The Sun.
London, England, 1824-11-20 00:00:00

THE THENTRES.

Dautor-LAtte.—The opera of Der Fries.
chute and the ballet of Cinderella, were followed
last night by The Children in the Wood. Mr.
ELLISTON resumed the part of Walter, in which
he was formerly much distinguished, and it is
but justice to state, that he exerted himself with
equal energy, and powerfully interested the feel-
ings of the audience.
CovvvT-GAnnEs.—The sterling old comedy
of 24 tilimtan Never Vcrt, which has been so ju-
diciously revived, went off with unabated success
last night, and is so admirably supported by the
Perfor►ners in general, that it is likely to prove a
favourite throughout the season.

FIRE AT M. RICIIAILD CARLILE'S,

BOOKSULLEIti IMEET.STRENT.

This morning, between seven and eight o'clock,
the cry of " Fire, Fire," was heard from the first and second
floor windows of Mr. Carlile's house, at the corner of Bride's.
passage, and adjoining the site of the very late destructive fire.
The smoke was seen issuing from the shop door and windows,
and the smell of fire Was very strong. The inmates, who were
only just up, were so much alarmed, owing to the thick smoke
rushing up stairs, and the lower part being in darkness, that
they were fearful of venturing down, and, to escape the dread.
fill element, they got on the roof of the house ; but here their
situation was if possible more terrifying ; the house stood
alone ; it was a corner house ; and the house on the other
side, Mr. Mammas, hair-dresser, stood a perfect skeleton,
the roof Ail interior being burned in the late fire.—
However, several enciines which (in consequence of the fires that
happened in that neighbourhood) were on the spot, arrived in
a few minutes. The shop-door was forced open, and a plentiful
supply of water being obtained, they poured in a deluge, and
in less than half an hour all danger from fire subsided.—
Some of the inmates escaped by a ladder at the first floor
window, and the rest, on being assured that the danger
was over, ventured to come down stairs. The injury sus-
tained Li), the fire is but inconsiderable, but the damage
done by the water is very great; the whole of the stock
in trade which was in the back shop are totally spoiled and ren-
dered useless; the furniture also received great injury from the
water, and removing: nothing escaped except a few hooks and
pamphlets, which were in the small front shop, together with
the statue of Thomas Paine. From inquiry we learn that the
fire originated from the burning ruins of' Mr. Maumee
house, the fire getting the ough the lower part of the
wall of Mr. It. Carlile's house, and communicating to the
boards of the ground floor, anti counter, and from that to
several books and piles of paper. Ilad it happened during the
night the consequences must have been dreadful. At eleven
o'clock the engines continued playing on the ruins of the ad-
joining houses, the loose timbers of which laying scattered about,
took fire afresh and burned like a furnace.

Bilmsu MUSEUM.—The first of the immense
columns designed by Mr. SMIRKE for the inte-
rior of the King's Library, was delivered at the
new building yesterday ; they are of the red
Peterhead granite, and the shafts (2.1 feet six
inches long, in one piece. It is intended to have
them highly polished, and as they are the pro-
duce of our own country, and superior to any
brought from Egypt and deposited at the Mu-
seum, they are interestiug in a national point of

