The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-10-27 00:00:00

I

CHILAXPORD, Oer. 26.

We never ereentedes more painful duty than that
which we glare to perform in cur tete!ication of this
day, in Tel:eine the particulars of a n.ost dreadful
fire, which broke nut in the stahles (lithe Dog pub-
lic-house, in this town, on Monday eveain4 last,
about eight o'clock ; the lamer:table consequences
of which were scarcely ever equalled. A party of
H tnnverians, about 129 in number, marched into
the town about two o'clock the same day, and were
for convenience lodged in the home hod stables
II pun the premises we have nreimeri•ioned. Fa-
riatied with their match they retired to rest at an
early hole • eventy of them in patticulait tato a large
stable, without arty other last- oing to the door than
a latch. lu the evening, at the time beforeonetv
Coned, an alga mof fire was given, the drums beat
to arms, and the premises, where the seventy men
lodged (among whom were some women) were dis-
covered to be in flames ; the rapid increase of which
was so great, that the whole town was never in the
memory of man. is such great danger. Unacquaint-
ed with tbe nse of a hitch, and seeing their destruc-
tion so nigh at hand, the Hanoverians were some
time before they could open the door, but it was
easily effeeted on the outtide, and they (it was sup-
posed all) made their etespe, many of them, how-
ever, most dreadfully scorched, and their clothes
on tire. The engines front the ditfclarai offices had
by this time ban drawn to the spot, and, not-
withstanding the violence of the flames, and the
passagt; so narrow in the approach, they were
p!ayeei with considerable Area. A large party of
military in the garrison and in the town, together
with the Volunteers, colleeted and joined in the
general evertiens of the inhabitants, wish that ear-
nestness to arrest the progress of the names, which
will ever be remembered by thnee who were speeta-
tots of it Evesy mind was perfealy rejoiced within
itself, that Providence hail spared the lives of those ,
who were juts before the inhabitants of the buildines
which were .o a short time swallowed up by the de-
vouring element. Little did those present suspeel
that twelve poor unfortunate fellow-creatures were
struggling under the ruins. The intet fetence of the
Almighty in this instance slices itself in Cos most
visible 'she ; for, had eh it circumstance been known,
such was the enthusiastic bravery displayed leetha
out its knowledge), that numbers of lives would no
doubt have been lost in the laudable endeavrur to
reectiethese poor mortal.. who, from the situation
they were the next morning discovered in, were,
a few minutes atter the fire began, totally deprived
of life. About twelve o'clock the flames had com-
pletely snbsidtd.
The next morning (Tile, d ty) numbers repaired to
the spot, who, by troletitatily removing pieces of
timber, at last core to the hot id speftacle ot part of
the remains of an human being! Alarmed at thesight,
and eager to ; urine the dice very, the rubbish was
quickb mined over, and no less than twelve bodies
were drawn out in a mutilated state, too dreadful
to describe, and too piteous to behold ! The bo-
dies were removed, and will be most decently in-
terred this day, in separate entrst, at the upriver
of the parish By order of the Duke of York, the
whole garrison and volunteers will attend and per-
form military honours over the graves. The scene
during the fire was truly lamentable; persons re-
moving their goods and families; furniture stand-
ing in almost every corner of the street, and men,
women, and children, inhabitants of the adji.ining
tenements, partly asked, expeaing their divelliege
in be swallowed ttp in the general coutlagration.
Tre property destroyed, we have the sathL.nliou to
find, is, for the getter yam insured ; that of some-
, few mechanics excepted, who lost all teen t
and what little i nopetty they had cell. iced from their
on n indust y. A number c)l.luns..s t.e1..1;?;:n4 to
the Royal Waggon Train were in th • tastari-s, all
of which were rtmos t.d but two, and they were
burned to death. One other onferttniate ainoee-
tian died the nest moraine fonn rive injury he receiv-
ed. and several others continue in a doubtful state;
hot, contrary to report, one oyes-mains unite mint-
• el for It is de. en tern of the I lanoverians tosmoke
continually ; a pipe is cost i.Wed by them as om• of
tte greatest !mimics they enjoy ; but we do rot
I mean to assert that the accident arose from %lel
I circumstance. hut refer our vradets to what trans-
, Fired in evidence upon the inquest, the particulars
of which we have bsen• favoured with by the Coro-

