The Sun.
London, England, 1834-11-07 00:00:00

FIRE AT ROTHERHITHE,

(FURTHER PARTICULARS.)
A fire occurred yesterday morning in Rotherhithe, which
terminated in the destruction of the Europa Inn, twelve
houses, principally inhabited by poor families, and the loss
of three lives, two of them perishing in the flames. It ap-
pears that the fire broke out in the apartments of a young
man of drunken habits, named Scales, in Church-street,
near the entrance of Deptford-road. Scales resided in one
of his father's tenements, a double house, in Church-street,
the upper part of which was let out to poor persons, while
the lower part was divided into two shops, one occupied by
Mr. Peason, a tobacconist, and the other by Scales, who
was a baker's peel maker, and also assisted his father in
his business of a broker and appraiser. Young Scales up-
turned home on Wednesday night, shortly before twelve
o'clock, in a state of intoxication, having been removed
from the Bell public-house not long before. An hour af-
terwards that part of the building which he occupied was
discovered to be on fire, and the flames were seen issuing
from his apartment. Directly afterwards the lodgers pre-
sented themselves at the windows, screaming loudly for
assistance ; two or three flung their beds out and
jumped after them ; some were caught by the few
bystanders who had assembled, and others escaped
by dropping from the windows at the back of
the houses. In less than two minutes the two houses,
composed almost entirely of lath, and plaster, were on
fire from top to bottom, and the flames spread with such
fearful rapidity, added by a 'strong south-west wind, that
before the inmates of the adjoining house, occupied by an
old man named Fox, a shoemaker, and several poor
families, were at all aware of the impending calamity, it
was also on fire. Poor Fox and his wife were aroused
by a volume of flame entering the room in which they
slept. The woman rushed to the window and was seen
enveloped in fire and calling for help, which no one could
afford, and she threw herself out from the window of the
second story (one of her hands having been previously
nearly consumed), into the street, and broke. one of her
thighs, besides receiving other severe contusions. Her un-
fortunate husband, it is supposed, endeavoured to save some
of his property, and after the front of the house had been
consumed, he was seen in the midst of the destructive ele-
ment on the staircase imploring aid, and directly afterwards
he fell into the midst of the burning materials and
perished. Young Scales, who endeavoured to rush
through the passage of the house, but was driven back
by the flames, was also burnt to death. The three
houses in Church-street were speedily destroyed, and
before the parish engines had arrived, the flames had
communicated to the backs of some of the houses
in a long and narrow street, which divides the Europa
Inn and livery-stables from the dwelling occupied by
Fox and his wife, called Clark's-orchard. All the houses
in Clark's-orchard are inhabited by individuals of the
poorest class, and as many as six families lived in some of
them. The terror and alarm of the poor creatures when
the fire reached the dwellings was extreme ; many snatched
up what they could in the hurry of the moment, and were
obliged to escape from their blazing tenements with nothing
on but their night clothes. Parents were seen in all direc-
tions seeking their children, who had been lost in the con-
fusion, and the despair of many was really dreadful. Before
a drop of water could be brought to bear on the flames
four houses on one side of Clark's orchard had been burnt,
and the fire had communicated to the houses on the oppo-
site side, abutting on the back of the Europa Tavern, the
destruction of which now seemed inevitable, and Mrs. Wil-
mott, the landlady, commenced removing her furniture to
a place of safety. The firemen now exerted themselves to
the utmost, but the supply of water was very scanty,
and four houses on the east side of Clark's-orchard,'
formed only of lath and plaster shared the fate of the
others. The firemen arrested the progress of the
flames in Clark's-orchard, at the house of a chimney-
sweeper, which was partially consumed. There is no
doubt, if the flames had proceeded much further, the
whole street, which is about 100 yards in length, would
have come down. About half-past two o'clock the Europa
Inn, which had lately undergone extensive alterations and
repairs, was on fire, and in less than an hour was totally de-
stroyed. Efforts were made to save the long range of livery-
stables and sheds in the rear, which fortunately succeeded.
During the conflagration the atmosphere was illuminated to
a considerable distance ; every object was distinctly seen as
far as Greenwich, and the rigging and masts of the ship-
ping in the river could be traced. The fire was entirely
subdued by half-past 3 o'clock. and at that time nothing
appeared of the Europa Inn, and the twelve houses in
Church-street and Clark's orchard but a heap of ruins, and
a few stacks of chimnies which remained standing. It is
supposed that the total destruction of property will amount
at least to 6,000/. The owners of the houses are insured, and
we believe Mrs. Wilmott, the landlady of the Europa, is
partially so. The situation of many of the poor families
bereft of home and furniture, is most distressing. One poor
woman, who was far advanced in pregnancy, was so over-
come by fright, that she gave premature birth to a still-
born child, and her life is despaired of.
At 7 o'clock yesterday morning the mutilated remains of
the old man Fox were dug out of the ruins, so dreadfully
burnt that they could be scarcely recognized, The re-
mains of Scales were also found reduced to a cinder.
Mrs. Fox was after some hours removed to one of the
Borough Hospitals, where she lingered a few hours, when
death put an end to her sufferings.
The activity of the firemen and police was beyond all
praise, but their exertions were almost ineffectual, from the
very scanty supply of water, as is always the case in Ro-
therhithe. There are no fire-plugs in the neighbourhood,
and all the water that could be made available was obtained
from some ditches which empty themselves into the river
Thames. At low water (and the tide was ebbing on Wed-
nesday night) they are almost dry. This may in some
measure account for the long and uninterrupted career of
the flames before an engine could be brought to bear on
them.

