The Sun.
London, England, 1847-10-12 00:00:00

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AND LOSS
OF LIFE.

Last evening, at a quarter-past seven o'clock, the
premises belonging to Messrs. Whitaker and Co., the
furniture brokers, of 28, Water-lane, Blackfriars,
were discovered to be on fire. The building, which
was three floors high, and contained in the lower por-
tion a great quantity of furniture, was in a very few
minutes in flames. At the time of the outbreak, Mr.
and Mrs. Whitaker were from home, but Mrs. Ham-
bleton, one of the lodgers, and her three children, were
in one of the upper rooms, and it was with great
difficulty that they escaped. With as little delay as
possible the engines of the parish, London esta-
blishment, &c., arrived in rapid succession, and
there being an abundant supply of water flowing
from the mains of the New River, several engines
were set to work, and a powerful stream of the
antagonistic element was thrown upon the burning
mass ; notwithstanding the flames continued to travel,
seizing upon everything of an ignitable character,
until the premises were nearly gutted. The fire, it
is to be regretted, has been attended with fatal con-
sequences to an elderly female, who lodged in the
upper part of the house, and known as Miss Purday,
a teacher of music. At twenty minutes past nine
o'clock, whilst Flemming, one of the brigade men,
was examining the premises, he came to an object in
the attic which he at first imagined to be a feather
bed, but upon closer examination he found to be the
body of a female, most shockingly burned, so much so
that none of the features could be recognised. It
appears that she lived in one portion of the second
floor, and when the alarm was given she was in her
sitting-room. The poor creature was told by one of
the females that a fire was raging below, and that she
must make the best of her way down; instead of
doing so she ascended to the upper floor, where she
was eventually discovered by the fireman. Police-
constable Harrison, who first discovered the out-
break, immediately had a ladder brought to the spot,
and two constables, at the risk of their own lives,
mounted the roof, and inquired at the windows
whether or not any one was therein. No answer
being received, it was at that period concluded that
all the inmates had effected a safe retreat. A shell
was immediately procured, and the body was lowered
from the top of the building with as much privacy as
possible and placed therein, and taken to the dead-
house, where it awaits a coroner's inquest.

AWFUL CATASTROPHE.

DESTRUCTION OF LISSANOURE CASTLE

BY GUNPOWDER.

An awful and almost unprecedented occur-
rence took place on Tuesday last at Lissanoure
Castle, near Ballymoney. Mr. George Macartney,
the proprietor of Lissanoure, previous to the reduction
of the yeomanry force was captain in the body, and
was in the habit of storing large quanties of gunpow-
der in the castle for the use of the small staff when
called out to practise. There were from eleven to
thirteen barrels of powder lying in the mansion for a
considerable length of time. It was usually kept, as
being most out of the way of danger, in a dark and
narrow passage leading from one wing of the castle
to the other. In this passage, very little traversed at
any time, some of the gunpowder had become damp,
and was ordered by Mr. Macartney to be laid out
to dry. What quantity was taken from the barrels
is as yet unknown, but it must have been consider-
able from the effects which ensued. The powder
had remained for some days spread out in the
passage. On Tuesday morning Mrs. Macartney,
the lady of the proprietor, having occasion to pass
through the passage, took with her a lighted candle.
Whether she knew that the destructive material was
in the situation described, no person can tell ; but she
had scarcely been a minute in the place when an ex-
plosion took place, the roar of which was heard like
a burst of thunder, and in an instant, with the excep-
tion of the opposite wing from the spot, the castle
was a mass of ruins, the unfortunate lady being blown
to atoms! It is impossible to know how the melan-
, choly event primarily ensued. Whether Mrs. Ma-
cartney had stumbled and fallen with the light among
the powder, whether a snuff had fallen from the
candle, or whether it had accidentally dropped fri m
her hands, are matters that will in all human
hood remain a secret for ever. The state of mi
into which Mr. Macartney has been thrown by t..e
lamentable occurrence, the strongest terms for ti e
deepest agony would be weak to describe—reason for
the moment seems to have tottered under the weigl
of the calamity. Although there were a number o
servants in the castle at the time of the explosion, nu
one was injured save their lady, they being in the
wing situated at the other extremity of the building
The lady who met so sudden and violent an end was
universally esteemed.

THE RECENT EXECUTION Al

DUNDEE.

