The Express.
London, England, 1849-05-03 00:00:00

FIRE AND DISASTROUS LOSS OF LIFE.

Last night. about 10 o'clock, a Are broke out at
No. 67, King Williansoitreet, in the joint occupation of Mr.
Devereaux, a bat niannfacturer, and Mr. Dewey, a tailor.
Mr.. Devereaux mad four of her 'children were is the house.

Two 011ie mfortanate Mantle have ben taken oat of the
ruins, add others so dreadfally Mimed that they were
taken to ospital without my &moo et money.
It appears that the atteatioa of Beqmeat Martin, of the
City police, wee drawn to an mama glare of light
throadk the fan-light over the shop-deer, and, with-
oat a saameat's delay, Its raised an alarm, and
sent for the napes and maims. Daring the
thak:arlielheir =lra, the egos, exerted himself in
et street door fat the mumps of arousing the
imam. Whilst so employed two females and Mrs.
sad ono of her daughters aide their
'art= bog front window bewailing is a Waif=
toes their impending fats. The sergeant told them to remain
fir • matte a two for the snivel of the Are reap. The
elder heals however threw herself cat and fell
ma%gsm her
Mod on the flasteses ia frost of ha blood
amnia; from the INGE& isdkiatod by thteh fall. Hahn stif-
bloat time had doped is name the poor Wham her
daughter Wowed. mad Mfftbg is her desamt the Lades
guar mer the dear she brekelmw thigh, and was instance
mat fesrfally Ward. the was kirthwitk ssagemi to Mr.
main in Gesosanzelietrest, whim miry thing
wisdom he her the mune of her ease weal penult of,
bat is each app state was the unfortunate sufferer
that she was obli be taken to the hospital, where she
manias without any home of respray.
The OMpa of the Royal Society, sailer the direction of
Mr. y, the inspector, were on the spot is las than five
salaam after the alarm wee given, bat milartenately not in
time to be of the least maistasos, except fa the firemen, who
conveyed the hoes of their maims up these. The alines
of the Lerida. brigade arrived early, an there Wag an
abundant supply awater, the whole of the amities were
galled into operation; but in spite of the vest torrents1
of water scattered over the flames they continued to
mount wet fearfully, and it was not miff nearly
12 o'clock that the llama read get them subdued,
and not until they had broken through the roof
and were aseencting so high into the air as to illuminate the
whole of the City At the same time the lightning flashed
mat vividly, and the thunder roared so loudly that the
people in the inumdiate vicinity imagiaird that the noise was
earned by some terrible explosioas.
Daring the time that the fire was burning me of Mr.
Demesnes children made her appeasece at a lower win-
dow, and having broken the glass the child succeeded in
Mein her way partially through the aperture, when some
one Hiding in Mr. Hill's hove, neat door with the aid of
the polies managed to draw the poor ereato:re through, bat
in so daarg the flesh was horribly eat on her legs and other
para of the body. Elko was removed to the nearest
surpea's.
Then amasat milkiest time had elapsed for the ruins to
Memo odd, the firemen and mem-men entered for the
le Wads; for the maks miring. Upon entering
third int,
_a tearful piston presented itself. Near the
window the blademed remolasof a the young women appa
Nally about 1$ ofese was perceived; and near her was
the body of a iMM abed sins or tan years old, also fearfully
band. The leas were pissed la blankets, and having
been lowered, they wore placed In shells and conveyed to
the deadhenes, when they will remain until viewed by a
ceroner'sjary.
How the disaster occurred cannot at present be amounted
for. The premises were closed between 8 and 9 o'clock
when everything seemed perfectly safe.
Since the above was written the police, who have been to
the hospital to inquire after the state of the sufferers, report
that Mn. Devereaux has died from the effects of the in-
juries she rewind. Her husband was at the time of the
outbreak at Windsor on hulas... It is therefore impossible
to tell whither or not the premien were insured.
Not the least blame can be attributable to the &toes:ape-
men, for they were ou the spot before any engine, and there
is no doubt if Mrs. Devereaux and her daughter had re-
mained at the window a moment longer, neither party would
have received the legit *jury.

FINANCIAL REFORM.
MEETING AT GLOUCESTER.

A numerous meeting wee held in the Shirehall, on
Monday • vetting, celled by the Mayor of Gloucester, on a
requisition from a body. of inhabitants, to wander the lams
of promoting economy In the national expenditure.
Mr. S. ROWLEY, one of the Society of Friends, being
called to the chair,
Mr. PRENTICE addressed the meeting at coneiderable
length, contending that, in almost every branch of the public
service, at heat cue-third of the money expended was given
without any equivalent, and wore than thrown away, as the
expenditure wee generally productive of mischief. He
dwelt particularly upon the expenses of our colonies,
incurred ander the pretence of profitable trading, which he
showed to be not only carried on at so profit, but at an ina.
mouse loss. He referred to the tracts published by the
Liverpool Financial Reform Association, which contained a
mass of lien not to be controverted, and proved that savings
might be effected to the amount of eight or nine million per
annum, without the discharge of a single effective man in
either the army or navy ; and he stoked if after that proof
any one could accuse Mr. Cobden dunking a rash assertion
when ha said we could go safely back to the expenditure of
1836 ? He told the meeting that the distressed agriculturists
would probably soon meet in that hall, to ask their sym-
pathise, and he hoped they would be told that the only
means of obtaining relief was to join in demanding a reduc-
tion of taxes to twice the annual amount of tithee. He hoped
that they would he told that the only protection the men of
Gloucester would join them in demanding, was protection
frera the unnecessary exactions of the tax-gatherer.
Mr. PRICE proposed a resolution declaratory of the
heavy burtbeas of taxation, and calling for a reduction to the
standard of 1835. He said no one need have any hesita-
tion in joining the movement for financial reform, for al-
thea. b some night sot be disposed to go the lengths re-
commended by Mr. Osbden, no one could deny that the ex-
penditure wee eseemouly beyond what was necessary to the
public genies.
The modes was lecended by Mr. T. Srynos, (brother to
Jo Surge of Birmingham) in a speech which was loudly
apThplasdal.
e resolution was then put to the meeting, and carried

unanimously.
The CHAIRMAN spoke in condemnation of war u a
means of settling disputes between nations, and in conclusion
said, that the names of a number of inhabitants had been
obtained to form a financial reform samiation, and he
expected that the list would soon be ooropleted,
Thanks were then voted to Mr. Howley, as chairman, and
to the mayor for allowing the use of the hall.