The National Register.
London, England, 1809-02-26 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

thousand souls. The flames must have been visible to a censi
derable extent, from the commanding situation of the Theatre,
and of course attracted crowds in every direction. Russell-
street, Drury-lane, Catherine-street, Brvdges-street, Charles-
street, Bow-street. Tavistock.-areet, Long-acre, and Covent-
garden, were absolutely filled with spectators. Such was the
force of the conflagration, that its heat was strongly felt at the
church in Covent-garden. The Police Officers were unretnittlar
in their vigilance and attention, and the avenues to the Theatre
were guarded by strong detachments from the horse and foot
guards, and several of the volunteer corps.
Only one life, we believe, was lost. A fireman is stated to
have been killed, and two other firemen wounded; and a lad,
who was assisting the playing of the (ire cogines, broke his arm.
The orieination of this catastrophe is not satisl'actorily ex-
plained. It is generally admitted, by those persons who fir::t
gave th? usual alarm of lire, that the tire commenced in
the upper part of the house ; and the present supposition is, (as
plumbers were employed. during the earls hours of eireday, in
repairing the lower part of the roof and reservoir) that sonic
combustible materials, negligently left behind, communicated to
the wood, and eventually spread their effect into the appart-
ments immediately over the coffee-room of the Theatre. An
appearance of fire, at about a quarter after eleven o'clock, is
said to have been perceived at a window, on the second story
of this building, fronting Russel-street, without exciting any
properdegree of apprehension, till, about twenty minutes after-
wards, the entire upper part of the theatre burst into one
tremendous burning ! The cupola and Om Apollo, which fell in
about It o'clock, and which, in every direction, formed such
prominent objects of contemplation, were for some time clearly
and sublimely distinguishable.
The spectacle of real desolation which the structure afforded,
when contemplated from Blackffiars-bridge at t‘vel ve o'clock,
far surpassed in magnificence any of the mimic representations
hich were ever viewed within its walls. The shell of the
building was then entire, and the upper ramie of 'l4 inflows and
the balustrade above, forming the whole length of the edifice.
being raised above all the adjoiving buildings. and thrown into
strong relief by the flame, resembled the ant tent a qnedacts which
are still remaining in the Somth of Europe.- From the frame of
the edifice arose a broad stwet of flame : no wind stirred to
break the symmetry of its ascent, so that it terminated in'a
" fiery pyramid." This vast splendid body threw an interesting
light on the surrounding objects. The Thames and St. Paul's
were rendered unusually beautiful. Thus the effect was rather
that of an e laborate work of art than of a fatal casualty, to be
lamented by all the Arts.
Astonishing, indeed, was the electric rapidity with which
this tire communicated itself throughout the w hole of the then-
tre. Words can convey no adequate conception of time awfully
interesting. spectacle. Mute with surprise, silent in despair, and
full of the recollection of another similar recent calamity, the
th naming multitude seemed assembled for no purpose so much as
inwardly to moralise upon the scene-of destruction ! Scarcely a.
satire teas at one time heard; Every one stood amazed, per-
plexed, tremulous.
It is thus that, within the short space of little more than five
months, the two great Theatres of our Metropolis have been
suddenly and entirely consumed ; while the Palace of the Nation
has also narrowly • escaped the ravages of the saute des:oaring
element. Chance and carelessness, however, are still the only
wises to which mankind appear disposed to attribute the most
terrible of terrestrial disasters!!!

A ODITION A L P RTTVIJI, 111 S.
The fee begin in What was called the Chinese lobby, that is
the lobby nodernelth the grand lobby which faced Brydges-
sueet. This Chinese lobby was the second entered goinz into
the Theatre from /131-v(l2;es-street ; it was usually but ill lighted,
nod from it ascended two stair-cascs to the main passages smut
lobbies level with the hack of the front boxes. According to
the origin:it pl:in Of the Theatre this Chinese lobby was intended
to he surrounded ttith shops, for the sale of various articles,
such ac g10%1'4, fruits, e‘c. during the performance. The shops
had actually been made since the opening of the Theatre, but
they remaioell shut up with shutter=, never having been finished
or opened for actual use. This lobby from the beginning was a
/.cnurite tos of Mr. Sheridan. who at the commencement of the
Theatre, and often sluice has been heard to bohst what a pretty
thing It 'I% (mid he when finished and opened in complete style.
To accomplish this had only been determined this season, during
the w hole of w hich the entrance to the Theatre from itrydgei.
street has been shut up, that this lobby and the bhops in it might
be finished and. opened. It was nearly ready, the varnishers
More at work rather late I;.A night, and from negligence the fire

