The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-10-04 00:00:00

SHOCKING ACCIDENT.

Yesterday morning, at fire happened near the
corner of Union-street. New Palau'-yard, West-
minster—attended by such shocking circtimvw,cf•si,
that arty exagtvration on our part would be ti e
most wanton attack on the feelings of ant readers ;
we have, therefore, been at considerable pains to
colleek the facts.

Mrs. Starr, a widow, in partnership with her
two sons, William and John, carried on t!t: business
of a batter, next door to the corner of New Palace
Yard. Mrs. Storr slept in the front room, one pair;
her son William, in a back room, on the same
floor. The front two pair room was used as a din-
ing-room ; aad, in the back room, r.n the same
floor, an Elderly maiden lady, named Anne Free-
man, slept, who was a lodger in Mrs. Storr's family.
In the back garret Mr. Storr's younger sun John
slept; and in the front garret two you .g womea
slept, the eldest Ann To!sbey, about ! 7 t, ears of age,
an apprentice to Mrs. Storrs whom she had taken
about two years and a half ago from the Grey Coat
School, wh re she had been placed as an orphou ;
the other, Elizabeth Mills, a servant girl aged about
sixteen years, the daughter of a milkman in Orchard
street. It appears that Mrs. Freeman, the lodger,
was subjet to an asthmatic complaint, and spasms in
her stomach; and having medicines to take frequent-
ly in the night for her cough, burned a rush-light,
which waspleced on Tues Joy evening, as usual, when
the family retired to bed, in a large wash hand bason
on its stand, in a corner of the room. About half
past three o'olock, yesterday morning, Mr. J. Starr
was awakened from his sleep by the violent screams
of Mrs. Freeman in the room below; he jumped up,
and ran down stairs with only his shirt on ; hut
having smelled any smoke, or appearance of fit e, and
thinking old Mrs. Freeman, who
was nearly el
years of age, to be only taken suddenly unwell, as
has feequently two or three times in a week before
been the case, and she has screamed out in the same
way, he did not think of Alarming the servant girl.
On arriving at the bottom of the garret stairs, he
SAW Mrs. Freeman on the landing place, in her
shift, standing and screaming; the doors into her
bed-room, and into the dining-room, were standing
open ; he then discovered the cause of her screams ;
the paper and wainscoat of her room, towards
where her candle and medicines usually stood, were
in flames. Thinking that Mrs. Freeman, who was
not at aU infirm for her age, could easily
follow him down stairs, lie ran down to
awake his mother and brother, which he effeled
with some difficulty, by literally pulling them out
of bed. Mr. John Storr then ran down stairs iato
the kitchen below the shop, and drew a pail of wa-
ter, thinking by that means he could extinguish the
flames ; in the dark, however, he overthrew the
pail; then giving up this thought, he hastened to
the street door, and with some difficulty, by !cud
calli g, alarmed the watchman, whose stand was
not many doors from opposite, he being an infirm
old man with a wooden kg ; by this time, poor
Mrs. Freeman, instead of coming down stairs, had
gone into the dining-room, thrown up the sash, and
WAS screaming as loud as possible at the window.
Mr. John S. urn in haste to the Coach and Horses in
New Palace Yard (which is a watering-heuse for
Hackney coaches, and kerpsopen all nigh:), and
