ABOUT two o'clock on Thursday morning, the 13th inst., the superintendent, matron, officers, and servants of this large and recently-erected establishment were alarmed with the cry of "fire". The edifice is in the Elizabethan style, and presents a magnificent appearance. It is about 200 yards long, and varies in depth from 20 to 200 feet. The central portion, forming the dining-hall, with two very large dormitories above, is the most elevated, and has at each end a high fireproof tower, containing a stone staircase, and supporting, near the summit, a vast tank of water, employed for domestic purposes, and useful in cases of fire. From each tower run wings north and south, about 140 feet long; and at the extremity of these are other wings, added within the last year, and running about 150 feet from east to west. These last-mentioned portions have only been occupied for a few months, and the officers have not enjoyed the the new private apartments, which had just been comfortably furnished, more than two or three weeks.
  The fire was discovered in a small blanket store in the upper story of the new south wing occupied by the girls. Owing to a deficiency in the supply of water, and to the enormous quantity of fir timber employed in the construction of the building, it was impossible to arrest the progress of the flames. They leaped from beam to beam and from window to window with amazing rapidity, and the brilliant light afforded by the burning roof aided in the certain and immediate deliverance of the 900 children in the building. Not one of them suffered the least personal injury. When they first perceived their danger, their screams, or rather yells, were most fearful. The nurses and officers, who sleep in the apartments near them, were soon amidst them, silence was obtained, and they were directed down some stairs, which led them through the front apartments into the grounds. previously, the nurse of the girls' dormitory, who first discovered the fire, had rescued the sick committed to her care. Similarly 200 infants were delivered by the exertions of the nurses and servants over them. Too much praise cannot be awarded to these women, who, without any direction, had the presence of mind to recuse so many young and sick. in this good work they never thought of their own clothes and property, which has been consumed. many of the children were only partly dressed. The majority were shrouded in sheets and blankets; some sat nursing a little one on the green turf bordering the garden; others stood in groups observing the quick spread of the fire., while the elder ones assisted in removing the valuable furniture and clothing. The scene at this moment was extremely sad and affecting, the air was cold, and drizzling rain began to fall; the children looked sad and pale, while the ears many were shedding glittered with the reflected light of their burning home and school. Shortly afterwards, the sick, infants and girls, formed a sad procession, with their sheets around them, to the houses and stables of Mr. Overton, a neighbouring farmer, who very generously lent every possible help.

The 1856 fire.
 

  The fire extended from the blanket store along the roof of the wing running westwards. This gradually fell, and ignited the floors and beds underneath; comparatively little flame was observed above the building which may probably account for the arrival of only one fire engine; but the interior of the rooms soon appeared one mass of fire and as beams, iron bedsteads, and slates came crashing down in quick succession, vast showers of sparks rose in the air and fell on the ground in front of the school. The fire ere long caught the roof of the wing conducting to the large south tower already mentioned as situated at the end of the central portion of the structure. At this juncture, about forty of fifty minutes from the first outbreak of the fire, workmen arrived from the small town of Sutton, situated about a mile from the school, and immediately afterwards the fire-engine from Carshalton, which is about two miles distant.
  Measures were taken at once to prevent the spread of the fire to the central portion of the building and north wing. Mr. Rouse, builder, with his men, and Mr. Ross, the school carpenter, cut through the roof of the infant school. This, fortunately, is only one story high, but it connected the burning portion with the front apartments, which are united to the dining-hall in the centre. At the same time the doors and some of the floor were removed from near the south tower; the water at the top flooded the passages leading from the staircase, while the fire-engine, vigorously worked by the firemen and neighbours, played constantly on the adjoining apartments. by these means the fire was gradually subdued, and shortly afterwards there was little danger of its further extension. It smouldered among the debris and at the ends of the beams till evening. Thus only about one-third of the entire edifice was consumed. This portion embraced the girls' school and two class-rooms, the girls' day-room and needle-room containing many pinafores, shawls, and bonnets; the infants' school, day-room, and class-rooms, the private apartments of the teachers, girls and infants, with two stories above all of these rooms, used as dormitories by the children. A vast amount of furniture has been destroyed, more especially in the of the new south wing and in the needle-room. The bedding, however, of two large sleeping rooms was saved by the officers with companies of the elder boys and girls. The furniture of the front apartments was also removed into the grounds by the officers and servants and assembled neighbours, who rendered every assistance in their power.
  The building, but not the furniture, was insured. About eight o'clock in the morning the children returned to the school. From want of sufficient accommodation about 200 girls and infants have been returned to their Unions. The remainder are now all instructed by their respective teachers in the apartments in the north wing, which was before this calamity wholly occupied by the boys. The general working of the establishment now proceeds as usual. On Sunday the children assembled to celebrate Divine service, and especially to join the thanksgiving to Almighty God for the late merciful interposition of His providence in delivering them from peril.