The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-01-28 00:00:00

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN DUBLLV.

DUBLIN,.TAN. 28.
Yesterday. between twelve and one o'clock, the neighbourhood
of the Post-office was thrown into a state of frightful confusion and
alarm, owing to the house of Mr. Bristow, the hatter, of Sackville-
stzeet, corner of Earl-street, becoming suddenly enveloped in flame
and smoke. The parish engines speedily arrived, but there was,
as unfortunately alnost always happens on such occasions in Dub-
lin, great difficulty in procuring water. It was at length obtained
from the Post-office, where the public business was suspended, by
the humane orders of Sir E. Lees, to enable the people of that
establishment to facilitate the supplying of water, and render every
assistance at the scene of destruction. The parish engines were
found of no avail, and the insurance-office engines were, far a time,
rendered inefficient from want of water, as it could not be conveyed
from the Post-office in sufficient quantities.
Mr. Quinton, of the Pipe Water Office, having goon heard of
the melancholy occurrence, turned all the water.cocks in the neces-
sary direction, and the insurance engines were at length enabled,
with the supply from the pipes and Post-office, to play upon the
mans of fire, but, unfortunately, with very little effect ; for such
was the fury, irresistible progress, and rapidity of the flames, in..
creased by a smart south-west wind, that in less than an hour the
whole of Mr. Bristow's premises, together with Mr. Smith's and
Mr. Clarke's howsm, were entirely consumed. The flames raged
with such violence against the adjoining houses, that it was thought
impossible to save the range down to Elephant-lane. The adjosa.
ing row in Earl-street also appeared destined to destruction. and
persons were preparing to pull down a house on each side, in order
to form a space between the burning houses and those threatened,
but happily the necessity for this proceeding was obviated by the
falling of the burning walls, by which the spreading fury of the
flames was arrested, and the engines enabled to play upon the walls
of the adjoining houses.
The noble daring of British sailors, their characteristic bravery
and humanity, were strongly illustrated during this scene of terror.
The entire of the floors having been consumed, the roof next gave
way, and there remained but the two walls, a portion of one haring
fallen ; the remainder was observed to shake at this moment. The
sensation of the multitude is indescribable, suspended between ap.
prehension and hope for the safety of those within reach of the tot.
tering mass, when it at length came down with a dreadful crash,'
accompanied by the shrieks of all who viewed it, and for a quarter
of an hour the most dreadful apprehensions prevailed, as it was,
thought impossible that in so narrow a street as Earl-street, and
where the buiiding was surrounded by such crowds of people, that
an high a wall could fall without injuring some one. Providentially
all escaped unhurt, owing to the judicious arrangements of the ml-
limey and police, who kept the people off. The front in Sackville-
street now remained totally unsupported, and in this alarming state,
threatening destruction to all who had the temerity to approach it,
an intrepisl hand of sailors procured a stout hawser, and, at the risk
of their lives, boldly advanced under the walls, and made fast the
end of the rope to a projecting part of the brick-work; then, having
passed the other part to the bystanders, the whole was forcibly pre.
cipitated into the street, with a tremendous noise.
The Lord Mayor and Sheriffs, several officers of the garrison, to-
gether with a large detachment of the 4th Dragoon Guards, a few
companies of foot, with the horse and foot police in attendance, un-
der the command of dlr. Farrell and Mr. Gooddisson, Chief Peace
Officers, exerted themselves to preserve order and prevent plunder.
The fire originated in the awkwardness of a boy, when heating
a pot of varnish over the fire in the shop.
Mr. Whitehead's lace-shop, in Sackville-street, was al-o de-
stroyed, and the damage and loss of property in all that range of
houses is very considerable.
It is said that the house in which the fire originated was in-
sured.

This eel Amity was said to have been caused by an explosion of
gas on the premises. The report in wholly untrue: it origi.
rated as we have already stated, and Dlr. linstow himself avows
the fact.

Airs. Ormsby, of No. 10, Upper Sackville-street, one of the most
respectable inhabitants of that street, was one of the first to open her
house for the reception of the distressed suffering inhabitants, and
the remnants of their furniture.

SEDUCTION AND SUICIDE.

