answered the cry, and was informed of what was going on inside. Mr. Bleecker then left his aparments with what clothes he had on, and cautiously opened, and after passing out locked the door, and commenced afresh to call "Fire!" No response being given to his cry he began to think of saving what he could, and with that idea again passed into the store where he secured the books, and handed them to a gentleman ontsile; all this time the frout door had been kept closed so that no draught might rush in to feed the already increasing dames. XAbout three quarters of an hour after Mr. Bleecker first gave the alarma, Mr. Creagh, the assistaut superintendent of the Fire Brigade, arrived ou the scene of the fire, and immediately desired 2. that the door should be opened. This ide was at first opposed by Messrs. Fawcett & Co.'s assistant, but Mr. Creagh had his own way, and the door was opened. The draught which instantly rushed in. fanned the smouldering ewbers into a flame, which spread with great rapidity throughout the whole store. The bose pipe from the Central police-station ar- rived about the same time as Mr. Creagh, and was attached to the fire-plug with the idea of reducing the flames, This project, however, was marred by the assistant superintendent in opening the door in the first instance, and as a natural consequence, considering the inflammable nature of the building, the hose was useless. the flames having mounted to the roof. The hose which was a short one had not sufficient force to have any power over the flames on the roof to which it was directed. The first engine