The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-07-04 00:00:00

bR!TRUCTIVIL FIRES.

On Soo.lay s(Serooon, about twit o'clock, a most deserve-
live Bre broke out at Whitstable, which in the space of
four hours destroyed property to a very rooxideraloie
amount. The lire oa. first diseorered iii • stable belonging
to SI r. T. Gann, which was (prickly ens. loped in 81011.4, and
extending to another timber betiding near it, spread most
rapidly down a line of boat-builders' storehouses and other
buildings, chit fly composed of timber sad thatch, nearly
from end to end of the street, dcstru)tug i.e its prams', Mae
dwellings and needy forty shop., morel oases, Owns, and
other buildings. The tire is supposed to has. beer oral-
gained in aunt, spike from the chimney of Mr. Groon'a hoarse
falling upon she thatch of stable, mid the word blowing
fresh at W.S W. carried the conflagration rapidly en that
point, and afterwards shifting to the N.*, .t extended 1..
that direction. The must prompt assistance w a eievu by
the inhabitants, hilt their cantles's er-re unavailing nat.! h
arrival of the Ke..t and Norwich Gem engines lions tl is
city, the first of which reached the scene of desteuctioli, a
distance of upwards of six miles, mid was at +oak in
the apace of half au hoar from its plaiting. The very
Judicious arrant meta, made by the condictora of the
engines, and the steady manner in which obey ware
supplied awl worked, soon bad the effect of wresting
the progress of the are, which, however, wan nut effectually
dose, until some dwellings were pulled down, at the lower
cod of Red Lion-street, where the dames raged so firriros'y
as to dictates the entire destructimi of that part ()robe town.
Afier the engiues already mentioned had bees dispatched
from hence, a supply of buckets was foiwarded Loam the
Guildhall, and three other eagiues, which were accompa-
nied by great numbers of our fellow-citizen., whose exer-
tions were beyond all praise: we wish we could pay an equal
tribute to hundreds of other persons assembled en the Maim-
ing occasion, who either from amazement at the sad scene
of destruction exhibited before them, f.om idleness, or .4
One inhabit's', whose own house was safe, said, he most
kuow who would pay him berme he handed a bucket, 'load
savor about instead of lending a helping hand to their the-
orem. d neighbours. It being low water al the time of the
raging of the ire, a supply of water was obtained with great
labour from the numerous wells and ditches shoot the pre-
mises; the flowing of the tide, however, between sr ven sad
eight o'clock, although accompanied by • brisk wind from the
north-east, which rekindled the heaps of noise, enabled the
conductocs of the engines to extinguish them very (prickly
by placing one engine at the era, which supplying another
WI the sea wall, gave • complete command of the smother-
ing emberr, end prevented further mischief.
We are exceedingly concerned to state that the logs is
estimated at tax or seven thousand woods, a very small
proportion of which is covered by itsouraoee. To add to
the calamity, 'missy families are placed in the greatest dis-
tress from the destructiou of the stores of boats and other ar-
ticles upon which they wholly depended fur their support.
The Scene of consteruatiou and distress among the women
and children during the conflagration is twitted description,
bloodied' of them were aisembled to the adjoining aside
with their foruitnronud other valuables, cot expecting to he
able to return again to their dwellings; we are happy to
learn that a liberal subscsiptioo has been commenced fur the
immediate relief of the pour sufferers.—(Keniish (.hroaide)

About one o'clock in the storniug of Tuesday se'linlehl the
Half Moon Ins, at St. Culumh, kept by Mr. Lmtreoce, was
diecomed to be on fire, and ao alarm heing given, the lo-
b bitanta were routed from their brds by the ringiug of the
rit•rch ►ells. Every possible assistance was promptly given,
■nd the engine kept in the town nip speedily brought to the
spot ; but the supply of ester nut being aboudaut, it was
friend impossible effectually to cheek the p►ogregs of the
flames, which goon spread to the stables of the inn, sod .fner•
wards to fear adjeeettt houses, in succession, which, whit
the greater part of t►e furniture, &e. were redeeed to
• heap of rains. At o•e time the fire raged with and,
fury that serious appreheusions were entretained for the
wait), of the greater ismrt of the toe.. lf.pptly, %bone
four o'clock in the morning, by Ike vigosoris and it i-
rentittime exertions of the iab•bilants, the prove•• of the
destructive element was arrested, sad the eevastirtion
was confined to the inn in which the fire originated, with the
stables, Be. belonging to it, sad the four Anuses air mly
noticed, which were inhabited by Mr. Ellis, saddler; Mrs.
Yeast, grocer; Mr. Ydlend, baker; and Mrs. George, ce,i-
feetimeer. Bnt the most mels•rholy part of the calamity
remains to be told :—A servant of Mr. Laareure, named Ann
and his daughter, a gel ■bout 11 years of age, woo
slept in that part of the house front • hick the flames writ,
first observed to beak out, were footed rennin', and it wee
sow discovered that they had not he. • able to escape from
the flames ; their bodies were dug from the ruins •boat s Y
o'clock in the morni•g, burnt in • shocking manner. N.
positive *tenant ran he given as to the cause of this mo
disastrous event, but it is supposed tit ►ave origlasted from
the neglect of the two aufurteuate girt, In sot properly
eatiegutshi•g t►eir casette.

SAarkias tkeierremee.—Five negrnes of !redo!!
county. North Corollas, belonging to n Grorcirl
DAVIDSON, took the desperate resoloorin of de-
stroying the whole family by poison. to prevent
being removed with them to ALabirese. Taro of
the General's daughters only were destroyed in the
absence of their husbands. A dose (of hemlock)
wow reedy for the General himself. but the pint
was dircovercd before they were ready to complito
their purpose.— (4 Neer icon Paper.)

_.. ~;

.00

~.

~.

MP