Star. — London, England, 1807-01-26 00:00:00

DREADFUL CALAMITY. . •• s JAM* : JAvuArr t 3. —Lag sight, about five o'clock, the lahabitants of this city were alirmed by a moft lent coneuffion, proceeding, as it was thought, from the North Well. The windows of revere' bodge were forced open by the (hock. At firft it was imagined that the powder magazine at Delft had blown up I but, after the lapfe of a few hours, it Appeared that all was tranquil in that city. To.clet we learn, with horror and anoniament, that the moR magnificent part of Leyden was the fcene of this terrific explofion. It feems that a velrel, laden with ten 'holland pounds weight of gunpowder, from tmfterdam, de fi ned for Delft, and then lying in the R a penburg Canal there, by tome means took fire, and inflantanconfly blew op, deftroying all the houfes in t h e vicinity of the canal, and oceafioning the pre. mature death of Tome hundreds of the inhabitants. 'hen this account was written, the flames were (aid to be Rill raging. Of fixty children in a boarding fehool, five or fix only are Paid to have been Caved, bet feorched dreadfully. Some fay that the Univer. ay is nearly deftroyed,and that the JewifisSynagogue is reduced to antes. Of the veffel, on board of which were the ownes's two Eons and a fervent, not an atom is vifible. Jaw 20.—1 t is our melancholy talk again to advert to the difinal cataftrophe which occurred at Leyden on Monday, the s ath inft. and to eonfefs that no pen can exaggerate the honors of that mournful fcene. We are credibly informed, by eye whitens, that fcarcely a tingle houfe or building has cfcaped without damage, and that on the Rapenburg, where the deplorable event occurred, the hosifes to a large extent are levelled with the ground. At the awful moment, many families were fitting at dinser with their friends, and thus precipitated into eternity : fathers, mothers, children, fetvants, all were rapidly hurried to one promifcuous grave. Huibands have 101 l their contorts and their offspring, and the latter their hullsands and their fires. Of the number of the dead, 'whin' conjetlures have been formed ; many refpeOable perfons have been dug out, and others are known to lie Rill in the ruins. Among the dead are feveral of the molt refpedable families in the city, and many Rrangers then on vifits. Property to a large amount has been loft, great part of which irrecoverably; and many of the neceffaries of lite fpoilt by the (bowers of broken slats which filled the Mops and apattments. The King, on learning the accident, inftantly re- paired thither in perfon, after having ordered the guards and fire.engines to follow. He remained the v-hole.night in the ftreets, not without fheddbg tears of coruniferation, and atlitting in perfon to recover and refute thole will lay buried in the ruins, and en couraged others by rewards to exert themfelves in the glorious work of humanity. Provitions, money, artificers, every thing has fence been fent from the Itague and other cities, to comfort and relieve the wretched (offerers. A few have had wonderful etcapes ; while others, on the point of being re - cued, while bleffing Providence for their prefervation,while promifing rewards to their deliverers, were crulbed to death by the fudden falling in of beams imper ceptibly refting on or withheld by obftacles which had been removed. ante to the veffel which blew up, lay a yacht, on board of which were from fifteen to twenty perfons, nor a vellige of whom was to be found. The caufe of this dreadful catadrophe no one can either afcer gain, or even conjeCture. The quantity of powder on board is ellimated at about 40,0001 b. weight,which was fatally and unaccountably confided to the care of two young men, brothers, and a fervant man. Two Frofeffors of the Univerfity are listed to have been killed, and feveral other perfons in that celebra ted feminary. It being fortunately vacation, great numbers of the 'indents were ablest ; and thole who were prefent, are Paid to have efcaped. The ling, with that peculiar goodnefs which cha raaeriaes him, repaired for the fecund time to Ley den on Friday 'all; vifited the wounded and maimed, afcended the ruins, mixed with the labourers there, And encouraged them to perfevere in their unwearied Diligence. On receiving the thanks of the Magiftrates and Clergy, he returned them the molt amicable anfwer, asked after individual loffes, and left them with there words : 4 4 The dead I cannot reftore to you ; that is above human power but all that I can, will Idp for your city." His Majefly made an offer of the Palace in the Wood to fuch refpeClable perfuns as had been deprived of their habitations. His Malay has empowered the Magiltrates of this nnfortunate•city to make a general colic/lion through out the whole kingdom; and ordered that too,ooo gliders, out of the Tresfury, to be left to the .iifpo- Ado': of the Minifler of the Home Department, far relieving the molt preffing