Yesterday evening an inquest was holden at the Three Cups
public-house, Oxfard-road, on view of the body of Christina
:Bark liriscolie. aged 19 years, who put a period to her existence
by poison, on Tuesday last, under the following distressing cir-
cumstances :

Louisa Morcani, of No. 7, Drew's-place (with whom the de-
ceased had resided for the last three or four months), stated, that the
deceased was niece to her husband, Carlo orcani, &manufacturer et
artificial flowers, at whose instance deceased came over to England
about a year and a half ago, to assist him in his business. The de-
ceased having received a liberal education, and being a young wo-
man of extremely insinuating manners, was much noticed by the
various persons for whom Morcani did business, and finally was
offered an eligible situation in a very eminent florist's house in
New Bond-street, which she accepted, and where she had the mis-
fortune to attract the regards of a gentleman ranking high in life,
who ultimately effected her ruin, and took her with him into the
country, where she remained until the birth of an infant, which
dying soon after, the deceased was abandoned by her seducer,
and in the month of last October she returned to London, her
spirits quite broken, and her whole appearance betraying the ut-
most wretchedness. During this interval, she had occasionally as,
sisted witness in the management of the business, Morcani being in
Italy, but her constant wish was to return home to her native coJn-
try ; on this subject she bad repeatedly written to the person by
whom she was seduced, entreating such pecuniary assistance as
would enable her to quit England for ever, but only in two in.
stances were her letters answered ; the one was a little before Christ-
mas, conveying a direct refusal in harsh terms ; and the latter was
about ten or twelve days ago, when deceased received a letter from
him, enclosing a 101. note, with a few words of extremely unkind
import ; one expression of which seemed to have peculiarly affect-
ed the mental faculties of the deceased. The letter was to this effect:
" You say that the death of your child has tended to impair your
health, and to incapacitate you from pursuing your business as
hitherto. This is of a piece with the artifice of your sex. Who
ever dreamt of meeting with such sublime feelings in the bosom of
an Italian flower-girl ? I only regret that you did not accompany
your brat (which I never believed to be mine), and then I should
have been freed from both incumbrances at once. The enclosed
will be the last assistance you can expect to ruche from me,
and is more than I have any right to give you."
IYitness stated that, since the receipt of this letter. deceased wept
almost incessantly, both by night and day, and talked in so wild
and incoherent a manner, that she (witness) began to apprehend
her reason was fled for ever. On Sunday morning she appeared
more composed than usual, and intimated a wish to attend the ser-
f vice of the Mass at the Spanish Ambassador's Chapel, which she
generally resorted, when so inclined. Witness could not accompany
her, but she went along with a young Italian girl, who knew her
when she lived at the house in Bond-street ; from that time until
Tuesday morning she was quite calm in her manners, though ex-
tremely melancholy and averse to society of any kind. On Tues-
day she went out under a pretext of visiting an acquaintance in
Manchester-street, and did not return until near seven o'clock in
the evening, and when questioned by witness and another person
as to the cause of her staying so long, she replied in a hurried hut
under-tone of voice, " I have settled everything this day, but it his
cost me many tears." Witness thought that she alluded to her de-
parture for Italy, and observed, " Christina, you must not think
of going; there is no occasion for it, particularly as Morcani is
away." Deceased sobbed bitterly, and said, " Yes, yes, but I
must. Oh, God forgive him that forces me to such an act." She
then said, that she had sone matters to arrange, and went up stairs
to her room fur that purpose ; in some short time witness followed
her up stairs, and found her sitting at table with the requisites for
writing before her ; witness pressed her to come down to the sitting
room, but she declined, and begged them not to disturb her until
supper was prepared. She was naturally of a florid complexion,
but at that time she was deathly pale, and appeared to labour un-
der great distress of mind. Witness did not see her after, until the
servant girl informed her that " Mademoiselle was in a fainting
fit," and upon going up to the room, she found her lying on the
floor, perfectly inanimate, and to all appearance dead. Not think.
ing her really so, witness used various means to restore her, but
without effect, and she then went for a surgeon, who declared that
it was all over, the deceased having evidently swallowed poison.
Rebecca Moore, servant to list witness, stated, that soon after
deceased went to her apartments she wrote a letter, which she de-
sired witness to put into the General Post receiver, which she did.
The letter was sealed with black wax, and appeared to contain an
enclosure. Witness did not read the direction of the letter. When
deceased spoke to her she appeared very much enfeebled, and
her eyes were red and swollen from weeping.
Mr. Dubois, surgeon, was called to assist the deceased on Tues-
day evening, about a quarter after eight o'clock, but readily per-
ceived that his assistance was likely to prove ineffectual, as all pulsa-
tion had ceased for some timeprevirtualv. The symptoms being indi-
cative of poison, he adopted the ordinary modes of treatment,
such as administering emetics, ttc.., but without effect. The
patent stomach-pump was then introduced, and a great quantity of
black matter extracted; yet every attempt to restore animation
proved abortive. On analyzation, the contents of the stomach
proved to be laudanum, in a quantity of greater magnitude than
he had ever witnessed in any similar case.
Two young women, acquaintances of the deceased. spoke gene-
, rally to the disordered state of her mind during the last three
months.
The Jury expressed themselves in strong terms of reproba-
tion at the unfeeling conduct of this wretched young woman's
seducer; and concluded by saying, that they only regretted it
was not In their power to couple his name with the infamy
that attaches to it from this melancholy event, of which be was
unquestionably the cause. Verdict--" That deaeued committed
suicide by poison, whilst in a state of temporary derangement."