The National Register.
London, England, 1814-02-13 00:00:00

l'ltE NATIONAL REGISTER.

FEB. 1.

.~~.

BURNING OF 'UTE CUSTOM 'MUSE.

We have the melancholy task oirecording. a heavy calamity which ,
occurred yesterday moll:log, aid which has occasioned the greatest
conswernition and contosion. About six in the morning a most
dreadthi tire burst ont from the west wine of the. Custom-honsc.
and, within a very short time, ragedAvilli inconceivable fury. MI
our readers know how narrow That»es-street is in that part where
the Custom-Roust stands. The flames soon caught the house g oppo-
rite, filled with sugar mid rum. The rum blew up With a tremend•
tjut4 explosion about hilt' past nine o'clock: The roofs were blown
Of and scattered to a considerable distance ; the houses near were
materially injured ; and the windows broken in every house in Evst
Cheap and frr a quarter or a mile round. The ponds on the wharf
are nearly al! destroyed. Suveral lives aic said to have beeu lost
and snore calamitous eonseqoences are apprehended. The city is in
the greatest anxiety and alarm on lieeount of there being an im-
mense titlitotity ofAtippiou in the River just untie polio of sailing:
For the first time almost, those brave and useful body of men,
tlne firemen were daunted. They dared not approach sufficiently
to-or to play oti part of
.the Wilding, because there arc 18 barrels of
gunpowder laying there, the explosion of which is apprehended.

FURTH ER PA IMCVLA RS.

The fire commenced in the appall went of Anis Kelly, the Home-
ecuer, but supposed to be occupied by her brother, who sleeps in
the house. Upon the tin,t alarm of fire, he hurried tip to his sister
Miss Kelly, ard she was itr such a senseless state from the fright,
that her brother, with !teat difficulty, got her out of the house
without any clothine. Kelly" himself was carried away in
e. blanket, revs. Inuch scorched, nod' they were both carried away
to the Rev. Mr. Whi oo "Paw<l. Hill. Col. Kelly bad just
teen titling himself out for the West Indies, and hag lost all his
property. r"Many of Ns books and papers would have been saved
bat for the constant alarm of the :!xplosion of the gunpowder he-
innoniz to the port.
About twenty minutes before ten the explosion took place (about.
two It:arils anti a halt), which <•.rried mans, buckets as far as ILl-
liu2state : only one Mall hurt io the Lead by the explosion.

A m0r0..,..•t the books a;:t1 ppperi *natelnil front de-truelion, the
first wvie ttu beloirjint: to lw office. they being con-
veyed out of the windows (I that otfire luta lizliter: co the quay.
111 the Land Surveyors' (Mkt-, a few hooks ako were s;t d.
the Sretet.%ry's (Iti'ee, Icing adjoitlint: to the tion,ekeeper'4
Office, it i< supposed thit no papers are saved. atilt eft.etpiciitly
that uta.ty important papers Itelcn:fin!: to tit:. Court !loud ()Hire
are entirely dcstrayed. lii the Lew, 11:70ni, ;he hootz.q pod Yeme of
the papers (if the Collectors f.l!:ward were saved, but those of the
Collectors jnw.ird are de;trrvett,

Upon Rome or the (;ontnl.ksiOT!erc astcroblin7,, they immediately
returned to thc !souse of their Seere:ary on Tower-hill, and they are
vow deliberating tur or/lip:vim! as. a Oare for trant,aeting business,
the King's Arms. opposPe Holl cf.d Coffee-bonse. The tide was
running bkb, and n any anoi!, are sayud by lighters near the wharf,
It is suppoieil the loss to Government will be immense, the bonds
!wing all deoroyvd.
whnie Cuctoln.hon,:e is now down except
the front wall. Two houses at c burnt down opposite, and twelve
more partially.

. l ti)

During the suspense of exertion to stop the plogrrs.stellie fl.tiates,
the warehouses in Globe yard, On the oppa,ite stile of Thanies-streett
took fire, and were s Jon int'ulved in the devouring : and while
we ore writing this account tipwards of ten botse; crc bernine tl. the
ground without the hope of it t,eiiige of them twine saved. ThePac-
ifier' have, however, venittred again tb, approach the foe, and the in:
pines are playing ; but the report u(. theta Lettie still more eutwou tic?
to explode prevents the exertions of many that would oiler wise bte y
usefully employed. •
Tucice oclor.k.—Sitice writing the abore, we lvve a report from a
Person who has ,t.ett -the fire, 1.:;40:11,.tt boat on ;
the rep irt of the entire of the Cii,tem htise being de,troyetl,
adds, that it lifts not extended to env of the large ware looe•es which ley
towards tower•hill ; nor 1145 it extended to the wlinris or cranes on the
Custom-house Quay.
MrY-past Twelre.—The fire in the warelintises rippoite the Cnstom-
house is considerably got ender, and the engines appear to prevett the
further pmgress of the flames.
We hear that two lives have been lost, and th.it several accide:,ts
were occasioned by the explosion.
The fire is reported to have broke nut iu the Housekeeper's room.

Nine o'Cloek, Snteirday.Erening.—At this hoar, the fire, thongis
in general got under, was raging on the side of the street facitig4lM
Customhouse, having come in contact with a cellar, helon!! ttg to
a public-house, which contained a quantity of spirits. The East
India-house Voluntteri were still stationed at the varions avenues
leading to the original scene of conflagration; and the• Tower
lets' were in readiness. to render their assist:Awe, if required, during
the night. It IA not expected, indeed, that this dreadtal foe cal
he.completely extinguished in less than a fortnight from this time !
Very eonfiderable damage has, of course, been doge ; so that the
demands upon different Fire-Offices will prove heavy.
IVithout the least warning, this conflaLration broke out, in Hi
blaze, at six o'clock this morning ; and, besides the accidents urea.
'ioned by the explosion, Iwo females, inhabiting the Hamar/ices
apartments, have perished ! It:numeral)lt: accidents have certa:iq
happened. •
It is understood that the Custom Hume itself is insured, at the
Simile: Office, to the amount of 100,0001.
In order that pnislie business might not he ‘shells stopped, the-
Commercial Hal!, in Mincing-latie, has been engaged, pro ionport,
for the purpose of carrying on the, important cope. rns of the
tom. I iottFc.

We have jest been informed, that the two telltales who le.ve pe-
rished, weie the servants, and not the Miss Kell's as reported. Ti's
mother of cite of the unfortunate girls wa:: hur...t to death s:onic yea:*
sioce ; aiia the mother of the housekeeper met her death in a t
milar manner.