The Sun.
London, England, 1834-10-17 00:00:00

DESTRUCTION OF BOTH
HOUSES O

LIAMENT BY FIRE.

(From the Times.)
Shortly before seven o'clock last night the inhabitants of
Westminster, and of the districts on the opposite bank of
the river, were thrown into the utmost confusion and alarm
by the sudden breaking out of one of the most terrific
conflagrations that has been witnessed for many years Past'
Those in the immediate vicinity of the scene of this dn•
.
mity were quickly convinced of the truth of the cry, that
the Houses of Lords and Commons and the adjacent build'
ings were on fire ; the ill news spread rapidly through the,
town, and the flames increasing, and mounting higher On
higher with fearful rapidity, attracted the attention not. o°l/
of the passengers in the streets, but if we may juts,
from on...si
from the thousands of persons who in a
were. . seen hurrying to Westminster, of the v‘asT%
majority of the inhabitants of the Metropolis. h,
scarcely ever recollect to have seen the large thorcog
fares of the town so thronged before. Within less
than half an hour after the fire broke out, it bean:
impossible to approach nearer to the scene of the di!agtef
than the foot of Westminster-bridge on the Surrey side
de
river, or the end of Parliament-street on the othel
cept by means of a boat, or with the assistance of bedUi to;
who,. well acquainted with the localities, was
avoid the crowd and reach Abington-street by the street.,
at the back of the Abbey. This locality, however, waste'.
a very short space of time as densely thronged with sP!cog
tors as any other. There was, however, nothing surPrijefl
in the multitude that flocked to the spOt—in the crow' I
boats that floated on the river immediately in the front :a
the blazing pile—or in the countless numbers that svosig„,.
upon the bridges, the wharfs, and even upon the house-WT.,'
for the spectacle was one of surpassing though terrific *ie..'
dour, and the stately appearance of the Abbey, whose
chitectural beauties were newer seen to greater adman re
than when lighted by the flames of this unfortunate
to
would of themselves have attracted as many thousaadsde,
thets
the spot. But, extensive as the mischief we have t°lt
plore really was, rumour had magnified it most fearfullY•Air
was currently reported through the town that West"-
ster-hall, and even the Abbey itself, were in flames. 0(
How and where the fire originated are still mattellt it
doubt. The general belief, however, appears to be ,tling-lis
broke out in some part of the buildings attached '-titself
House of Lords, from whence it spread to the House llls
with such vast celerity, that before eight o'clock the viZei
range of structure, from the portico, by which then
coo
enter, to the corner where it communicates with the en
mitten-rooms of the House of Commons, was in flames.
oo
As rapidly did the devouring element extend its ro7of
to the ancient chapel of St Stephen's, where the of
destruction was sooner over than in the other "1-the
Parliament. The greater quantity of timber whic
fabric of the House of Commons contained re
i"tal
account for this ; and it is further to be observed, that.no
the situation of the building, and the unlucky circionst of
of the tide being unusually low, a very scanty s"PP.loot
water, and the application of only one or two engi°e,s'epir
very advantageously placed, were all that the most Pr
tp
ous and the most zealous exertions could bring to blots'
the vain attempt to save that interesting edifice from
-
lute destruction.