neceffities of the poor, and thofe who have 101 l their all. Several perfons have been taken out alive from under the ruins ; but fame expired almoll immedi ately afterwards. Great numbers Rill lie busied, the ribbifh forming fuch vaft heaps, that a confiderable time will be required to clear them. After the explolion, which was awful in the es -1 Mime, feveral fires broke out by the fcattering of the lighted turf and coal in the hearths ; and this ca kinky unfortunately drew off, for a while, the atten tion of the citizens to their fuffering fellow -creatures, pining and lamenting beneath the ruins of their habi tations, but &only before the feat of hilarity and of focial intereourfe. A. jewith School fuffered confiderably : fixteen children in it are laid to have loft their lives. A Charity School near it reel the fame fate. Dead 'bodies of children near the fpot ate difeovered from time to time. Fifty children at a Boarding-School niptroarly efcaped by the collifion of two walls, which &mimed the beams and roof; two, however, were cruthed to death,and a third died &only afterwards in its father's arms. Thofe who were j ived, refhed into the court-yard, where they were fhortly after wards jilined by their eager but trembling parent., and there enfued a fcene of tenderneli which may be imagined, but cannot be deferibed. A letter from Lemberg, in Gallicia, dated Dec.zo, mentions, that the Court of Vienna had refufed the Ruffian General Nlichelfon permiffion to pals through the Anllrian territory with his corps, which was lea,. ing Molda•ia,.in order to reinforce the army on the „Bug. Zr is added, that a Proclamation will fonn appear, by which the Emperor of Auftria will abfolve hieolills Cubit& from their oath of allegiance to him. ST.EGE OF BRESLAU. • STUTGARD, JAN, 3. The following official information has been receiv ed recpeding the proeeedinp and progres of the corps which befiers Brefian : " Intelligence from the Royal Wirtenberg h ea d. quarters informs ns of the recent warlike operations in Silefia, which are now confined to the liege of Brellaw. " In the night of the 7th December, the Wit'. tensberg light infantry occupied the fuburbs of that city, in fpite of the oppolition of the enemy and (bowers of red hot bulletts, which let on fire the greaten part of the fuburbs. " On the toth of December the town was bom barded by the batteries which had been crated againn it, and a few hours afterwards Prince Jerome who had come to the fiege in perlon the day before, funsmoned the governor to furrender. 44 As the befiegers did not cline filch an °WU nate refinance, the carrying on of the bombardment was interrupted for want of ammunition and heavy cannon, although there were already two parallels opened before the Nicholas Gate, the fecond of which was fcareely tgo paces from the glacis, and 24 pounders are only wanting to go on with the breaches. " The Wirtemberg army has been nrengthened by a Bavarian divifinn ; and all the forties of the garrifon, as alto the parties fent out from the for trefs of Scliweidnitz, were immediately driven back I by the allied troops. " The lots hitherto fuffered by the Wirtemberg troops in the liege, amounts to 13 killed and 46 wounded, among whom there is no officer. " His Majefty has been pleafed to promote the Officers who diflinguifhed thensfelves. " The Governor of Breflau having obninately re filled to furrender the fortrefs, notw ithßanding the `repeated fummons which were fent to him after each bombardment, General Vandamme refolved to make an atfault. The night of the aI ft was appointed for this purpofe. But as the fortifications, in which no breach had been of erred, have a double ditch of great depth, filled with water, and as, on the other hand, the portable bridges which are employed on fuch oc cafions, were not fo ufeful as it was thought they would be, the attempt failed, and there were fume perfons killed and wounded. _ " Among the former is Captain Schraifbrion, and among the latter Lieutenant Seybothen. The at tempt, notwithflanding, appears to have had Come effeft upon the Governor, and is, perhaps, the caufe of his having offered to capitulate fome days after.— A truce for 24 hours has been granted to hint. We therefore coped, every moment, intelligence of the furrender of Breflau, particularly as the attempt made by the Prince of Anhalt Plefs, to raife the flee with the troops he had raifed in Siterra, has failed. In c'nfequence of the battle fought near Strehlen.— The Prince intended to concentrate his troops in the neighbourhood of this city : General Vandamme being informed of it on the 23d of December, ordered on the fame evening the Wirtemberg cavalry and fome flying artillery, under the command of General Montbrunn, to march towards Strehlen, and detach ed at the fame time for their fropport, the Bavarian General Minucci, with his brigade. 