reqnested then to take in /is mother, whose house
WAS on fire. On returning with all speed, and still
in his shirt only, to the Titmice, fie found a watchman
and a patrole in the shop, and his mother in her
bed-room one pair, attempting to dress herself; hut
unable .o do it, her hands were so burned, lie spoke
in haste to a watchman and patrole, who followed
him up stairs, to go up the neat stairs, and secure
the old lady, who WAS there with the girls; and in-
stantly carried off his mother on his shoulders, to
the Coach and Horses. In going out at the door,
they had the heart-rending misfortune to see one of
the poor servant girls laying on the pavement, ap-
parently dashed to pieces ; and the other, at the
same instant, fell close to them, from the garret
window, a height of near 40 feet ; fortunately, a
watchman, who saw the last girl, Mills, jump from
the window, was aid: a little to break her fall.
It appears, that as soon as Mrs. Store had recovered
from the first shock of being suddenly waked, she
ran up stairs, SAW Mrs. Freeman's door open, and
the room in flames; but, looking in, sow nothing of
Mrs. F. and concluded she must have gone down ;
she proceeded some steps up the garret stairs, and
called out as loud AS possible to the girls by name,
desiring them to come down immediately; the
smoke had colleited thick en the garret stairs, and
she heard, after several times calling, that the girls
Answered and said, .4 We cannot conic down." Mrs.
S. continued calling on the garret stairs, till the
flames burst out of Mrs. Freeman's room, and ter-
ribly burned her hand, at the same time catching
her eye-brows and hair, and setting fire to the halus-
tres of the stairs. She therefore returned to her
room, and was soon after carried out in her shift only
by her youngest son, as before•mentioned. In the
mean time, the eldest son, who is very deaf,
had partly dressed himself, and had carried up a
pail of water, and threw it into the Hanks in Sirs.
F.'s room ; but, finding it of no avail, and not
seeing Mrs. F. he soon after left the house. Tile
house being very old, built of vireo!, and the rooms
papered, the flames quickly communicated through
the ceiling, obliquely to the front garret, which sic-
cesioned Aim Tobbey to take the desperate resoll-
tion of jumping out of the window into the street,
as the only way of escaping the flames, there being
no parapet, or trap-door in the roof. By this time,
not more than two or three persons were collea-
ed in the street, viz. Mr. Steward, hatter, of King-
street. and Benjamin Timbrell, of New Tothill-
street, and Will Goodenough, patroles ; and her
fall could not be any way assisted. Six or seven mi.
nutes elapsed, and the flames aftually reached the
other girl, Elizabeth Mills, anJ dreadfully burned
her arm, before she miatered resolution enough to
follow the desperate course which her companion
had set. In a few instants, the neighbour's rif the
opposite houses, alarmed by Mrs. Freeman's piteous
cries, discovered the flames spree ling into the din-
ing-I:oiler, in the two pair, and approach her ; and,
hoe rid to relate, first to seize on her night-cap, and,
at length, ow her shift, as she stood screamsng be-
fore the open window, with her arms and hands ex-
tended, in vela imploring assistance, for there were
no ladders et hand, till at length she sunk into die
flames ! A zoore.shocking and peinful death cannot
be conceived, suffocation not happening, as is mostly

