The fire in the battery is far from being entirely extinguished, and owing to the difficulty the firemen experienced in getting to its exact seat, a number of men have been engaged tunnelling under the flat bottom of the ship, so as to enable the brigade men to crawl under the vessel, and distribute the water from the different floating engines upon the timbers where the fire most fiercely burns. The strain caused by the ship so suddenly sliding off the stocks, and resting upon the shore and the barge, has completely broken her back, and it is impossible to repair her without taking her to pieces. The loss on the Etna will not exceed £40,000, and certainly not extend beyond £50,000. Had it not been for the immense salvage through the exertions of the firemen, the loss would have been three times as great. The battery was insured in several of the principal London and county fire offices, among which are the Sun, Phœnix, Imperial, Globe, Northern, Lancashire Manchester, and Royal. Mr, Braidwood's official report describes the damage done as follows:-

" A large ship, termed a floating battery, nearly destroyed, and two steam ships on stocks severely damaged by fire. Cause of fire unknown."- Times, May 5.

SG & SGTL Vol 12 ; Page 177 ; 30 Jul 1855

The Late Fire at Millwall. The following letter from Mr. J. Scott Russell, contradicting various exaggerated statements respecting the late fire at Millwall, is interesting, as indirectly denoting the vast extent of that establishment :-

1. No ship (writes Mr. Russell) was burnt on that occasion, except the steam battery ; but that was hopelessly destroyed.
2. Two ships on each side of the battery were injured, but only slightly, so that the injuries of one will probably be remedied in a week, and the other in a fortnight.
3. All the other ships in the building yard escaped without the slightest injury, including the great ship of the Eastern Steam Navigation Company.
4. The whole of the buildings and machinery of the establishment escaped without injury, and continue uninterruptedly at work.
5. The battery, and the other ships now in the yard are covered by the insurance, I am in the habit of making for the benefit of those who entrust me with the construction of ships for them, to the extent of £110,000. It is, however, that the lose of the battery is not entirely covered by insurance, as the ships building in the yard at the time of the fire exceeded the amount above stated. But a large proportion of the value is insured.
6. Besides this insurance, the works themselves. and the machinery they contain, are insured to the extent of £100,000.
7. Owners of ships now on the stocks at Millwall should not therefore be alarmed for the safety of their property by the exaggerated statements they may have heard ; and my own friends will, I hope, allow me, in thanking them for their ready sympathy, to assure them that, excepting the vexation which I naturally feel in losing all the thought and labour it has cost the executive of establishment and myself to do our work well, and my distress in disappointing the just expectations of our Government that I would execute successfully one of the works destined for the defence of the country, I Shall not be a sufferer to any considerable extent."

SG & SGTL Vol 12 ; Page 204 ; 3 Sep 1855

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