The National Register.
London, England, 1814-02-20 00:00:00

TT! N‘TIONAL ItEGISTERs.

offices of bnsistess, adjoining a closet attached to the house-keeper's
aspartinent%. his closet was on. du two pair of stairs.
From the time of any Nserokbirat which it began, and. from the
instant burst of flame froM the back pert of the building, there can
be little doubt s•f the file having been slumbering iu a latent state
throughout the prineiNl part of the previous evening
The Porter of Ali Hinton was Ilse first person who discovered it.
If. was going. up *taint fo-r st key to admit hisw, as usual, to a part
of the house that communicated with the others, acrd when on the se•
frond floor he heard a crackling of fire, and saw a flame breaking from
the ; he iessonstly rwhed into the room, which was that in
which Colonel Kelly slept, whom he found standing by use bed
feet, the curtsies in is blaze, and the flame pouting from the absive
:pensioned closet. Hy this time the o hole room was on tire, and a
piiiikald had gil,en the alas in from the quay, towards which
the Windows of this room looked. The Porter proceeded to call up
the servants and the ta,,sily ; the Celrseel rats to a room adjoining
his own, which was flouting the street : be was ruiSeel by a ladder
With the greatest difficulty, and shockingly burnt in the face and
hands.
The account be gives is, that be was awakened by a smoke
vs Inds filled his room, and almost in a state of sidlecation he arose
and opened his closet. for the purpose of getting at his dressing
gown that lie might hasten to alarm the family ; but immediately
upon opeoing the closet, a volume of fl one burst flash-41w curtains
of the bed and those of the windows caught flue and thus encom-
passed with the blaze he was found by the porter. It appears that
in this closet there was formerly **fire-place, which, for a long
time. had beets boarded up, the hue of which was connected with
another in an office below.
The Miss NOVA most narrowly escaped, with only the covering
of blankets; and Captain Hinton Kelly made his way through the
fire with IPA sisters, in the Rinse unprovided state. Tic Captain
had bat the day b. tore reheated from Brighton, where he had been
fur the recovery of his health, which had suffered greatly in MISC.
vinare of lung service in the West Indies.
Two poor little of phans, whom Miss Kelly, with her wonted laud.
ness, had taken miller her protection. perished in the disuses.-a. The
'shrieks of .dins Kelly, it appears, hail awakened them, and the cook
of the establiAlinent, in making her eleapt to the top of the house,
passer' b; the door of the room in which these children slept ; she
threw it open, and called to them to " follow her instantly, 14 the
house was on fire." They answered " we will just put on our gowns,
and get away ;" but alas I the ninon, which was already filled with
smoke, burst into a flame, and it is concluded that when they strove
to make their way to l'ir staircase, they were overpowered by the
rapid progress of the fire, and were instantly mingled in the general
destruction. But He who is the father of-the fatherless, and the
protector of the orphan, has recorded their death in the mereifid
memorial of Hi. Ouiuiscience, as the wise, but isserutable, dispensa-
tion of His. Providence. •
Most of the servants had previously-fled to the top of the house,
from which they weer taken down by ladders.
The Colonel, at the moment, was carried to Mr. Lanham's, in
Itecr lane, and the injuries he has received make it dangerous to
remove him tOr the prv-esit ; this aided to a severe asthmatic
complaint which he eanglst in the retreat imcler Sir John Moore,
and which was much Piereased by the Walelwiert lever, renders
his recovery very doubtful. Miss Kelly and her tamily have lost
every part of their property its the house. Nothing was invited.
The fire. aecording to the report of the firemen, would have
bees; got make very soon, hot the explosion of the ennpoweler
having struck terror into thei men who worked the en; ices, they
Ned and left the dames for some time to rage sincontrouled. This
powder was fur the use of the %olunteer corps, and did not it is said
alllollllt to a larger quantity than ten or twelve pound* ; but the
assertion that there were as many barrels, threw an histaut panic
on all around, and throughout the ' neigls'sourbood. Cert4in,
however it is that had siet this explosion taken glare, the fi.e
would nut have sprcail. As Were is groat consolation in
knowing that maay 01 the important papers of this oftiee lease been
recovered ; and several chests of valuables, with the principal
vs conk, 11.IVti been saved. Nis delay will take place in the prove,s
of business.
Although the damage and inenevenience arising Irons Psis run-
fleu,,tation have been nicalcidable, sill iaa lit nut been r the esier-
lions of Messrs. Drinkalibe Santis, gedwick, and Linglam, the
spread of the fire, and its con•equeut havoc, lutist Leen far
greater than what ha.; ocenred. 'lnc latter pruventeci
the could sgratiao fruits soreading np Kerr-laue, by his judicious
applicatiou of wet blankets to his warrhosae, which was immedi_
Atli)* 0111,0.,11C tl.) the Cusums-house. He and his two sous were at

FEB. 20,

work the whnit day in endeavouring to prevent thin VI areltuitse
from taking file, and it was with the utmost difficulky that they
happily aecolopli.lied their pm pose:
We hear that the insurance on the Cu•tom house amounts to
00,0 m. I. _ _

An old Clerk made ninny efforts in the coarse of Saturday,
to force his way through the cuinik, to the place where he
usually officiated. He was sore that sonic of hi• pipers, from the
rare he had taken its their deposit, wonl.l he form(' safe, could be
only eel to the spot. On Sunday, with 54)1114- Wu: Linen. be .nc-
eeeded in getting thronels the ruins from the side vest the rivet.
The pick-axe at list struck on an iron elle.t—the rubbish was
cleared away, the key introduced and out came lour hundred
kninms. which the clerk carried ott in his hat.
The first Custom house built in Loilltion was in 1559, '225 years
ago ; it was burnt down in 1718, and rebuilt the same 'ear ; anti it
was on Saturday, 12th of February, again totally consume(' by fits
The first Custom-louse, therefore 3tuod 159 years ; the seccutly
stood 9d years.
The goods which have been destroyed, consisted almost enSirely
of seized and contraband property ; so that, except tie
the hiss to individuals will not be very great. In the store-rooms
of the east wing we understand we, e depoited quantities of Ftencli
silks, gloves, laces, beads, cambries, India handLerchiefs. do ; wkitee
the west wine contained packages of porerlaine and ()tiler substan-
tial merehandize. The great opening tnr the budding of the New
Cmtimi House may he considered to have eaiked the preservation
of many of the houses west of Water lane.
The actual loss to Government by the sudden destruction of the
Custom-house cannot be calcidated ; books, bonds, debenture 4,
pearl 4, cored, valuable property of every description, and securities
ot all kinds have been consmned. Business i 4, and must remain
quite at a stand-still for some tune ; numerous vessels ready to sail
cannot clear on t, and, consequently the injury to the mercantile
world will he most severe and distressing. The private property
lost within the building is very considerable. We have heard of
several Gentlemen who had left large sinus of money in their desks,
ready to make payments on the following day. One Gentleman
lass lost upwards of six thousand pounds in bald:4;oles, which will
be irrecoverable, as the nremorandrun of the number+ was in the
desk with the notes, and met this fate.
A very tine collection of pictures, which the Commissioners
had permitted a Gentleman to leave in deposit till it would be
convenient for him to pay the duties, amounting to 1,5001, is
destroyed. A very genteel yonne than, in appearance, was stop-
ped by some Police Officers, in Thames street, and on searching
him Ids pockets and breeches were fund to be stuffed with
coral beads, silk handkerchiefs, and other valuables of small
.bulk. It appeared that his boldness in venturing nearer the
gmmpowder than even the firemen dared to do, bad enabled blue is
obtain this booty.