6 6 The following letter, dated from Alt Grolburg, from General Montbrunn to the Wirtemberg Gene. ral Seckendorf, contains the particulars of this battle: " General, I have the honour to inform you, that at ten o'clock la(t night, I fet out with three hundred cavalry from Kreitern to Strehlen. This morning, at half pall fir, I arrived at Alt Gro(burg, where the corps halted an hoar, and then continued its march to Strehlen. All the accounts which I received on the march agreed that the enemy had paged the night inithat town; the lawn intelligence,lhoweveropprifed me that they had left it at day break.,l Rill continued to advance, and fent forward a fquadron to recon noitre the town. The enemy had placed no fenti. nels ; and, when the fquadron entered, it was Teeth ed by a warm fire of niutketry from the enemy's foot, who were hid in the houfes, and was at the fame time attacked by 200 cavalry, and obliged to retire by the road which leads to Brieg. At the moment that I withed to fupport the fquadron, an Adjutant, whom I had detached with another fquadron to ohferve the roads leading to Schweilnitz and Nimptfch, fent me word by an officer, that a large crilumn, confining of infantry, cavalry, and artillery, was advancing by the road from Nimptfch to Strehlen, and was at no great dillance from me. This intelligence obliged me to quit the pofition which I had taken on the road to Brieg, and to refume that which I previoufly oc cupied, oppofite Strehlen, on the road to Breflau.— There, with my 300 honk, I oppofed for two hcurs 2000 infantry, yon cavalry, and fix pieces of cannon. At length the regiment of cavalry, whofe arrival I impatiently expeaed, and which had miffed its way during the night, arrived, as well as the artillery which I had left behind. I was thus in a condition to wait quietly for the Bavarian infantry under General Minucci. He arrived fhottly after, and took a pofition to the right of my cavalry. The right wing of our line relied upon the village of Seegen ;—the left wing upon the village of Kolchtln. 'I he enemy bad its left wing polled upon the heights commanding the road from Nimptfch to Strehlen ; its right relied upon the lag of thefe places. The greaten part of its cavalry was extended beyood that place on the road to Brieg. As the moment appeared favourable for an attack, the Bavarian infantry, led on by the brave General Minucci, advanced in quick time, and with great refolution, towards the enemy. At the inflant that the enemy's cavalry moved forward to ,fupport their infantry. I alfo ordered my cavalry to advance, and they were attacked at all points. The attack was executed with an impetuofity and bravery which decided the victory ; the enemy was obliged to give way on all fides, and retreat in the greaten diforder. _ •• I purfued the enemy for three hours, during which he (Whined freth loges in killed and prifoners. All his artiDery, confuting of fix fix-pounders, with the ammutfftion cars and his baggage, fell into our hands. The prifoners amount. to Goo infantry and 300 hoefe, without reckoning thole who have thrown away their arms on the field of battle, and hid them felves in the neighbouring woods and lunges. All thole who were fortunate enough to make their &ape , did not attempt to repair to the different fottreffes, but went direaly to their feveml homes. •• The lots of as enemy in killed on this (Keaton, amounts to oat hundred; the tvottaded may be about two hundred. The refi of the corps was either diG, perfed or taken ptifooers. On our fide Lieut. Hehl was killed, and Captain Brenning of the cavalry was !lightly wounded. I have not yet received an ac count of our lots, but I believe it does not exceed fix killed and ten wounded." M. de Latour Manbourg t Secretary to the Ensbaify, arrived at Connantinople on the 14th of December, from the French head quarters. Jan. 6.—lt is faid that the Emperor of Raffia hat folicited his brother, the Grand Duke Conliaotine,to accept the Crown of Poland. Accounts from Vienna fay, one of the many con jeaures here refpeeting the objea of the French Col. Montefrinieu's miefinn is, that Andria Stall have poffeilion of the provinces of Moldavia ani Wallachia, for which the Emperor Napoleon engages to obtain the confent of the Porte. _ _ Their Majeßies the Emprefs of the French and the Queen of Holland, it is faid, may fhortly be expeaed ut or Warfaw. WARSAW, DEC. zy. LA night, when the Emperor came before this place on horfeback, attended by only two orderly men, the Guard would not admit him, not being permitted by the Commandant to admit any perfon. " What, do you not know me ?" faid the Emperor. NO," was the anfwer. " Very well. I am the Emperor."