The following letter was addressed by Leith to hi.
six children on the day preceding his execution, to bt
delivered to them after his death :

" Dundee Prison, 4th October, 1847.
" My beloved Children,—Before changing film,
for eternity, I sincerely tender you this parting
dress as a lasting memorial of a father's love. 'The
solemnity of the occasion before me deeply impresses
my mind with every feeling of parental affection and
care for you, whom I am about to leave without a
parent in the world. Before many hours pass away,
I will be launched into eternity, as a spectacle to the
world. By the laws of my country I have been con-
demned to die for the death of your mother. But,
my dear children, I earnestly implore you to suffer
with Christian resignation the reproach of mankind.
God is a just God, and bath dealt justly with me ;
but men have not done so. I have in the near pros-
pect of meeting the Almighty at his tribunal, already
solemnly
,affirmed in your presence, as I now
do in this address, that I am perfectly in-
nocent of having taken any part whatever in
the death of your unfortunate mother. A short time
may show the truth, and convince the world of my
innocency. Oh I my dear children, let your first
study and care be to seek your Redeemer in the days
of your youth—read your Bibles attentively—study
the truths they contain—obey their injunctions and
ordinances—keep the Sabbath-day holy—attend the
house of God regularly—and listen attentively for
edification to the pastoral addresses of the ministers
of God. aße constant in prayer, serving the Lord.
Be guided by the valuable counsel and instructions
of your aunt, Janet Leith, whom the Lord has in his
wisdom raised up to supply the place of your unfor-
tunate parents, who have been hurriedly summoned
to render their eternal account. May'ashe be a blessed
instrument for guiding you in the paths of rectitude
and holiness. Be guided also by the advice and in-
structions of my friend Widow Roy, for whom I
entertain the highest respect. I beseech you to shun
evil company ; abstain from the use of drink of every
kind, and be free from the pernicious and ruinou.
consequences thereof; act honestly, and let no
temptation whatever seduce you from the ways of
uprightness and godliness. Be careful of what books
you read. Let your Bibles be your chief study,
and substantial, valuable works your next ; avoid
scrupulously the use of novels, and above all
the use of the writings of unbelieving men, who
dare cast a shadow of doubt upon the in-
spired revelation of the Almighty. My dear
Thomas, it falls to your lot, as my eldest son,
to perform the part of a father to your brother and
sisters. Be particularly careful in fortifying the
minds of your sisters against being led astray from the
paths of virtue. And should it fall itoe
the lot f
of any
of you to be joined to a partner in If , be careful to
pray that the Lord will bestow such a one as will be
congenial to your dispositions in all that is right and
holy. In conclusion my beloved children, farewell :
and may the Lord guide and protect you through
time, and prepare you for an eternity of bliss : and
God grant that we may all be assembled around his
throne in heaven. I remain, my beloved children,
your affectionate father,
" THOMAS LEITH."
_ _

The eldest son of the unfortunate man has written
to the local papers, denying the truth of the statement
that either himself or any of his brothers were present
at the execution of their unfortunate father. He says,
he wishes to set the public right onlthe matter as they
must think, if the statement be true, that their feelings
must be coarse indeed.

NEW SCHOOL or ART.—Yesterday., at the new
School of Art, founded by the Incorporated Society of
British Artists, at their gallery in Suffolk-street East, a
class was formed for ladies for the study of drawing from
life from classically draped figures, ender
the direction
of Mr. J. J. Hill. The school for male artists and ama-
teurs commenced operations on the sthinstant, and the
prospects of success, from the encouragement already
received, has exceeded the most sanguine expectations
of the Society. During the past week more than thirty
students have been admitted, and several liberal dons,
tions from admirers of the fine arts have been received.
The objects of the Society are the adaptation to the
wants of the student acquiring the rudiments and prin-
ciples of art, and also the artist occupying an advanced
position in his profession, by providing for the study of
anatomy, the antique, the living model, painting and
sculpture, and for courses of lectures on every subject
connected with the arts. A library is also in course of
formation. The annual charge to the student is at pre-
sent two guineas, which will be first modified, and then
discontinued, as soon as the society finds it practicable
to do so.
THE LATE COLLISION ON THE LONDON AND
BRIGHTON AND SOUTH COAST RAILWAY.—An investi-
gation into the circumstances attending this accident
took place yesterday at Brighton, before a board of
directors. The result of the inquiry has not transpired,
though it is stated to relieve the signal-man from any
charge of neglect. The investigation before the magis-
trates will, however, it is stated, be gone into.
We understand that the Legislature of Trinidad
has voted a pension to the Hon. Mr. Scotland, who has
been superannuated, in consequence of which his office
is vacant. We regret to learn that the Chief. Justice of
Mountserrat has died. This place is also vacant.