The Sun.
London, England, 1808-09-22 00:00:00

THE DREADFUL FIRE,

CORONER'S INQUEST. -
Yesterday an Inquisition was taken at the Bri-
tannia in Covent-garden, beftte ANTHONY_ CULL,
Coroner for the City and Liberties of Westmin-
ster, on the bodies of the unfortunate persons killed:
aethe fire which destroyed Covent-garden Theatre.
'olc2ll two o'clock the Coroner attended, and .the
Jury were sworn. They then proceeded Co inspect
the bodies. They went first and viewed that of
Mr. James, lying at his lodgings, in York-street.—
They then proceeded to St. Paul's Church, where
they examined the bodies of eleven persons, viz.
Richard Cadgill, J. Holmes; J. Hunt; Win. Jones,
J. Evans, James Crab, T. Mead, Win. Wriggles,
worth, and john Eilby, and two unknown. It is
impossible to describe the situation of the bodies,'
nearly burned to cinders, the flesh parted from the
bones. The Coroner, who, from his situation, has
been obliged to examine the bodies of many persons
:killed by accident, declared he never witnessed any
thing so horrid. At three o'clock they returned to
.the Britannia.

The first witness examined was William Addicott,
one of the stage-carpenters of the Theatre. He
stated, that be left the Theatre about half past I
o'clock, and went home. AbOut four o'clock on
Tuesday morning, Mr. Carmichael, a baker, rung
at his bell, and informed him that the Theatre was
on fire. He immediately got up, and hastened to
the Theatre, which he found in a complete blaze.
Shortly after several engines arrived, and. but few
persons were colleaed on the spot. It was found
impratlicable TO work the engine belonging to the
Theatre at first. The Treasury door and the Piazza
door were broke open, and one of the Phoenix fire-
engines was run up the passage, just withinside the
Piazza door, where there was a large reservoir of
water; upwards of twelve persons were working the
engine, and just beyond them, further up the eas-
, sage, were several of the firemen; seeing that the
'tooth called the ApollO room, and the inside of the
audience part of the Theatre was on fire, and likely
to fall, in, the witness advised the men of their dan-
eq,,nbserving, that they must inevitably be burnt,
ag the fire was rapidly approaching the Garden.
Upon which the firemen sold the witness. " to
lewd his own busineSs." To avoid the danger, the
witness instantly left 'the place arid went round to
the Bow-street door ; from what he had since un-
derstood, the fire, .as it was supposed, began about
the centre of the house. He 'after wards was told
several, Men had been killed by the lalling of the
timbers, which happened shortly after" he glutted the
Piazza door. This witness stated, that there was a
Watchman regularly appointed to watch the interior
-of the Theatre, but that when the alarm was first
givett',- the people could not make him hear, and it
was imagined he must have fallen asleep ; he how-
.
everlafter wards escaped.
Wu." Darby, one oi the firemen in the employ
of the Eagle insurance Office, was present when the
unfortunate persons were taken out of the fire.—
When he firt arrived at the Theatre, the engine
worked at Bow-street side of the douse. This was
about six o'clOck. ..Afterl.vards, on coming round
to the Piazza side, be heard the crash, of a wall
falling, this was near eight o'clock ; he immediately
ran up to the door which leads to the boxes; the
outer great doors were halt closed; he assiStod in
clearing away the heavy wood which had fallen on
the engine, and buried both it and the persons
working it in burning ruins. Water-from buckets
was thrown upon the ruins ; they then set about
digging tor the dead bodies, and half an hourelaPsed
before they could get at them ; the first they drew
out was a man in his shirt; in another quarter, how,
ever, they succeeded in getting out two more bo-
dies, and then drew out the engine, when they
saw .Kiloy, the fireman, laying alongside the engine,
and then one atter another drew out, in the whale,
nitie dead bodies, when the witness, from fatigue,
was obliged to quit the place. He understood that
some more were afterwards taken out.
This was the substance of the evidence to sheW
the Manner in which the unfortunate perions came
by their deaths.
Addicott was asked, as to there being gunpowder
in the Heine, it haling been reported that several
explosions were heard ; but' he, as Well. as other
persons belonging to the Theatre, to the satisfac-
tion of the Jury, stated, that there Was not more
.
than three pounds weight on the premises, and that
was kept in.a cellar distioa from the Theatre.