—" In that cafe, you may pafs," was the reply. This adventure has contributed very much to his Majeity's amufement. POSEN. JANUARY s. This evening a Courierarrived from General Dom browfki to the Commandant of the Polies force in this Department,with intelligence that the invincible army of his Majefty the Emperor of the French had obtained a fignal and fplendid Tittory over the Kullians, between the Bug and the Narew. A great number were killed, and made prifoners, and the whole of the Ruffian artillery and baggage are the fruits of this viefory. To this information his Excel. lency *daft the following words : •' it is neceffary that we fhould haften to join the invincible army of the French, and purfue the enemy already difperfed and in full retreat." His Excellency General Liebert, the Governor of this Province, has demanded of General Arimtowfki 400 national troops to ferve as a garrifon here. Four companies already organized, armed, and cloathed have entered this city, and commenced the garrifon duty. M. Lemairois, the French Governor of Warta'', has permitted the poll to part as ulna! to Thorn, Bromberg, and Stettin ; but General Zayormeck, Direaur of the PA Office, in making this public, has added, "that Correfpoiuhnte moil he very retrial in their letters to 011ain from any political 'peculation:, as they will other'wsfi tape; themfilves to very &Agreeable confequeneet." Some Proffian haus, in the night of the 27th, at• tempted to furprize the Polifh cavalry at Bromberg. The Polifh Captain Modlinki behaved with great gallantry, and received four fibre wounds, and fame men were killed on both fides. ANCLAM, JANUARY 9. Martha' Monier having learned, that the Pruffians of the garrifon of Colberg were in the habit of making incur fions as far as the right bank of the Oder, ordered a (bong detachment of light infantry to occupy the ides of Woollen and Ufedom, to cover the Mouths of the Oder, and 11)p the progrefs of the enemy ; but as the waters were much out, this undertaking was found alma( insprailicable, of courfe the troops could not arrive at the place of their dell ination by the appointed time ; and 250 only of the fecond regiment of light infantry took poll at Wollen. There they were at. tacked on the morning of the 6th of January, by the Pruffians to the number of tOOO men, with four pieces of cannon, and tso horfe. A pan of the Pruffian infantry difembarked upon the canal of Dievenow,, in order to furround the place, at the fame moment when their cavalry entered it at full gallop, after forcing the out pas. The French detachment formedagain immediately, I marched againft the enemy, and cleared the Itreets ; .then, by an attack made at quick time, they took two pieces of cannon, that the enemy had planted upon the bridge , of Dievenow, and, punting their fuccefs upon the right hank of the canal, they took and rout ed all the Pruffians that had landed, and funk two large wife!: with fome of the fugitives on board. This expedition, tried as an experiment by the enemy, has doubtlefs coif them much. The beets of Woollen were covered with the dead, and the Pruffians left many wounded behind them ; t 4 of them were made prifoners, including four Officers and Major Fargon, of the Cuirafficrs, fence dead ofhis wounds. Two hours after the affair was over, the other French divifion arrived at Woollen, and this pot} is now fecured againit any furprife. The Pruflian ar tillery taken will be ufed for the defence of the place. Colonel Arniand and an Adjutant of Gen. Grand hear's divition were at Woollen during the affair, and are diftinguillted themfelves by their coolnefs and the excellence of their meafures. FROM THE MAIN, JAN. 3. A few days ago 1200 French troops entered Frank. fort to remain there at prefent as a gatrifon. On the 2400 left that city, with four pieces of cannon, on their march to Heife, where the difturbances have rendered their pretence necetfary ; but, however, we have heard to day, that, through the effectual wee lures adopted by the French, all is again quiet, and the infurgents have thought it good policy to difperfe. Some of them had gone fo far as to furprife feveral (mall detachments of the French, and to compel an old Heffian Officer who had belonged to the Guards to be their leader. The Prince Primate is gone to Afchaffenburg, whale he intends to pafs the Winter. Several wounded French have been brought into Frankfort to-day. Neale and Sweidnitz in SileGa are both about to be invefted. An extraordinary quantity of artillery, moftly taken from the Pruitans, is upon its way to Poland, with gun-powder in proportion. There will be fent, from Magdeburgh alone, so t ooo quintals. According to the public papers, it is confirmed that the Servians made themfelves mailers of Bel grade on the 13th of pea:giber. MERTZ, DECIMEBER S. This morning Makhal Kellerman fet out from hence for Henan, as it is kid, on his way to the Grand Army. Within a few days pall, alosoll the whole of the girrifon of Paris have pared through here. An the troops that travcrl Here - have their mufkets loaded. In fait, as all the depbts he thorny expeited here, the whole of France is left to the N.s. tional Guards, who are every where in motion. In future they will not only do duty in the town, but alto upon the