view.
The Royal Society resumed its sittings o
Thursday evening,
attended. Sir nuatettaY DAs!'which was very numerously
presided, and
announced the resignation of Mr. TAYLOR
CoomnE, one of the Secretaries, from indisposi-
tion. A communication was also read, stating the
complete success, on an extended scale, of the
Learned President's experiments in preserving
the copper of ships' bottoms.
The Pupils of the Royal Academy of Music
be preteat at: the extraordinary musical per‘
formance of Der Freisehult, ut Drury-lanr
Theatre, this evening, for which purpose four
boxes have been taken, under the sanction of Sir
A. I. BARNARD, K.C.B.
The Theatre at Whitehaven was opened on
Monday, the Bth instant, hay Mr. MuNao, for-
merly of the Newcastle company.
WONDERFUL BALLOON.—The Courier de la
Meuse speaks of an air balloon contrived by the celebrated
physician Robertson, by which a person might visit all parts
of the globe. This astonishing machine, which its inventor
will call the Minerva, will, when it shall be raised from the
stocks, be 150 feet in diameter, and capable of raising 72,954
killogrammes, or 149,037 French pounds. It will carry 60
persona, provisions fir five or six months, furniture of all kinds,
instruments of natural philosophy, of natural history, &c. The
machine will consist of a balloon, containing 1,767,150 cubic
feet of hydrogen gas, and of a vessel furnished with its cordage
and rigging, and weighing 80,537 pounds. It is supposed that
the completion of this aerial building will be retarded for some
time on account of the want of the sinews of every enterprize—
money.
TURNING SUPERSTITION TO ACCOUNT.—AbOUI
twelve years since a band of impostors, the greater parted their
from
y
the Canton of Zurich, and some from Ark y, employ
induste by way-laying
y
of hill' the popular
it)ruelaasruercresthil mise of a discovery )Iyitythteinldnetrlstthaebspzi
and superstitious means. The ceremonies
of the Catholic reli-
gion, the infernal mysteries, the invocation' •
of
spirits the ap-
parition of spectres—in short, every thing as Icalculated'
to excite the imagination of the multitude. ThlisseYlorr
So-
ciety underwent a sort of organization. Their agents horrible
every where distributed. One played the part of a priest; an-
other figured away as a spectre; some had to personate his In-
fernal Majesty ; others turned their industry into another chan-
nel, and amused themselves by coining false money. Mean-
while, such has been the credulity of the populace during 12
years, that this gang, exercising their infamous trade with im-
punity, have been fbr the most part successful throughout, and
extorted large sums from the peasantry. It is impossible to give
a precise account of so long a. period ; but it bas been dis-
covered that one member of this body has received for his own
share nearly 2,400 francs. However numerous their robberies
may have been, it is an unfortunate fact that they are far sur-
passed by the number of acts or immorality caused by their pro-
ceedings in propagating among the people superstitious igno-
rance, and a whole host of absurd notions at variance with sound
sense. The heads of this band are not yet all apprehended. The
pretended Catholic priest has saved himself by flight from the
fatehe has so richly earned ; but the spectre is safe housed in
In iron cage. This was a woman of the name of Margaret
Benz, of lllnau, who has been sentence to the pillory anti to
two years imprisonment. A man of the name of John Hart-
man, of Buttikon, is sentenced to public exposure, to three
years imprisonment, and to banishment ; and among those
apprehended was perhaps the most dangerous man of the whole
troop, and whose skill has entrapped an amazing number of
sufferers, by name Henry Plyster, of Schwarzenbach. The
six others (for nine only have yet been apprehended) have
been sentenced to be flogged, and to an imprisonment for a
longer or shorter period.
DREADFUL ACClDENT.—Yesterday afternoon
an inquest was held at the White Lion, Shadwell, on the body
of John Durham, aged 18, who was accidentally shot on board
the Jehovah collier by a fellow-apprentice. It appeared that
the deceased and another boy named Donaldson were ordered
to go down and clean the cabin ; they did so, and found the
Captain's musket lying in the locker, loaded with small shot ;
the boys were larking with it, and Donaldson took up the
piece, presented it at the deceased, and not being aware that it
was loaded, he pulled the trigger, and the contents of the gun
entered the decease:l's left side, and it is supposed penetrated
his lungs. The deceased came upon deck, and having walked
two or three paces, fell dead. The Jury expressed surprise and
astonishment at the gross negligence on the part of Wilkinson,
the Captain, in not drawing the charge, or
depositing the gun
in a place of safety. They returned a verdict of " A.ccidentul
Death."—After the verdict was recorded, the Foreman of the
Jury addressed the Coroner,, and said, that the impression on
his mind, as well as his brother Jurors, being that the conduct
of the Captain in leaving a charged musket so carelessly, was
highly imprudent, they wished to express their sentiments to
him through the Coroner, that it might prevent his doing so in
future.