DISTRESSING AND FATAL ACCIDENT AT
MM OR-GENERAL SIR GREGORY WAY'S.—Wednesday after-
noon, between three and four o'clock, the family of Sir Gre-
gory Way, No. 1, Cumberland-terrace, Regent's-park, were
thrown into a state of alarm, in consequence of the following
melancholy accident occurring :—A fine young man, named
William Mead, of No. 5, Harrow-street, Lisson-grove, who
was a painter by trade, was engaged at the above hour clean-
ing the second floor window of Sir Gregory's residence, when
he was suddenly precipitated to the ground, owing to the pins
of the machine used by painters not being properly fastened
inside the window. On an alarm being given, Sir Gregory
ordered his servants to pay every attention to the unfortunate
man, and lost no time in procuring him surgical assistance.—
All human aid was, however, unavailing; for on examination,
Mead was found to be quite dead, having sustained a com-
pound fracture of the thigh, besides breaking his arm and seve-
ral of his ribs.

IMPROVEMENTS ON THE RUINS OF THE CATHE-
DRAL OF ST. ANDREW'S.-Thanks to the liberality of the Ho-
nourable Board of Woods and Forests, and to the attention of
Mr. Reid, the King's architect for Scotland, some seasonable
improvements have recently been ordered in respect of the
ruins of the ancient cathedral of St. Andrew's. Workmen,
under the skilful superintendence of Mr. John Kennedy, of
this city, are at present employed in this praiseworthy work.—
We trust that the Honourable Board will also be pleased to
order the wall at Dennis Work to be rebuilt, as a preservation
against the encroachment of the sea at that spot.—Fife Herald.
THE RECTORSHIP OF THE UNIVERSITY.--A
keen canvas is going on in our Alma Mater. The Earl of
Durham is opposed to Lord Stanley—the high-minded patriot
to the thimble-rig statesman—the honest friend of justice and
of the rights of the people, to the apologist of abuses and the
defender of exclusive privileges. Can there be a doubt of the
result ? Certainly not, if our college youth have imbibed one
spark of the flame of Grecian or of Roman liberty, which illu-
minates the bright page of those classics with whose thoughts
they ought to be familiar.—Scots Times.
PEG-TOP.—I never see a group of urchins play-
ing at peg-top, without being reminded of the days when, a
joyous hearted school-boy, I found delight in this game. I well
remember one boy, who had a top of awful size, weight, and
length of peg. I never saw such a plaything before or since.
It was made of hard box-wood, and was as smooth at the sum-
mit as an egg ; there was no ornament about it, but it had a spike
or peg as long as the beak of a heron, and as sharp as an awl.
Woe to the tops, which refusing to spin, were laid in the ma-
gic circle to be pecked at by the others, if this huge thing was
performing !' part in the game. The giant, to be sure, some-
times got within the ring himself; but the other tops bounded
from his hard polished sides without injuring him, and he al-
ways came out unhurt. But when the contrary was the case,
the boys used to tremble as the string was wound around the
monster ; then they held their breaths ; the spinner raised his
arm, and, like the swoop of a bird of prey, down came the
huge top, splitting in halves the unfortunate upon which it
alighted, and dancing about on its long spike, as if.in triumph.
This leviathan, one morning, after splitting half a score of tops,
suddenly refused to spin, and flew into the pond, from which it
was never recovered, to the very great joy of all the boys ex-
cept the owner.-- The Parterre.