20 SEPTEMBER 1856, Page 9

A serious fire occurred last night in Upper Thames Street,

and continued for six hours. The large brush-manufactory of Messrs. Matthew and Co. was nearly destroyed, and the contiguous property much damaged. Happily, no lives were lost. At one moment Fishmongers' Hall was endangered.

An instance of railway negligence on the Stour Valley Line is reported this morning. A mixed express-train, going, on Wednesday night, from Birmingham to Wolverhampton, found an engine backing a goods-train on the down-line near Oldbury station. The express was running at great speed, not expecting to find any obstacle on the line : in the crash, fourteen persons were more or less seriously injured.