Der himself.
On Wednesdsy, a very respeftable .Jury of
the town WAS summoned by ti.t. C',o(o-,e, to in-
vestigate the cause of the fire, by which the
twelve poor men last their lives. A considerable
number of witnesscs were examined, both Hr
noverians and others, who were About the pre-
veliws at the commencement of the fire, but the

real cause could not be ascertained. It WAS stated

in evidence, that the men had gone to rest in the
stables belonging to the Spotted Dug public-house,
brt ween seven and tight o'clock in the evening, and
that about half an hour afterwards an alarm of fire
'was given in one of the stables, containing upwards
of seventy of them, which, however, w.s immedi.
Adele put out by one of the Hanoscrians in the stable
without any damage being dune; that in about an
b ,tir afterwards a secant( alarm of fire was given in
the same stable, which raged vs furiously, from the
eriantity of straw Cat was in it, that, rotwlthatand-
ing the great exertions used by the military of the
garrison, the volunteer!, and other inhabitants of
the town, to quench the flames, the whole building,
with an adjoining stable filled with Hanoverian.,
was in a very short time reduced to ashes ; Oat the
unfortunate men instantly rtisbed to the dour of the
stable wit re the fire began, bin finding it latched by
a common lion larch on the outside (which is lifted
ap by putting the finger through a hole in the doot),
and they rot knowing, or. in their great hurry and
confusion, not attempting to open it in that way,
were for a time prevented making their escape.
F.very soul must have perished in the flames, had
rot the Corporal of the detachment, to whom the
slarm of fire had been given, most providentially
-un down to the stable, and extricated them from
heir distressing situation. Several of the survivors
were shockingly burned, one of whom died the fol-
owing morning. The Jury, after retiring for a
e.nsiderable time, returned a verdia of /kris/extol
Death.

The public are much indebted to Capt. Wright,
if the 47th Regieseat, who, at the rcque,t of the
attended the inquest, and interpretrd the
Haoov crians.—(4:4cha am.)

NAVAL lATELLIGEN.CZ.

roRTSMoUTH, *CT. 25.
Atri•:ed several outward bound vessels tram the
linens.

Sailed the Brioannift. illuserch. Ude", Eli*ha,
, &trios), und /Pk, with troops fur Guernsey,
Lutare hmught to in Cowed R. ads.

Arrived the Camel st ore.thip, from the-Downs.
Came into Harbour. the Cerberus frigate.
TALMOUTH, OCT. 23.

&ilea the PriffressChortatte packet, Capt. Kerr,
with'a MO for Halifax, and the Prides Ernest pac-
ket, Capt. P.lrie, with a Mail for the
.14evrard
Idands. Wind Eagerly.

VEAL, OCT. 23.
Sailed yesterday, after post, the Pluto sloop of
war for Portsmouth.

Arrived the Craiwr sloop of war, from Margate
Roads; Prospero and Lucifer bombs, Alamo sloop
of war, Thrasb,r, Sparkler, and Escort gun-brigs,
from ff the French coast, and remain in the
Downs with the ships as per last.

P. S. Sailed the immer;aiiie frigate, and the Aloes.
slcop of war, for Sheerness.—Wind S. E.

YARMOUTH. OCT. 25.

On the 22d, at two p. m. the Pt....iicnce, Cairns,
from Archangel, being riding off Winterton, a ves-
sel, which looked like a Gravesend boat, but which
proved to be A privateer, carrying about 60 men,
bore down and attempted to board them, but was
beat ofr: she made a 5...:0r.d attempt about nine p.m.
but was so warey received, that she thought fit to
stand nut to sea. The Provideace carries six guns,
and 10 men.

The same greening, about six o'clock, a boat be-
longing to the Badger, Excise cutter, Capt. Gun-
thurpe, was lo,,lciug out nu the coast for smugglers,
she attempted to b )ard a vessel brought up or
xvhich fire,:. a them, aoJ wounded the Se-
rood mate and or.e man. The Erl,w speaking French,
leave no cl.mbt bot she was a privateer,

arc
allimidencz of t 1