The Sun.
London, England, 1840-05-25 00:00:00

CONFLAGRATION OF YORK

MINSTER.

( From the Yorkshireman.)
-- - -- --- ---

INVESTIGATION BY THE AUTHORITIES.
On Thursday afternoon, a meeting of the authorities
took place in the Guildhall, to investigate the circum-
stances, and endeavour to ascertain the origin of the ca-
tastrophe. There were present the Lord Mayor, Sir
John Simpson, Thomas Barstow, Esq., and James Meek,
Esq., City Magistrates ; and three of the Residentiary
Canons, the Rev. W. V. Harcourt, the Rev. W. H.
Dixon, and,the Rev. C. Hawkins. The investigation
was in private, but we have since been favoured with a
sight of the evidence as it was taken down, and which
was to the following effect :
William Groves, of Leeds, clockmaker, said—l am a
church clockmakcr, and have had the care of all the
public clocks in Leeds during the last ten years. Since
tlie
Minster.sthins Yesterday instant Ihearday morning,vcbeenw at six o'clock,
orking at the clocks in
the'l
event to work at the clock in the south-west tower.
I worked there all the forenoon without any candle ;
after dinner, I had occasion for a joiner to fix an
upright post, and Robert Holder went with me, and
took a candle in a lantern. I lighted it in the lowest
chamber of the tower with a lucifer-match, and put
the remainder of the match, and also the match-box,
toonl e ar a
bs
lt
yo ncel e
ai in
;,t he
there wall.
w e
rTe hneofloor o
sticks
lying
ha
gt con mbe r w
the
floor.as
I then carried the lantern up stairs to the chamber next
below the bells ; and I do not recollect taking the candle
out of the lantern more than once, and I did not put
it down out of the lantern. I only snuffed the candle
once, and I did so while the candle was in the lantern ;
and I put the snuff inside the lantern. Holder left me
about half-past three ; and about four I brought the
lantern down into the chamber where I first lighted the
candle, and there I put out the light and left the lan-
tern and candle there. I never took the candle out of
the lantern but once, and that was for about a quarter
of an hour. I left the Minster at six, and everything
then appeared to me to be safe. After Holder left me,
I was entirely alone all the afternoon, until I came
away from the Minister. The only person who was
in the tower yesterday, besides myself and Holder, was
Mr. Hardy, who was formerly a watchmaker in Coney-
street ; he came up about two o'clock. In the cham-
ber below the bells there was a quantity of sticks, wool,
and hair from the jackdaws' nests, and also some flock
or flax rubbed off from the bell-ropes. I am quite cer-
tain that I left the lantern in the chamber, when I came
away at six o'clock. There arc three doors in the
tower, and when I come down I locked them all. I
am a member of the Church of England.
Robert Holder, joiner, said—Yesterday I was in
the south-west tower, the third floor from the bottom,
the dark chamber below the bells, with Groves, the
clockmaker, from one o'clock to half-past three. I then
came away, leaving the clockmakcr there ; we had a
candle, and I left it with him. On the floor where we
were there was a large quantity of sticks, wool, and
hair. I believe the clockmaker had no light yesterday
until one o'clock, when I took him the candle ; he
lighted it with some lucifer matches that he had
with him ; we carried the candle in a lantern, and
when we had occasion to take it out we kept it in our
hands, and did not put it down anywhere ; we did not
snuff the candle at all, and I did not perceive any sparks
fall from it. Everything appeared to me to be safe
when I came away at half-past three.
Melbowne Cowen, vestry clerk, said—l first saw the
fire about ten minutes before nine o'clock ; it was then
about the size of a sheet of writing paper, and appeared
about the centre of the tower, where the clockmaker had
been working.
-uschm
t hooafamt
quarterha
bse
e rN V I
; ianawstbts
eesofri nox:r
o'clock
cne verger,onheeak
d oi sst
naa
appearedid
wa —I s
Gmroofic vkr
es saw
smock,
butt
oo n blt
eh tdele
in
iid front
nfi
theoret
sabtbeelopirl
see that he had a lantern ; he said he wanted to hear
the clock strike six, and to see that the pointers of the
South clock agreed with it ; he then went towards the
door, but I don't know whether or not he went in.
I saw him afterwards, about nine o'clock, at the west
door.

Thomas Marshall, constable, says—l saw the fire
about a quarter before nine where the works of the
clock are ; I went for a bucket of water, and on my
return I went to the door of the south tower, and found
the door locked, and I could not get in.
John Hick, constable, says—l was on the south steps
at six o'clock ; Groves came out of the south door, and
the clock had then done striking ; he said he thought
he should have been in time to have heard it strike, so
as to see if the pointers corresponded with the striking
part ; he unlocked the door himself, and locked it again
when he came out. I did not see that he had anything
in his hand ; I do not think that he returned into the
Minster.

The impression made by the investigation upon the
minds of the gentlemen present seemed decidedly to be,
that the fire had been purely the result of accident.

