The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-08-09 00:00:00

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ALAR3IIN% FIRE.

Yesterday, at one p'clock., a roost alarmin . g fire
broke out in lodge-row, Watling street, at the ex-
tensive oil and drug warehouse, belonging id Metiers.
Porter, and Co.
. .
The rafts were as follow :—The greater port
the morning was occupied in getting in goods of Yee
nous kinds ; about one o'clock the porters were
letting down a cask of the oil of turpentine inor
the cellar, and, by some unforeseen accident, it Slipped
from the rapes, and fell with so much violence against
the ground, that the cask was stove in pieces. A can-
dle, which they were obliged constantly to keep ':gist
below stairs, communicated the flame to the tur.
pentine, which instantly blazed, and ran like lightning
through every part of the house. The stair: are,
which was of a circular form, and lig:.ted from the
top, exhibited a complete column of fire; so :hat
.4
every room in the house, at the very same
moment. was a prey to its ravages. Mr. Lewis,
who was in the shop, immediately rushed into the
street, and fortunately received no injury. Mr.
Porter was in the compting-house, and seeing him-
self surrounded with flames, from what cause he
scarcely could tell, rushed through the midst of
them into the street. His clothes and hair were in a
blaze, to extinguish which, the people were obliged
to roll him in the street, and even this did not put ic
out for some time; the side of his face was very
much scorched, and his hair and whiskers entir-
ly burned off. Mrs. Porter was in the front
drawing-room, and, seeing the flames`burst in at the
door, had the presence of mine! to get out of the
window, on the leads over the shop, and so w liked
along the leads of the next boese, where, In a short
time, she was got down by means of a ladder. The
servant-maid, who was in the upper part of the
house, fortunately made her escape through a dor-
mant window ; and, crossing over the tops of se.
veral houses, got down through a house in New.
castle-cour:, without receiving any injury, except a
severe bruise in one of her legs. No other persons
were in the house ; fortunately, Mrs. Lewis and the
children were all in the country. Assistance was
soon procured. In a short time, the Royal Ex-
change Fire-Engines, and several others, arrived,
and commenced playing on the house, which was -
now blazing in every quarter ; but, notwithstanding
their utmost exertions, they could not prevent it
from consuming the entire house, and coinrannicag.
ing to the houses at either side—one in the pommies'
of Mr. Wilrinson, a calenderer; the other lett met be
floors to different merchants, who kept theirCompting
bourn in it The greatest terror prevailed through
the whole neighbourhood, on account of a quantity
of gunpowder that was in the house. However,
by the exertions of the engines, no general explosion
took place, nor indeed was it imagined that any of
the powder took fire, as, if it had, most probably it
would have buist the house open ; certainly there
were at different times loud and alarming explosions.
which drove vest quantities of lime and dirt from
all the windows, bet it was the general opinion,
that it was occasioned by salt:sine, and other com-
bustible matter, with which every part of the house
was filled.
A detachment of the Ist Regiment of the City
Volunteers turned nut, on the alarm, and, by keep•
ing the place clear, for the men to work the engines,
contributed esszutiallg in preventing further mis-
chief. The fire %v.v. ..ltnost completely extinguished
at about nine o'clock ; however, it was thought ne-
cessary to keep two engines there, lest it should
again shew itself.
Th loss sustained has been considerable, little
shoe t of seven or eight thousand pounds; but we
'nderstand the houses are all insured.

The Cosa! packet, Hussy. bound to the Baltic, is
on shore in the Humber, and, it is feared, will be
lost.
The Washington, Hansom, from Philadelphia, for
Africa and Europe, is lost on the Cape de Verdes,
Africa.
Great rejoicings took place at Llanidloes, is
Wales, and she neighbourhood, yesterday se's.
night. on account of the discovery of a very valu-
able lead mine, near the surface of the ground, on
the estate of Sir E.DW•111) Pares Ltov o, Bart.
about two miles from Llanidloes, on the Wadi-
nam road.
As every foreign mail begins already to teem
with orders for Tickets, it could not fail to yield
much satisfaeltion to our politicians, would the pro-
prietors of the offices make memoranda of the dif-
ferent States from whence such orders come, and
publish them at the conclusion of each Lottery.
There is no surer symptom of SOptratlOUll wealth
than such speculative purchases. It is an oLI and
trite adage, " Much would have more."
The new Scotch Ballet Dance at the ROYAL
Cruces, called Lore and Laughter; The Piper of
Ligtithgroc, possessei, together with a pleasing and
animated story, such finely oomposed Dances as
yield the most ample scope to the abilities of the
GIROUX, Mrs. lister, Mr. MONTGOMERY, and
those admirable children, the youngest GI ROUX, and
Miss LZT TIN. The strongest approbation attends
the new Song on the defeat of the Combined Fleet.
teragen is so established a favourite as to possess an
undiminished attreltion ; to these, lAs Foortn of
June, or Maros Fln ~ and ll'excellent Horsemanship
of M A KELN, are highly pleasing additions. We un-
derstand, however, that on Monday next a new Co-
mic Pantomime makes its rwst appearance, called
114 Witch of Inlay; or liarkown Forester.
The splendid improvements in Russell-square are
in a considerable state of forwardness. The exter-
n l parts of the range or houses on the North side
of the Square are entirely completed, and many of
them thoroughly finished. The superb and spaci-
ous mansion on the East side, built at an immense
expence, by Lord DAL-Cl/40es, in the beginning of
the present reign, and purchased by Government
for the residence of the late Chancellor, Lord Ross.
vex, is now divided into three elegant houses, and
the Court-yard and offices, attached to the mansion
on the South, are laid out for the seite of three
houses. of which nearly tile first stories are h
On the South side of the great inclosure, is
centre of the square, a large semi circle, fro
the top of Baehr)] &place. is railed in t and, in
middle of it, a platform. with a deep foundation oil
solid brick-work, is laid. and on which the pectreat
for the colossal statue of Faaocus late Dyke of
I liawsJk.o, it to be greeted.