Jary,• upon 010, whole of the evidence, re-
.turned. a verdit, thaf-the fonbmilrig per Ons, viz. .

• • .
R.,; Cadger, , I. Crabb,
I. H I Holmes, T.•• Mead
I
1.. Hunt, ' W. Wriggi.csworth,
W.. luaus, . I. Kilby, and
I. 4vap,.. Thomas lames, ,

And two others (names unknown), in all twelve per,-
sons, write, billed « Accidentally by
.the falling of
the Apallo•Rooni, at Covent-Garden,Theatre:"

Another Tnqucst was yesterday evening held upon
the bodies of John Sayers and John Beaumont, of the
Phinix Office, the. latter of whom died yesterday
morning • and
,Robert Hewett, a Glazier, belonging
to the iheatte. These three bodies were at Bar-
tholomew's Hospital.

Twenty-four Jurymen were present. •
William Henderson, a fireman 'belcinging to the
Phomik Fire-Office, living in Little Carter-lane,
Do6tors'-Commons, identified John Sayers, .aS be
v
lOnhin to his office. Witness stated, that, on Tues-
,
OAy tinornlug last, he attended the fire at Covent-
'rden Theatre, On the side of the Piazza ;he
perceived the dobrs shut-to with' great violence ;
he be4,d an explosion Of gun-powder, and a great
crash, which proceeded from the falling of a stack
orehimnies, which, brought down 'the areh, and
buried a great number of persons under its ruins.—
Witness assisted in getting out several of the un-
happy sufferers, whi,Lwere in a most dreadful state ;
the bodies lay in different postures---some.on their
sides, with their legs drawn up; the flesh was burn-
ed off from several parts of their bodies. He assisted
in conveying those who were first taken out to Mr.
Huisou's, Surgeon, in James-street, Covent-Gar-
:4.o, who dressed their wounds.
William Henderson, son to the above witness,
-akt,' on Tuesday morning he was standing by the
Phenix engine, which was under the Piazza, in
Covent-garden. Witness perceived a great body of
smoke corning out of the Theatre-door, and a great
number of prisons rUklllilltZ towards him. They

hppeared to be ediniog d6t df the Th6tii;
faces were covered with dirt. Witness ran away,
and saw no more.

Benjamin Brooks, belonging to the Plic'!nix 'Fire-
OfEce, and living in Ivy-lane, identified Robert
Hewitt, who was a bugle-inan belonging to the
Duke of Cumberland's sharpshooters, and by trade
a plumber and gh4ier. .Witneis stated, on Tues-
day morning last, about five o'clock, he attend-
ed with his engine at the Piazza (icor -of. Co-
vent-garden Theatre, and 'with the assistance of
fourteen or fifteen of his comrades he got the en-
gine up the steps of the gateway, into the • passage,
and took it close to. the tank, which was near
.the archway on the right side of the,door. Several
-other persons came in at the time; some fromrcu-
:riosity, and others to assist to work the
There might be fifteen or sixteen people eti each
• side of„it at work. One of them he noticed to be a
butcher's boy. After having.played for some time,
a carpenter belonging to the Theatre said to him,
Do you know. what you are Working. under ?
is our carpenter's shop, and it is in a body of fire."
Witness removed the engine trbm that place, and
„..went part of the way up the stairs, in order to see
in What state the fire, Vas; the heat was 'So power-
ful, he carne down inimediately, and went out
into the air to recover himself. Hewitt, the de-
-ceased, was at that time standing cruse to the door,
inside of the passage. Witness- Instantly heard a
great crash, as proceeding from the fall of a stack of
chimnies, and, at the same.tithe, as he thought, the
report of gunpowder. At that instant the deceaSed
and several other persons were thrown oil the out-
side With great violence, and the door shut-to. He
instantly proceeded, with the assistance of others, to.
break open the door, and brought fitieenor sixteen
'persons out alive, but dreadfully scorched. He
did not think the Men that were taken out
' had been shut in above five minutes. It was up-
wards of three hours before they could attempt
effeCtually to remove the *rubbish, amongst which
were several stoves. The engine was etitirely con-
sumed, and near the place where it stood were
eleven dead bodies; laid in two or three different
-piles, fohn'Beaumont, the-third perion, had been
identified by his fr:ends; but they did not conic for-
ward to—give evidence; he also belonged to the
Phoenix Fire-office.

