The National Register.
London, England, 1823-01-20 00:00:00

FIRE.—On Saturday night, about nine
o'clock, • fire broke out at the farm called Black-
thorn, the property of Benjamin Fincham, Esq. in
the occupation of Mr. John Elsey, about a mile from
Dias. The fitmily retired to rest, with the exe:p•
tion of a servant, who perceived a light in the yard,
and alarmed her master. At this time the neat..
house was entirely consumed, in ahich were four
heifers and three calves, none of which could-be
extricated, and being tied up, they all perished its
the Lines. The firm object of Mr. Elsey was So -•
save the family, and the children were carried in
blankets to a neighbouring house; bet not beiiw.
the lire communicated with the thatch of his dwell,. •
ink;.—Malty hundreds of peoplearrived at the dreede
ful scene from various parts of the cauntey, and
from Dias with fire engines ; but the rinds being
frozen, it was very difficult to obtain water, end
the dwelling house, with otherbuildiegs, soon be-
came • prey to the devouring element. A barn
standing near was uninjured. Every effort was
made, and the greater part of the furniture was
saved, but dreadful to relate, these exertions were
attended by a fatal catastrophe. In them-Was of
the confusion a chimney fell with a horrid Crash, •
killed two men upon the spot, and broke the limbs
.of several others. St distressing a scene has not
been witnessed in that part of the country for many
years. The men who lost their lives were John
Gardiner, a carpenter, who leaver a disconsolate •
witi; near her accouchent, and four small children
and Wm. Tipple, • single metni• by trade a bruit- --
maker, who died instantly, his head being cots--
pletely smashed and his limbs bre/en. J.Browning,
a carpenter, had his left arm and right thigh dread-
fully fractured; ft. Parr, the sexton of the parish,
who has the management of the engines, had one
leg broken, and the other frozen ; and a young
man named Slack is terribly injured. Many others
were severely bruised, and from there being several
IPA. left near the ruins, it was supposed therewners
were buried underneath ; but we believe they have
since been found, having run away from feiglstat.•
the moment of the last cattastrophe. The scene of
distress has drawn many hundreds from various
quarters to be spectators of that dwelling whied.
once afforded peace, security, and happiness to its-
occupier; but, alas! is now truly • picture of
wretchedness. What adds to the horror of this
frightful calamity is, that there are doubts whether
it was not occasioned by the devilish sat of an in-
cendiary, although as Mr. Faisey had been into the
neat-house with a light, it is passible that a spark
might have fallen • yet he is confident that he did
not open the lanthorn which he carried. Mr. Hier,
is a very industrious farmer, and a man highly re-
spected. The property was none of it ineurtl--
Norwich Courier.

i

A primary school, on the plan of mutual-instruc-
tion, bud been established at Boulogne-sur-Mer, in
1819, under the auspices of the Sub-l'refe,•ct M.
Herman, at present Peeled of Lands. All• the ma-
gistrates and functionaries, without exception, the
servants of government, and- the most-opulent in-.. -
habitants of the town, to the number of 144, con-
tributed by subscription to def'r.►y the event*. of
establishing this school, and of supporting it.—This
school, which has recently received in augmentation-.,
of run scholars, has just been suppressed by a de-
cision of the Univer.ity, which, however, it is
hoped, will be repealed et least, if it it not the
result of a retrogade movement in the method. of -
teaching, which it is difficult to suppose.
'1 he Methodists in the Wesleyan connexion, at -•
Dias, had their annual musical meeting, for the be+ •
netit of their charity school, on Monday se'unight, -
Several amateur performers from Suffolk attended,
a.isouleinied by a strung band; an organ, the pm-
perty
of a geutlernan ut ltedgruve, was brought fur •
the occesimi, which was admirably played by Mr._
Lambert, of Bury; and some well-selected pieces of
sacred music and chorines were performed, to the
general satisfaction of a genteel and numerous com-
pany. Amongst the geutlemen who severally ad.
dressed the meeting in behalf of the institution were
the ltev. W. Ward, the Rev. W. Wilkes, the Rev.
W. W. Simpson, ate.
We gave some time ago en account of a bodies .
on Porto Rico. by a party of Buctiniers, together
with a proelsmatiets,isaued at the time when, having
but just wt foot on en obscure corner of the Wand, .
they impudently constituted it a republic. The re- •
suit of the enterprise, which we leant by letters-se •
the kWh of November from Havennale is /melt as
might have been expected. La Torre, the Governor
of the island, who Lad early and 'secret intelligence
•of their proceedings, marched down one morning In •
the spot they occupied, mad with a force of only ;Oa •
nice, sue:ceded in capturiug the whale party. it
iippeani that they had some partisans i:t the interior
of the bland, but who Lad been detected through
the vigilance of the Governor, and tile whole were
Le be tounght to trial.
The Rev. F. Franeklin, of Attleborougb, has re-
duced his tithes within the but two years from BO to •
S 5 pis• cent. which has given getieral swistiw•tiwt •
amongst hit parith,ei,ers.