The conflagration, viewed from the river, was Pee°lltbe
grand and impressive. On the first view of it fro star
water, it appeared as if nothing could save Westin:ass
Hall from the fury of the flames. There was an iiii-aloud
pillar of bright clear fire springing up behind it, and scab
of white, yet dazzling smoke, careering above it, thr°ool
which, as it was parted by the wind, you could oceldi'vog
perceive the lantern and pinnacles, by which the bun „eeles
ornamented. At the same time a shower of fiery
aY
appeared to be falling upon it with such unceasing rt eel
as to render it miraculous that the roof did not bursiose
into one general blaze. Till you passed through gfe is
minster-bridge, you could not catch a glimpse of the, frs
detail—you had only before you the certainty that teos's
was of greater magnitude than usual, but of its rnisei'l"tioe•
:
shape and its real extent you could form no coneePosis
Westminster-bridge, covered as it was with in°, the
standing on its balustrades was a curious spectacle, 'wottsst,
dark masses of individuals formed a striking n,l-
with the clean white stone of which it is b"„jigll'
which stood out well and boldly in the clear rene-siglA
As you approached the bridge, you caught bled os
through its arches of a motley multitude assent
tbe strand below the Speaker's garden, and gazi°7ool°
intense eagerness on the progress of the flames. 013°.
them were seen the dark caps of the Fusileer Guar7rose!
were stationed in the garden itself to prevent the °Prefer,
of unwelcome intruders. Advancing still nearer'
°{ the
branch and fibre of the trees which are in front °of
House of Commons became clearly defined in the
yes
powering brilliance of the conflagration. As soon as yes
shot through the bridge, the whole of this melanelo,.as,ll
tacle stood before you. From the new pile of huiln, „ the
which are the Parliament offices, down to the enus"riaelt
Speaker's house, the flames were shooting fast anucifsell
through every window. The roof of Mr. LeY's
the House of Commons, and of the Speaker's 10'110
already fallen in, and as far as they were concerned, oot.
quite evident that the conflagration had done l"
The tower, between these buildings and the Jerg 0
a 601
psr
Chamber, was a-light on every floor. The roof 111.4,01
tially fallen in, but had not yet broken clean thren,bo,e
floors. The rafters were all blazing, and from the v,e'„uessr
flame which they vomited forth through the browe'etlier
meats, great fears were entertained for the safety of th,eotlisg
tenements in Cotton-garden. The fire, crackling an '-red
with prodigious noise as it went along, soon deve4l_6o6
the interior of this tower, which contained, we belie it
library of the House of Commons. By eleven ;;fore
was reduced to a mere shell, illuminated, however' tiots_.,°
base to its summit in the most bright and glowing. en"
flame. The two oriel windows, which fronted the Overablis
peared to have their frame-works fringed with in,
_ntifijsriebl,r
sparkles of lighted gas, and, as those frame-works Yield
before the violence of the fire, seemed to open a e'eforaes-
sage right through the edifice for the destructive eod burr,
Above the upper window was a strong beam of vinp
ing fiercely from end to end. It was evidently bob
support of the upper part of the building, and as apP7,;,
seas certain to be reduced in a short time to ashetcleeu;
pensions were entertained of the speedy fall of the o,'",.tiact,'t
flee. At this time the voices of the firemen were Girtieetti,
heard preaching caution, and their shapes were iu,nolgeto!
seen in the lurid light flitting about in the most 23r pire;
situations. Simultaneously were heard, in otlovs,t,r
of the frontage to the river, the smashing of wilwclstt'nf
battering down of wooden partitions, and the 110'1'1005e:a
of falling bricks, all evidently displaced for the Purieess'd,
stopping the advance of the flames. The engineesviteu:da
to play on the premises whose destruction Was ,11;
and poured their discharges upon the neighbour f;
which were yet unscathed. A little after twelve-
the library tower fell inwards with a dreadful lerfresh v-st
shortly afterwards the flame, as if it had receive', abil°o
ment, darted up in one startling blaze, which vinoePo,
immediately quenched in a dense column of th,se &silt:, a
smoke. As soon as this smoke cleared away, til-hroilPia
tive ravages of the fire became more evident. oing
vista of flaming walls you beheld the Abbey fr°•ahh°°o
melancholy pride over its defaced and shattered Writelvof tad
As far as you could judge from the river, the weiwoen
was accomplished but too effectually in the rarP-
buildings which skirt its shores. 0,0;
The appearance of the fire from the corner efl, off ai.
street was also exceedingly striking. For a lefeivueie.alYecir
the exertions of the firemen appeared to be P' Which
ratted to save that part of the House of LordsA the rhod
sisted of the tower that rose above the portico. Which Cof
of the line of building was enveloped in flan'eghwe srinftgojats
extended themselves along the whole (except that or
that part of the adjacent building to the 113
were efa,ps
Abingdon-street, and the upper stories of whie
the. atoncertilhise
mittee-rooms, while at the basement were
leading to the House of Commons. The wingrest' ter
building, however, which rose high above thcel the 1010,
upper part being a portion of Bellamy s, of niervi
being used as a receptacle of the great coats, 5&c., °f .11
c time use
bers of the House of Commons, was for Wile the 14%0
the tower above the portico at the entrance 0,, doe trto
of Lords, but slightly injured by the flarnoefs,treafire.anwahile
objects seeming to boud the ravages or blaze, offer successful resistance to its further P blaze,
all between them was in one uninterruptedAd not, to
tracted universal attention. The flalue.su,`“seeraelvi
fact, extend beyond these two points, f b
them. ,„foing
exhaust themselves in the destruction 0
and ere
took fire nearly at the same moment,
from the entrance of the House o
nted one 00
furiously for nearly half an hour, the
entrance of the House of Lords, pr gibe
sheet of flame. At length the roofs and ill"
followed
_..A
way, and when the smoke and sparks that , A clea7,l
htl ruin' 0'
away, nothing met the eye but an unsig Y
oulderid
with the dark red glare reflected from the sm
crash of the heavy burning mass that. fell Ha.' tint'
nCL°c%.
ben; at its feet.
HALT-PAST - gt
The fire its
quite safe.
Westminster-ball is, we think,
ine:d_ee,d L' titit is,
further mischief appears to " muse'
power to do
• •ts of the walls of the
too,fetoce
cwehinonileensstrtube-ritgtrt
burns
energies,however, of the ni fresh
already destroyed. The d.
Fresh engines sou aucl
finsnefdurwioiuthsliyn atmhoenlgimthi e ruins which it
hhaayse
and soldiers are not at all relaxed.
of d tieasta,
water is showered upon tP over
a continual volley of
ze
,eO..
• exertion and more active Jicar)
More vigorous .
must be confessed that our ore
coos
witnessed ; but it •
•t 1 sue" in°
supplies of men are coming to the scene ev riu''-
our PI
as that of last night, and that
gration
sines are totally incapable of contending with