FEB. 26

happened. lloa it happened is not exactly known; but it is
known that the varnish caught fire, and that almost instantly the
whole Theatre was in a blaze; the varnish being such combust'.
ble matter, newly laid on the' walls.
The metropolis was illuminated to the remotest parts of the
town, and the intelligence of We stile of the calamity seemed to
spread with equal rapidity, as people from all parts came Hock-
iag towards the melancholy scene of action, as to a central,
point. The erotic] near the fatal spot was imincose, and all the
streets leading to it were thronged with people, yet perhaps
there is no instance on record in which there appeared less tur-
bulence and confusion. As far as it was possible to detach the
mind of the spectators from the awful and tremendous calamity
in view, the appearance of the metropolis was in the highest
degree striking and magnificent. The tops of the hoftes r all
directions were covered with people, and those who stood upon
any house, from which a view of Westminster and I'luckf; iars
Bridges could be seen, could see every passenger go over them,
and distinctly mark the ballustrade,:. The Patent-shot .I\lanu.
factory, and, inriced, every large edefice on the South of. the
Thames, as well as those on the other side, were illumiealv:l
with great splendour, and contributed to render the coup d
the grandest spectacle of the kind that perhaps has ever ',rt.,'
itnessed since that memorable calamity, emphatically denonii -
nated the fire of London.

The reservoir of water on the fop,which formed with the iroa
curtain the topic of reliance for security in the Prologue with
which the new Theatre was opened, was like a mere bucket-
full to the volume of tire on which it fell, and had no visible
effect in damping it. Any attempt to go near the flames was
totally impracticahle--and all that was caved from ruin was
done by the presence of mind and activity of Mr. Kent, who
was the first to discover the flames; .Mr. Powell, the prompter ;
and Mr.lohnston, the mechanist ; with the two waf ehme”. They
ascertained that the fire broke out in the hall under the lobby at
Brydges-street entry, w :ere some plumbers had been at work.
When the leaden cistern fell in, it produced a shock like vn
earthquake, and the burning matter forced up into the air re-
sembled a shower of rockets and other artificial fireworks. The
houses in Little Rtssel-street, facing the Theatre, are dread-
fully searei and whitened ; some of them had been on tire in the
window-frames, and all the windows are broken by the heat.
In Vinegar-Yard two or three small houses close to the box-
door, are burnt, gutted wills...she fire, but the walls are not
down. Had not the wall in lAttle Itils,ell-street, fallen in-
wards on the Theatre. it must have crushed the oppo:ite hou,;e•
That street is, notwithstanditm, filled up across to the opposite
pavement with the ruin', chieflyr of the fraTments of the broken
colonnade, the stone pillars being broken lino small pieces, am!
with the' stone-works and half-burnt beams of timber. The fire
burnt fully up to Drury-lane, to which a part of the build-
ing, made intol a scene-painting room, we believe, had been
lately carried. The walls in Drury-lane' are standing ; but
in all quarters the wood-work and inside of the Theatre
arc completely down. The baker's shop dosely adjoining the,
building of the Theatre, iii Drurv-lane, does not appear to have
been in the least damaged, not even distneied !it open and a;
business as if nothing had happened ! The next house down the
lane, in which was the stage-door, and the next house to that
which was tile Treasury, do not seem to have been injured by
the fire, though they arc disordered, some of the windows out,
&c. The building of this Theatre cost 200,0001. Of the im-
MOM' property of all sorts, in scenery, machinery, dresses,
decorations, music, instruments, plays, &c. of which nothing
was saved, we can form co estimate.

The following we have authority to say, k an exact statement
or the amount of the sums insured on the Theatre, at the rcapec•
tive Yire-Offices :
The British
Imperial
llope
Eagle

5.000
11,000
10,000
6,500

X. 14,400