The Jury. returned a verdict ofAccidental Death.
' Inquests were also held at the other Hospitals and
places to which the other dead bodies were carried.
-The'eVidente was the same as 'that adduced before
I° the. Coroner of Westminster. • the 'three men, be,
longing to the Phoenix; who were sent to St.-Tho-
Mas's Hospital; are in a'fair way of recovery.
Of the 'mangled persons sent to the Hospit;il, the
following expired in the ccitirse Of the day: Richard
Bird, Coaclnaker; John Sayers, Engineer of the
engine 3 Mr. Harris, ot. Hyclesi eet, a young
man; abOut 20, and a member *of the Bloolothbry
Vtilunteer Corps ; and Mr. James, an Attorney ; he
had only arrived in town trom Wales, about a week
ago, and lodged at the house of Mr: Watkins, Tailor,
York-street, Covent-Garden. Among those in a
• dangerous state at the Hospitals, are, Peter Fish,
- fireman of the- Phcenix Office. •A 'man brought into
the Piazza Coffee-house, with his arm burnt, was in
• such 'agony, that,- mad.l,Vith pain, lie tore the flesh
• down to the wrist. He was tent toßltthotoulew's
.1-Ic4pital-in a most deplorable SiLitt.'

It is somewhat curious as well as fortunate that
What was intended for the security of Covent Gar-
dn Theatre saved the Bedford CA: fee-house from
the tate Which destroyed the former. A fire having
broken out a short tune ago in a cientleinau's cham-
ber in that Hotel, it was extinguished with con-
siderable difficulty, and the proprietors of coVent
Garden Theatre, 23 a sectuity of. their property,
should any accident of a similar. nature happen in
future, caused a party-wall to be built between the
two premises. By this, party-wall, which was built
to protc& the Playhouse in case of a fire breaking
out in the Hotel, the latter, has now been. saved
from the ravages of the conflagration, to Which the
.former fell a prey.
Nothing has yet been discovered, that will account
for the origin of the dreadtui fire which has pro-
duced the destrutioupro-
duced of Covent. Garden Theatre;
but one circumstance ought- 40 be mentioned, as it
may atiord some clue- to inquiry. It was observed"
by the Performers in the Little.Gteen-room, during
the whale of the evening, that a remarkable degree
of heat prevailed, ition:u.:ll tha t. many of them were
actually obliged to qua the place.- This
,peculiar
heat was obviously nut the effeCt of any unusual con-
course of people in the room, and therefore,the cause
of it requires investigation.
We know, from the best authority, that the in-
surance for Covent Garden Theatre, and its multi-
farious and ,valuable contents, hardly exceeds. a
fourth part of the property destroyed. The British
Fire-Ottioe.does not suifel• at.all by this melancholy
event, as we understand that some tiMe ago it bad
declined all conneaion with property of that de-
scription.
_ _ _

TAvLon, of the Opera House, has acted in
such a _manner respelling the •dreadful calamity at
Covent-Garden Theatre, as entitles him- to public
resped. As soon as he heard of the melancholy
event, he wrote to Mr. GRAHAM, the Magistrate,
requesting that that Gentleman would immediately
,see Mr. HARRIS, and tender the Opera House, and
every thing belonging to it, for his use, Mr,
GRAHAM, of course, lost not a moment in .com-
mtinicating this liberal offer, and matters were
mediately put in train for opening the Opera 'House,
in order to give employment and support to the vast
number of inferior performers and retainers of the
demolished Theatre, most of whom:were, by this
lamentable catastrophe, reduced to very great dis-
tress. - ,'„

