The Sun.
London, England, 1823-02-21 00:00:00

DREADFUL ACCIDENT.

LP*T.Ms the Glasgari Cditrier of Feb.-18.1
We have this day to inform our Readers, that a great por-
tion of tinst large tenement, five stories high, besides the garrets
situated in Saltmarket-street, and on the north-east corner -of
Prince'sitreet, known by the name of Gibson's Land, fell on
Sunday Morning, from top, to bottom, efitira most' tremendcus
crash. For some tittle past suspicions had been entertained by
.the occupiers of the .tenement that it was not, in a sufficient
state to be- inhabited, which was indicated by the lintels of
the doors and fire:places giving way.; and on Friday after-
noon the Procurator-Fiscal applied to the Dean of Guild, who
ordered tradesmen to inspect the premises and to give in a Re-
port.ef their proceedings. These gentlemen accordingly visited
the whole'Piopertf immediately, and so convinced were they of
its insufficiencY,' thaVit was very properly condemned. No
time.was lost In giving notice to the inhabitants speedily to re-
move themselves and furniture, and a person was sent round
on Saturday desiring them to do so without delay, as there was
every probability the lionise. 'would soon 'come down. During
the whole of that day the inmates were, busily employed carry-
ing away their property, but in a land which Contained so many
families, it could hardly be expected that the orders of the Dean
of Guild could be literally. complied -with, .and a few were
hardy enough to remain iii their houses tiering the night be.
twist Saturday and Sunday. As was anticipated, a little after
eight o'clock on Sunday morning the whole tenement fell, part-
ly into Salunarket and partly into Prince's-street.. As thelatter
street is narrow, that portion of it which cable. down in it fell
on the tenement on the south-east corner, to which it has
done considerable damage, having nearly destroyed the whole.
front of the building, and in whic:s several of the inhebitants who
had moved had taken refuge on the preceding day; and such
was the violence of the concussion, that the chimney-stalk on
the south side of that house was driven down, falling on the
property below, to the terror and dismay of the astonished pos.
sessors ; and many persons belonging to the different houSes
were seen flying in all directions in a state of nudity.
As soon as this melancholy disaster was communicated
to Mr. Cleland, the Superintendent of Public Works, that
gentleman was instantly on the spot, wiser(' he continued during
the whole of Sunday. On his arrival he found the appearance of
the whole so awful that he sent for a number of tradesmen and
other skilled persons, in order to consult what was best to be
done with respect to the ruinous state of that part of the building
which had not fallen in; and on their _reaching the appalling
scene, it was resolved immediately to set about propping the
house with logs of wood, and removing the rubbish, in'order
to ascertain whether or not any of the unfortunate tenants Were
buried in the ruins. A number of workmen were employed,
and carts and horses procured, and they proceeded to business ;
but such was the vast quantity of stones, timber, &c., that it
was souse time, notwithstanding their best exertions, before
they could make much • impression on them. Before one
o'clock, however, the voice of a woman was heard under a part
of the reins .which it was highly dangerous to approach, and
this was a period of great anxiety to every person concerned.
At length Jl3. Love, a carpenter with Messrs. Scott and Grieve, ,
courageously went in quest of the woman, whom he found
in a space just large enough to contain her, with one of her
arms jammed in between two pieces of wood. A glass of water ;
having been handed to her, as she was faint, Love procured a
saw, and after an hour'S -hard labour he succeeded in extricat-
ing her from her perilous situation, a little after two o'clock,
when she proved to be a girl of the name of Mary
servant to one of the families. She was immediately carried to
an adjoining house, whereshe,was attended by Dr. Jeffrey of
the College, and Dr. Fraser of the 77th ; and after sense cVr. °
dials had been administered to her, she was conveyed tv the'
Royal Infirmary in the easiest manner, and we are happy to say
she is doing well, though her arm is broken.' No other persons
have yet been' found ; and we trust, from the number which
had removed on the preceding day, the casualties will nut be
so numerous as was at first thought, and which the dread-
ful appearance of the ruins would lead one 'to apprehend.— •
Several tradesmen have sustained a seriou4-, loss -by this event,
not having had their property wholly removed ; taming othere,
Messrs. Robert Hutchison and Son, printers, who possessed the
second story as a printing.effice, Have lost a considerable quart-
City of types, &c. &c. ; and a Ruthven printing-press belong 7
ing to them? matte yesterday a very conspicuous figure, re-
snaining stationary in, its position, and projecting over the fellen
ruins : it was removed that night. Mr. Jenkins, bookseller,
who had a binding shop in the premises, is also a cunsidot,ble
sufferer ; and many others have met with severe losses.

One of the Magistrates was in attendance in the Town Hall
all Sunday, in case any thing should be wanted.
Mr. Hardie, Master of Police, several of the Commissioners,
and a strong body of officers, attended, and were of great service
in preserving order, and protecting property. A military guard
of the 77th regiment was also stationed to keep back the crowd,
Who eantinued to throng the adjoining AMU during the whole
of Sunday. ,
It was 4 fortunate circumstance that this melancholy disaster
did not happen on Saturday evening, as numbers must inevita.
bly have perished; the street on that night being Usually very '
'throng ; and had it taken place from two to three hours later '
than it did, many people going to church must have suffered.
Our readers will no doubt recollect, that a part of the saris
ittrill fell in a similar manner about nine years ago, when one'
woman lost her life, several escaped with severe bruises, anti
much valuable property was destroyed.
The house which has now fallen was at the time ef its exec.
tion the handeciniest building in the town., Itl'Ure, in his his.
tory of Glasgow, published in 1736, thus notices it when
describing • the Salttn ' urket, " The great. And stately tole.
ment of land built by the deceast Vt'alter Gibson, merchant
and late Provost of Glasgow, etanding upon eighteen stareiy
pillars or arches, and at with the,. several orders of.
Architecture, eonform to the direction of that great Architect
Sir Wm. Bruce; the entry consists of four several arches to-
wards the Court thereof; this magnifieent 'etroetaxe is admired-
by all foreigners and strangers."
The ground floor having been brought forward to the street,
the pillars or arches have disappeared, but sufficient' remained
to chew the grandeur of the original building, and the correct
MAO of the Architect.
Mr. Walter Gibson was provost of Glasgow in the year of die,
Revolution. In M'Ure's history it is stated; that .1 he was the
first that brought over a loatining of iron fro titockliolrn to this'.
,
place." Of two succeeding provosts asi r.:41 (nice is taken..
James Peadie of .R.oughill and John Ant erson of Dowhill.
merchants were the first who brought a loath ing of cherry-
!lack into this city." •
All yesterday and to-day a numerous body of workmen were
employed clearing away the rubbish. An old. petitioner, who,
it is reported, was unscrewing a bed at the time the tenement
fell, is missing.

Mußovt.—A Murder was committed on Smut.-
day night last, on John Glycle, of North New ton,
near Bridgewater, butcher. The deceased bad
incurred the anger of his neighbours by laying aft
information against some of them for selling cy dee
without a licence. On Saturday lost he attended
the Bench of Magistrates in this town, with
a similar Intention, but from some incousis»
tencies in his statement,' his allegations \Vete
deemed unworthy of notice. A mob followpd
him through Taunton, and at a late hour of the

light he wits Attacked by three men a short dis-
tance from his house, wito heat hint so dreadluity
that in the morning he was found a corpse. The
three men are in custody.—('Taunton Courier.)