The Sun.
London, England, 1853-11-25 00:00:00

VESSELS SPOKEN WITH.

The Beaufort, London to Jamaica, Oct. 23, lat. 25 N.,
long. 33 W.
The Strange, Swansea to Trinidad, Nov. 10, lat. 38 N.,
long. 1:3 W.
The Eliza (ship), Sept. 17. lat. 35 S., long. 24 E.
The Gloucester (ship), Sept. 26, lat. 21 S.
The Blenheim (ship), Oct. 7, lat. 1 S., long. 20 W.
The Dunrobin Castle, Oct. 14, lat. 10 N., long. 23 W.;
Ann Thompson, same day.
The Nelson (barque), Oct. 26, lat. 34 N., long. 38 W.
The Persia, Nov. 9, lat. 45 N., long. 19 W.
The Mary, Liverpool to Melbourne, Nov. 13, lat. 50 N.,
long. 10 W.
The Hausbery, Demerara to London, Nov. 6, lat. 41 N.,
long. 31 W.

MIRACULOUS ESCAPE OF SEVEN PERSONS FROM BEING
BURNED TO DEATH.—Yesterday morning, about half-
past three o'clock, a fire of a very alarming and destruc-
tive character, and nearly attended with the loss of seven
lives, happened in the premises belonging to Mrs. Law-
rence, a laundress, carrying on business at No. 1, Park-
place, Lock's-fields, Newington. The discovery was
made by a police-officer of the P division, who, in pa-
trolling his beat, perceived smoke issuing from the lower
part of the house. The officer at once raised an alarm,
and after some troubles he succeeded in arousing the
inmates, consisting of Mrs. Lawrence, her sister, and
five children ; but by the time that could be accom-
plished the lower portion of the house was wrapped
in flames, and the fire was seizing upon the upper
floors, at which period the whole of the inmates
were nearly stifled with heated smoke. At that
conjuncture nothing short of the destruction of the seven
persons in the house could be expected, when a police-
officer of the P division rushed into the premises, and by
great exertion succeeded in rescuing the whole of the
residents. The engines of the London Brigade and
West of England office were sent for and they soon
attended, when the firemen found an abundant supply
of water flowing from the mains of the Lambeth Com-
pany. Not a moment was lost in setting the machines
to work, and under the direction of Messrs. Henderson,
Hambleton, and Connorton, the firemen laboured inces-
santly, and at length succeeded in getting the mastery
over the flames, but not until the premises in which the
misfortune commenced were gutted and the contents
consumed. Unfortunately Mrs. Lawrence had the
linen of several families to wash in her possession, the
whole of which has been reduced to ashes The inmates,
when rescued, had nothing on beyond their night things,
and before they could walk the street they were forced
to borrow clothes of some of the neighbours. It is to
be regretted that the poor widow was not insured for a
single penny. By some accident the escapes of the
Royal Society for the Protection of Life from Fire were
not called until the return of the engines, and had it
not been for the exertions rendered by the police seven
persons must have perished.
DEATHS AT MIDDLESEX HOUSE OF CORRECTION.—
Yesterday Mr. Wakley held an inquiry at the House of
Correction, Coldbath-fields, touching the deaths of Henry
Gouyn, aged 55, formerly overseer of the extensive
printing establishment known as Beaufort House,
Stiand, and John Thomas, aged 45, both prisoners
under sentence from the Old Bailey.—The Coroner re-
marked that eight or ten years ago it was ascertained, by,
means of an inquiry like the present, that the prisoners'
diet was insufficient, and that it did not consist of the
materials of which it should chemically consist in order
to preserve health. The matter c true under the notice
of the visiting magistrates, and able medical men were
examined. The diet was changed, and since that time
the health of the inmates had been extraordinary. Out
of between 1300 and 1,400 prisoners, there had not been
twelve deaths during the year, a circumstance wh'o'a
was in the highest degree creditable to the establishment.
Evidence was then given showing that the deceased had
both died from natural causes, and that they had re-
. _ _

ceived the kindest possible treatment. Verdicts to that
effect were therefore returned.