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.---A man of the name of
Wn. Bembridge was charged with stealing, a trunk,
containing apparel ;from Salter's Coffee-house, duritag
the fire on Tuesday morning. The prisoner was
stopped with the property in Oxiordr-Market, by a
constable, on suspicion,, and, on opening the trunk,
it was discovered to. belong; to some person at. the
Coffee-house, by some papers: The Owner was
traced to be a servant at the Coffe.se-house; and she
lost the property whilst in the hurry to get part cif
the goods out of the house. The prisoner gave a
curious description how he became possessed of the
trunk, and latterly said it was given hiin by a wo-
man of the town, whom he could not ' find. He
was remanded tor another examination. -

co..i:P-LA01?4,114103vs

. ,
06 ,destroyed
Drury -lane Theatre was built 1.1.;;
by flue 16772; rebailt 104 ; pulied &wit) 1;9 t.;
rebuilt 1794.. . . . - .. •
poveut.skalden Theatre was built 1'7.12; chi:e-gel,
1795'; .(Aitipyed by fire.' Spg.
' (40,,,1ipoUse, Rayrmirket, opened 1704 ; Imlrtit
--,I • .L 2. .1.
down 1,;7439 ; the foundation of a nev.' o:.n laid 17-.19-
. Pantlieon, Oxford-street, opened 17f2 ; cl.l:;vvrt-
ed to an Opera-house 1784 ; burnt -down i `.-,
Astly!s Amphitheatre burnt
down
Oil thet•lslke
of York's birth-night, 1794 5 rebuilt, at 1.. writ'i;
down a second time in 180.3. . •:.• '

Royal Ci►Cus des►royed by fire on the Printe or
Wales's. Birthday, I 806. •

It has been' erroneously surmised that tlu, fire • :7t
Covent-Garden Theatre might have been occasiOrYe-4
by a part, of the wadding from the:. guns discharged
in the performance of Pizatro. the truth is, • that-
nothing but paper is employed for wadding, and just
as inucit i s used as Will serve to keep in the pn,vitti-.
ReOple also were
.always stationed to obviate a;1
danger upon such occasions.