the case in such dreadful crises, to alleviate .the ex-
tremity of suffering, muting to the draft of air from
the window ; hut, .he was literally burned to death!
The humanity of the by-st..nders soon conveyed Ann
• l'obbey,who was in her shift only, to Mr. I lanbary's,
the surgeon, in King's-street, on a bed, where she
continued for two or three hours, her sk all being
supposed fraaured (from having fallen on her lett
temple), and her thigh. and other limbs, to be
bi °ken : we are happy, however, to add, that, on
her wounds being examined and dressed by Mr.
Ilanbury, and by the more minute examination of
the surgeons of the IVestminster Infirmary, after
her removal thither, that no bones appear broken
or fraaured, although wounded in the temple, the
side, and several places, and that her recovery may
be expeded ; especially, as she has her senses, and
has since asked fur foot!. 4lizabeth Mills, the other
unfortunate girl. was not so much hurt by her fill,
as to be disabled to walk with assistance to the work-
house, in Dean-street, and thence to her father's
house, where Mr. Hanbury attended her, and she
appears to have no bones broken, and is, probably,
in no danger, except of the loss of the use of her
arm, from the burn.

The alarm of file spread through Westminster In
a few minutes after it appeared, an.: a very Tensed-
able muster of the St. Margaret and St. Johu's Vo-
lunteers was made in Union-street, before even the
Alarm could be beat round. Major Jones, Captains •
Fearnside, Griffin, Sanders, Clapham, and others
of the officers of this respeClable corps, attended.
Some Privates of the Royal Westminster, also, who
live near the spot, were early in their attendance ; •
and a party of the Prince of Wales's Volunteer%
under Major Craig, arrived in a very short time.
Too much praise cannot possibly be given to the
Gentlemen abovementioned, for their laudable and
strenuous exert ons for preserving the rives and pro- °'
perry of the sufferers, and particularly in keeping
of the press of spectators from impeding the exec.
tions of the fire engines, and persons employed in
moving goods, which the alarm occasioned the
owners to do in nearly the whole of Union-street,
owing to the combustible nature of the mate-tit:sof the
houses, and the wantof party walls. The first engine
which arrived, was the St Joh.t's parish engine at
a quarter before four o'clock ; the British Office en-
gine arrived, and plenty of others shortly after:
no water was however to be had, fur a long time.
Mrs. Storr's house being nearly destroyed, and the '
next bouse,belongin.4 to Mr. Godfree,an uph,:lsrerer,
at the corner of New Palace-yard, was COMpletely
on fire. Water was at length procured in plenty,
and the engines played with great effecl, and pre.
vented the destration of Mr. Windsor's home, boot-
maker, on the west side, which, notwithstauding a
party wall, had caught by means of its wood and
plaster front. The premises of Mr. Edzard, painter,
on the opposite side the street, was much scorched, •
and the windows horst open. Some houses, back.
wards were also slightly damaged. Before five
o'clock, the flames were got under, and soon after
entirely extinguished. The wind being most for-
tunately still at the time, although it ruse soon after
to a brisk gale.
About nine o'clock, the firemen being able to ap-
proach the ruins, the remains of poor Mrs. Freeman
were dog out, reduced to a mere ciader, which
were conveyed in a shell to the work-house in Dean-
street, where the Coroner's Inquest is to be held.
Guildhall, in King-street, was opened on the last
alarm, and formed an excellent and sate depot tot
the goods of the alarmed neighbourhood ; untortu-
uately, scarcely an article was saved from Ades.
Stores (who is inaderittatel, insured), except their
books and money, which were in an iron c: est in
the shop. Mr. Godfree saved a consiierabl.: part
of his furniture and stock, though his house was
entirely consumed.
Dispatches were received on Tuesday from Ad-
miral THOR a sotot:0;1, off the I exel, d.itcd on board
the Eaes, of 74 guns, the 45th ult. The Princess of
Oranze, Capt. Rooms, had joined his squadron.
The following is the present state of the enemy's
force in the Tete', viz. five ships of the line, and
one ship of 24 guns. Coming from Amsterdam,
and down as far as the Pampus, one large frigate,
lately launched. The number of transp.rts his di-
minished lately ; no more than 93 Arc now v
Some of our ships of war have been for a long ti.ne
on the North Coast, watching the operations of the
enemy in the ports of Holland. Owing to the great
perseverance of Capt. Ilse% of the Dermre, that
ship has been able to keep in the stormy Nltth Sea
for more than eight mo iths, without being once iss
port during all that period.
On Thursday night last three sol tiers brake into
the garden of Mr. Ct.AR K r, near the North-gat es,l'ar-
mouth, who surprised them. When they attempted
to make off, he desired them to stop, or he wow.'
shoot them; to which one replied. " Shoot, and be
d•—n'd." Mr. C. immediately fired a fowling-piece,
loaded with small shot, which entered the sold•er's
body, and wounded him in so dreadful a manner
that he died a few hours after. The other two made
their escape.
• --r •

A considerable alarm was occasioned a few days
ago, by a most tremendous fire on the premises of
Fuca AGEII, widow, near Chttbam Lines
(which was by many supposed to have been one of
the tire beacons) : four large barns with all their
contents were immediately consumed. This unfor-
tunate catastrophe was effeCted by a person
charging a fowling piece, the wadding of which
lodeed on the thatched roof of one of the barns.
The Ticket 10,234, drawn yesterday a Prize of
10,0001. was sold in One Quarter, One F.i3hth, and
Ten Sixteenth Shares, at Bisit's Offices, No. 4.
Cornhill, and No. 9, Charing-cross, where dse
Ticket ..t0,724, drawn a Prize of 1,0001. on Satnr-
day last. was also sold and regist-rei.—The For-
tunate Holders may receive their nroney on demand,
at either of the above Offices, wi.ere Tickets and
Shares will continue on sale, warranted undriwn,
until Saturday morning. nine o'clock, when the
Fourth Day's Drawing will begin.
lhe very moderate charge tor 'rickets and Shares,
in the present State-Lottery, is irresistible. Thr....
who never ventured in a Lottery cannot refrain
from indulging themselves in the presort gr..nd
Wheel. 1 excitement is incomparable
real chance truly beneficial. 9 Nixes of ti
I of 1;i0,000,—.; 44 15.000, &c. The
Day's [hawing will be on Saturday next.
Tickets and Shares, r.arrarted andreirn,
at liots,sr & Co.'s, :ti,

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