Mr. Sheriff Hornby, who, it will be recollected, was
the first to subscribe to the fund for repairing the
damages of the fire of 1829, when he heard of the ca-
lamity, appeared to be overwhelmed with distress. The
next morning he went to Mr. Singleton's office, and re-
quested his name to be put down for 100/. towards de-
fraying the expenses which will be incurred in repairing
the late disaster.

Up to eleven o'clock yesterday (Friday), no exact
survey of the tower had been made, but it was tLe
general opinion that it would not have to be taken down

A ROWING MATCH.

On Saturday a contest among the Gentlemen of the
Amateur Scullers' Club took place on the river. It
was a pretty match, and the victory well earned, but
it created but little interest, if we may take the atten-
dance as any criterion. The prize was a very hand-
some silver tankard, open to all the gentlemen comprising
the Amateur Scullers' Club ; and it is somewhat sur-
prising, where so valuable and honorary a distinction
was in view, that only five were found at the starting-
place as candidates. The very reason of this passing
off more tamely, and but a few hundreds depending upon
it, was, that many were unacquainted with the names of
those who bad entered, and a still less number knew
how many of them would be inclined to exert themselves.
The distance selected was the usual one of horn
Westminster to Putney.

At half-past five the Leander, Dolphin, and Falcon
boats, were out, and in a few minutes afterwards the
following gentlemen came to the station, the first-named
being nearest the Surrey shore, and the others in the
order in which they stand upon the list :
Mr. Sladden, Mr. Layton, Mr. Kitchener, Mr. Jen-
kins, and Mr. Dalgleish.
The start took place at exactly ten minutes to six
and the whole of the scullers went away well together,
and at a very rapid rate, excepting Mr. Kitchener, who
was rather tardy. In the course of twenty strokes the
nose of Mr. Dalgleish's wherry was in advance, and at
the Horseferry .he was nearly a length ahead, Mr.
Sladden and Mr. Jenkins being abreast, and Mr.
Kitchener and Mr. Layton making a hard wager, but
a length astern of them. At Vauxhall-bridge Mr.
Dalgleish still was in advance slightly, but Mr. Sladden
had made a trifling advantage in his position over Mr.
Jenkins ; and in the work up the reach, against a stiff
wind, with a neap tide under them, never did three men
work with more pluck. Mr. Dalgleish still led ; but Mr.
Jenkins came up to Mr. Sladden, and drew in advance of
him, but held it a very short distance, when they again were
scull and scull, and in a minute afterwards Mr. Sladden in
his original place of second. Mr. Jenkins was not so very
easily disposed of. He again applied himself to the
work of picking her up, and having again passed Mr.
Sladden, went right up to Mr. Dalgleish ; the latter
gentleman was evidently getting weak, but his game
kept him together, and never did a man exhibit his
pluck to more advantage ; he found his adversary fast
overhauling him, and, drawing his boat more into the
tide, laid down to it like one determined to drop sooner
than relax, and a struggle between the two gentlemen
ensued which was the admiration of all who witnessed
it. Off Wandsworth town Mr. Jenkins passed his op-
ponent, maintained the lead, and first went through the
centre arch of Putney-bridge about eight lengths in ad-
vance. The two first gentlemen both rowed in boats
built by Hunt and Hutchinson, of peculiarly light con-
struction. The party sat down to a splendid dinner at
Avis's, the Bells Tavern.—Sunday Times.

HANOVER-SQUARE 1100A1S.— Mr. Bennett,
who is worthy to take his place with the Spohrs and Men-
dellssolins of Germany, was honoured hero last night with a
fashionable and crowded audience. His concert was excellent.
He himself performed his noble concerto in C minor, dedicated
to Cramer, and a piece called " Caprice," regular and con-
sistent in its design, original and beautiful in its details. These
pieces were received with acclamations by an assembly contain-
ing a great number of the most accomplished musicians and
amateurs tin London. Beethoven's symphony in A was per-
formed at the commencement; the second act opened with
Bennett's own overture to Parisina, and the finale was
Weber's "Ruler of the Spirits." Clara Novelle sang the ro-
mance in Robert le Diable, and Benedict's air, " Prendi per
me." Miss Masson gave " Che faro," and "The sea hath
pearly treasures ;" Phillips sang Purcell's " Ye twice ten hun-
dred deities ;" J. Parry, Haydn's canzonet, " Sympathy;" and
J. Bennett an air from Mozart's Cosi fan tutte, and a very
pretty song by Macfarren ; all which were warmly and de-
servedly applauded. The concert was conducted by Sir George
Smart, and the orchestra led by Mr. F. Cramer.
MoortE.--The origin of Lalla Rookh was an
application made to Moore, by Messrs. Longman and Co' to
write for them an epic poem, in which there should be no allu-
sion to the ancient classical authors ; they being responsible for
the highest sum ever given for an epic poem. Mr. Perry, it
was agreed, should decide the amount, which was fixed at
, 3,000 guinea. —Literary Woi ld.