We are much gratified in seeing that the hint
which we suggested in our first account of the dread-
ful conflagrationat Covent-Garden Theatre, has Wen
. adopted, and that a subscription has been announced,
.by adVertisements, for the relief of the numerous
sufferers..by that deplorable catastrophe.
One of the greatest losses occasioned by the fatal
event at Covent-garden Theatre, tedanse it is of an
irreparable nature, is that of the manuscript music.
There were original scores. of Flasior“„ rln.sTE, and
other celebrated composers, that were never printed,
:and of which there are no copies extant. Tilos,. 0,-
, HANDEL in particular were composed for the Theatre
.in. Lincoln's Inn Fields, and came as heir-looms-Jo
the proprietors of the Original patent. •
Ntw THEATRE.—The dreadful ealamit*-
.Wlita' has.'iaken plflee at Covent-Garden Theatre,
reriderVineeessary that the utmost care' glionid
tdit'in the constill6tion of new edifice. of the
• •
same kind, and therefore we readily adopt Ike
•lowing hints, which have been suggested on the Ce-
casion.' In the first plce- the new Theal fc should he
'insulated;, the very 'chief consideration of the Pro-
prietor should be, thitt no exterior building of any
deseriptitm should be attached to it; that in its fornf-
ation' it should consist of one coinpletc edifice, whe-
ther square, quadrangular, or circular; as .by that
means, in case of the calamity Of fire, the engines
would have free and easy lICC3BS to all parts of the
exterior added to which; there.sho.4d be small re.
Serithirak.kf water at angles qn the roof, aculated to
'inundate at will, aiid pour their contents wherever
-copfbigratinn should pret,ent itself; for' which
piaie they should have conannicqtiOn vt'it)i all
of the interior the- how. As ti`YiTic size of the
-.building, that is best estimated by that of the edi-
fice just burnt, which was really quite eapaCions
enough. Any -thinT smaller [night be disadvan-
tageous to,the Proprietors; but certainly any thing
larger would he' incommodiouS to the Public. The
• egress and ingress of. the, Theatre should be I;ef..
fectly apt ; at all events, the pasages for•veitling
the various parts Of the Boxes, Pit, and Galleries,
should -be' suffiei6try nnmerons, that, in case of
accident oectirling: :iring the performance, the
shoUld be enabled to make their escape
' with 'all • the faCility and quiAness possible.—
This would at all times be desirable, inasmuch as
"speedy W,Ay of getting oticat night is sought for on
all occasions by the audience. For the purpose,
therefore, of having a safe'and.cOnplcte Theatre, it
should stand uneonneded with any other building.
And as it is understood that 'already several of the
buildings 'surrounding the scite of the late Theatre
belong lii 'the Proprietors, we • would suggest the
pibstifi etf of an application. to Parliament for the
t •
-purchase of the remainder, and so afibrd an oppor-
. lamity of ereding an edifice on the plan here sub-
mitted, Which the public health, safety, and conve-
nience so much require. But the choice of an Ar-
chiteEt is the great preliminary question. As a
Theatre is a • national concern, and as it is to be
hoped that the new one will be constructed in such
a manner as to secure it, as far as human caution
and skill can afford security, against the peril which
has• destroyed the old one, no pitiful consideration
• of mere. ceconomy., no partiality, no bias cf friend-
Mil,lo'Sordid interest, should prevail on this ocea-
-sibni. "The Atchited seleeted ought to he -a roan
of first-rate talents, to whose genius, knowledge,
• ability,' and 'experience, the* members of his owu
profession look, with reaped, and on whose "pre.ell-
- the public can, of course, with confidence
rely.

• .
'A girl of
.anout- -14 'years.-of age, daughter of
Thomas Stephens, of Trcthuigey, in St. Aus'tell,
was sent by her mottle!, on Twes:l4•mUrilin4
to milk tha eoWS,' and 'staying 'longer than was ne-
cessary, lier mother went in search of her; but 'IV hilt
was her astonislitnen;t when, upon opening'the Statile
dopr,' 'she finind- Fa daughter hanging qui!e
dead ditlicUrtto :conceive- what Could have
tempted thrS'pe'ior yoting•Creature.to commit sd
ritile an a6t. 'Tie-Cortint...e's Inquest: produced a ver-
diet of Insanity.' •
Early:y.eterday morning an unfortunate PCCiderit
happened llyde Park. A party of the Duke •of
tUMI3ERLAND'S Rifle Corps were. firingball, and one
of:theitt(a bugle man) was shoi whild'stancing near
tatget. The fog, very thick, pre-
tetttedr the person„ who' fired at 120 yards, frn-in
taking aim. The wound is not mortal.
' On Wednesday week a barber; in. Castle. street,
Inverness, • for a trifling wager, drank twp..Euosh.
pints of whiskey, which in a.few hours occasion,ed
death. Hellas left a wife.. And family.
The Duke of BEAUFOI-VeS'-sonS.lnake better 5
mersets than the best tumblers at Sadler's Wtii,s
and Lord. HARROWEY is a better ilyaat than a New-
market jockey. The :Karl of 'STAMFORD'S eldest
son was Gtey befOre he was ten years.of ; and
the k 4 op of- CLONFERT will be Young as long as
• ihe getting of the tolls of .RinglesCross
•
pike Road, Sussex,.. on Monday last, prodtitcd a 'fa-
mous competition, the bidders being in number tour-
' teen ! The tolls-Were,- in consequence, knocked
• down at a very considerable advance on the lust
year's letting,