The Sun.
London, England, 1804-06-20 00:00:00

jEIZSLI', JUNE. U.

Oa the celebration of the Anniversary of His
Majesty's Birth here, the, public joy experienced
a sudden interruption by a dreadful accident, which,
but for the signal intervention of Providence, would
have proved the destruction of the whole town.—
At noon, the Forts on the Island, and the Artillery
in the new Fort on the large hill, fired a Royal Sa.
lute, by order of the Governor. After the cere-
mony, a Corporal of the Invalid Company of Ar-
tillery received the matches, and locked them in
the magazine at the top of the hill, which is bomb-
proof; it contained 209 barrels of powder, a quan-
tity of loaded bombs, caissons full of cartridges, and
other combustibles. About six in the evening the
sentries Observed a smoke issuing from an air-hole
at the end of the magazine, and immediately ran
from the Fort to give the alarm of fire, when Mr.
P. Lyi, the Signal Officer on the hill, also observ-
ing the smoke, came towards it, and meeting two
brothers, named Tou-z.F.t., who were employed by
him as carpenters, endeavoured to prevail on
them to break open the door. One of them, how-
ever, refused, and went in search of the keys ; but
the other, named EDWARD, having requested a
Soldier, named PONTSNEY, to assist him, he ac-
quiesced, and they agreed to sacrifice their lives.—
Touzat, then proceeded to break open the door
with an axe and a wooden bat, when, finding the
magazine on fire, he rushed into the flames, and
threw out heaps of burning matches. At length,
by the intrepidity of this man in particular, the fire
was subdued before the soldiers or inhabitants could
reach the top of the hill. Capt. LEIGH, and the
Soldiers of the 31st Regiment, then proceeded to in-
sped and empty the magazine, lest any sparks should
remain undiscovered, when, wooderful to relate, they
found two wooden caissoons filled with ammunition,
to be attacked by the fire, and one containing
powder-horns, cartridges, Scc. was nearly half
burnt through : an open barrel of powder was also
situated under some of the beams which were on fire,
and supported the roof
The Constable of the Town has phblished a de-
tailed account of these circumstances, and summoned
the Inhabitants to meet for the purpose of testifying
their gratitude towards the three brave men whose
intrepidity preserved them from destrudion.
A young widow Lady, residing in Jersey, was on
the eve of being married to a Gentlethan for whom
she had the tenderest regard ; three or four young
Ladies, friends of hees, came over from Guernsey a
few days ago, to accompany the young widow as
bride's maids, from Jersey to Guernsey, where the
marriage was to take.place. The Captain of the
small trading Vessel that was to take them over,
had, through complaisance, waited rather longer than
he thought it right; willing, however, to oblige all
parties, he thought, as the wind was fresh, he might
get over the rocks before the tide fell ; but in this
he was mistaken—the tide fell, and his vessel struck
on a rock in St. Owen's Bay, almost close to the
town, and instantly sunk. The widow and three
young Ladies, two Gentlemen, and some others, in
all eight persons, some related to the best families
in the island of Jersey, were unhappily lost the
very bosom of security. • -

SHIP NEWS.

GRAVESEND, JUNE 17.

Passed by—the Recovery, 13'acon, from .the South Seas ;
Queen Charlotte,. Andrews, from Smyrna'; Frederick Wil-
helm, Vanderick, and Vrow Alargaretta, Stutter, /loin Emb-
den.

Sailed—the South Carolina, Still, -I-Or New-York ; Sam-
dragheiten, —, for St. Bartholomew's; Vra Sra de Pie_
dada, Cooke, for Lisbon ;, Calypso, for Dublin ; Pro-
vidence, Maule, Progress, Nicholson, and Adriatic, Burnham,
for Petersburg i
it ; Haddock, for Lubec ; ',raw Rim,
Janson, StadtOldenburgh,•--,longc Jans Alles, and lo-
banns irecierica, --, for TOnningen.
Juts 18. Passed by—the Suelktrt,Bloot, from Catwyck ;
Weinple„ Arkell, Young Meraru, —, and Two Brothers,
Boose, fi:om \Vertinburgh.
Sailed-'-the Vestal, Barber, for Petersburgh; Idigheten,
Osterman, and Vro.v Elizabeth, Bloat, for Catyvyck.