coats. CONINHAGEN, JAN to. Letters from Raffia fay, the Emperor Alexander hots ifued an order for eltablithing a provitional Country Militia. The whole Empire, excepting fnme Governments in the North of Europe and the Afiatic Departments, is for this purpofe divided into feven dittri&s. The Militia in each of them will form an army, and a diftionft command. The total of this Militia will amlunt to 612,000 men. Throfe Governments that fupply no men mutt undertake the equipment of theft teroops. NAPLES, DEC. i 7. Twelve hundred Calabrians, landed upon the coall by the EngMb, are furrounded, and taken in their intrenchments. Upon the requelt of feveral of the French Officer*, the king has pardoned feveral of them in confideration of the kind treatment which the Officers received , from thcfe Calabrians four months ago. There is a rumour that the Ex-Miniaer Mtn is dead, at Palermo. VENICE, DEC. sr, The Infpeaor General of our Marine, M. Benin, has made the following publication On the 18th ;tlent a flotilla of armed thane's:, under the com mand of Captain P4olacci, attacked an Englifh frigate of 44 gun% which lsy at anchor off the gland of Grade, to the well ward of Trial. The frigate * after a battle which failed feveral hours, took to flight, and a fecond Englins frigate, as well as teas. veral other armed veffels, which were in fight, threat ened to come to the affißance of the former, but were prevented. The chips Rationed at Gmdo happened the armed fhallops in the ableß manner, on this day, fo glorious for the Italian navy." (The above is . the anion lately faid to have been fought near Theft, where the difcbarges of the guns were fo ffißinitly heard." PARIS, JANUARY r 4. The Prince of Peace being confidered, by his mar riage. as related to the Royal Family, will in future take the title of Highnefs, which bad not been given him till now. This Prince married the lifter of Cardinal de Bourbon, Archbifhnp of Toledo and Seville. the legitimate daughter of an Infanta of Spain. Several Conferipte, we learn from Nice, have been wandering about in the mountains, where they thought they were in fecurity, but the Government obferved them, and took meafitres to feize them alto. gether ; this has now been Jetted, and the gent d'armerie took their ase,afures fo well, that the whole of thefe young fugitives have been conduaed to prifon. The following prizes have arrived at the under mentioned ports At IA Hogue, on the aftinitant. the &PR brig thefts:Am. with a cargo of dry goods. At Cherbourg, on the 4th, the Foglia brig the Wflham, of syo tons, with a cargo of oil, tea, and aquavits, a prise to the Re• ciproeite privateer. Thebute day at Dual*, a Protium veal, bound to England, with a largo of timber, tot thip•btdiding, from the No* a prize to the Briars. On the gtb, at Calais. the Zoe & brigs the Good Intent, of us tons with a urge of cos* prise to the sad the Henry and tans, of 237 tow, laden trlth planks, tar, iron, and cordage, a prize to the Revanche. On the 4th, at Oared, the Eat bd Emit. of Ito teas, Wen with hemp and boos a VW to the Rile. I On the 4th. at Hulking. the East& SAN the Hdperne, of S 4 1 tone. laden with tar and tallow, a prise to the amoeba LONDON. MONDAY, JANUARY s 6. PRIM OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT OM O'CLOCK. Confab, 6*-bßedues4 641-osudssi 4 prom. The influx of intelligence was fo great on Satur day, that, with all the diligence we were able to exert, we could not pollibly afcertain the degree of credit due to the various Itatements that reached us. We fucceeded, lutirever, in laying before our Read. ers not only an outline, but the general fubfLince of the news received, and, in a fecond edition, were ena bled to announce that letters had been received front Berlin and Stettin, at the Office of Lord Howie:, Rating, that, after fighting three days, viz. the 27th, 28th, and 29th of December, THE RIGHT WING OF THE FRENCI3 WAS TOTALLY DEFEATED, WITH THE LOSS OF FORTY THOUSAND MEN, AND EIGHTY PIECES OF CANNON. The t aide was at Odrolenfica, 7o miles from Warfaw, to which latter place BONAPARTE bad HO tired in confufion. The intelligence was received by Mr. Aaoraus, the Ruffian Reiident at one of the Northern Courts, from General MAIISTEIN, who commanea at Dantzic and, upon the authority of M. ALorzus, it was uenf mined, by a third petrol', to Minifters, who likewife received fimilar information from other quarters, with a Copy of the following Bulletin, publiihed at Dantzic, and other places, by the Pruittans: OFFICIAL BULLETIN. " An amount has hem received at Stetdn, et the Defeat et the French Army, 'frith the lob of Fatty Thourand Mee and ilighty Pieces of Cannon. Bon spans commanded in pato% and &aped with great dilliadty is Warfow, accompanied by only three as. tendants. The French army is rem:dingle every diredtion. The battle tea place on the %yd, stith, and a* of Decanter, and waa fought at OAreiscdka, shoat yo.miloe Iran Warfew."