The Sun.
London, England, 1803-09-03 00:00:00

FIRE 4D ASTLEY's

We yesterday stated. 'this calamitous event. `.!.
The following are further particulars': Mr. Tit. ;.(--
LER, a Baker, in Amphitheatre Row, adjoining
to the Gateway leading to the Stables belonging to
the Theatre, being up with his then bilking, about
a quarter! past two o'clock discovered the Theatre
to be on fire, and the flames: to be bursting through
that part of the roof which was over
.the front of the
Stage; he and his men ran immediately and knocked -
at the d'oors of the several houses in the front of the
Theatre, and the alarm soon became general. We fear
that. no:person was on watch within the. Theatre, or
` the alarm would have been earlier given, and prevent.
ed the shocking aceldrnt which befelMrs,'SM T lit the
mother of Mrs. A'STI. E,Y, she resided .in the
bouse,,in thy:: front of the Theatre, and Which in less
than "to minutes was in flames, when Mrs. &Atit,
who was near 60.' years of age, was seen at the two
pair ••of stairs wit low•neateNt the bridge, attempt.
lag to open it; Mr. Moods,_ a Tinman, who lives
at the corner of Pheettix.:street, .mounted the bal-
cony in .the• front, and thence to the window, but
being unable to open it, was obliged to descend and
use the end of the ladder to demolish the sash ; in
the mean time Mrs. SMITH disappeared, and as it
stems went into the back room, and there fell a
viaim to the flames, for under that spot her remains
Werediseovered•hy the lumen about half past ten ,
o'clock in the forenoon, so shockingly, burnt and. •
mangled. that they were with: .the greatest difficulty
collet:led into 4 bilsket, and ;being covered with .a
carpet, were conveyed over the way to the house
of Mr. RICIIARDODI.:
The moment the fire -was discovered, Mr.
TRAMPOLIN, one cif the performers with M'r. Art...
LEY, and Mr. SEARLE, the ficiat-boilder close by,
iverit to the stables to save the many valU,Jble
These stables were numerous and extensive, fOrtned
by' long ranges of brick walls, and covered by the ,
stage,
~At this time all on the stage was on fire.;
that- all over head 1 but 'the-se Gentleinen roost
courage6tis,ly persevered. They (Minded the horses,
to preverit'O'cm from taking alarm at the flames and
the light,; ..:snd they got them'=all out in safety,
though nortill they had been will, warmed. It is
rentarkahle, that these were the very same Gentle'.
men who saved the liorsei when this Place was
burned down trine yeas ago.
With the exception of the horses, scarcely any
part of Mr. AiTtRY'S property was saved. • A few
scenes, not more than loaded a cart, whfch were in
the outer ipartmenis, were obtained, biit nothing
else. The tuusic-rooni., with all its contents, were
'entirely 'destroyed. In this was deposited the
Music of all the pictei which had ever, been brotight
out at the Amphitheatre, and which, in all,
Cost Mr. Astiatt $5,0001- The music was legible
ye,terday on the black flakes of thb consumed paper.
All the musical instruments, some of thein very va-
luable, belonging to individuals of the Band, were
destroyed. Some Wrecks Of them could be seen
about the ruint. Indeed the mina presented many
Miriositteri.- The contents of the pro'pettraciom,
k which, atter being burnt, had fallen into the
Stables through the stage, were curious. Here were
"words, the barrels of muskets, tin armour, and all
.14* paraphernalia of kings and warriors, which the !daub could not devour: Many individuals belong.
log to the Theatre, as well as the surrounding twigh
bouts, have lost cOhNlderable property ; • nd the least
lost to the perforMere, is not that of heir benefits,
which were approaching.
Mr, and Mrs: /.Is.s.rt. et; junior, were eleeping:ai.a
email ctiontry house they have, ten miles in Surre'
Aciexpress was sent igynediately the fire wait knoWyn. and Mr. AsTLEY, was on the spot by five o'clo k
just in time to know that the games had comiile'
devoured the wlitile Of his ,Piol)ett... : valued "t
More than thirty ihOU sand pounds, IVIts-A'kstt•ev
followed,i and on hearing of the-.fats of her 'mother,
tle fell into violent hysterics, froni which she h: I
not recovered all yesterday., Tlie siitiation of art;
and Mrs. 4sTLEY is • 4 4'
died Aloof a week et-.4l3l"rahle'' Ills mother
burned to death .11°) her mother was yesterday
ins lather is a prisoner of •
rre.ce,
Unjustly held there by bie:CorsicattwMator.
*ter, at 'the mordent his wife to I
married many
years,
was
esit aUtrii,he ,had been
pirtng and noW... ihe
Whole of.his Property and• his hoses e'}'
one ElopeS: We nriderstan'd .A1s11:; night
PartS of ,th s -• • his Y
value cf. premises, at various-fire.
Pin 3,- but nothing like the whole amount.'
The confusion, occasioned by the inhabitants who
surrounded the Theatre un all aides 'removing 'their
goto n.tla was beyond description, and the damage to'
tere has! bedrrimtnense ; fortdnatel W
at lltm , and thand ater was
vent engines assem y
bledin time to pre.
the entire destruelion of any house 'but that
ned"l3' eede ourorotd with the Theatre, although
tv".. •
burnt. y side theft offices and back. premises. are
c)i.,,a_tldosuesveral of them had attually taken fire.
tr.11:11:,11.3
ae_s. in front, Mr. BRE:WER'S, efothes.
Jocts'iskt.i.„,l-Litmlnut(lie damaged behind', Clans ri and
bolsterer, muci- aral*rs;.•the same; HO L is's, Up.
the Stay-maker' "",maged, so is CARMICHAISCS,
Tvi'Y'R's, the D
, andGilman, -ASTER'S, the ....1.01411, Mr.
, raper, is but little damaged., and
GAL an,
On he aod Y StaY-311Pp the same fortunately
the excellent wall Proietted 8"1"'
aressQaChtbaker's pr.emises';'
of the fl god attested the pro.
flames in that direaton, although .the
cro..! turreton
of workshop wete at one time
"re, The houses on the wear side of Phtznix-nrat
escaped with the foss of the vut-hotises only, where
I.thae:ll,' such. Mr. BAR Nes, Carpenter, behind,
tfas,ii.dt,r,C,, lost his back premiies, and his house
Eigh, '6!'fv4l, citifu"ge. so haa Mr. Bmstes's, the ay far.
the srnall houses in Amphitheatre-row, are
T4ch tfatrlag,ed in their roofs by the fierceness of the
te nsslri ui the old scenery deposited in the long shed,
the other side of the wall
Of them at their backs, and two.
were on fire in several places, but the en-
e,nes •
th_ extinguished them. By half past three o'clock
whole of the Theatre hadfallen rend, nOthin
n°"' left b •"n' • • g
ut the bare walls and smoaking ruins.
tier_ty of Guards attended and proteCted the stoat
• of goods collated in Mr. .Rr CHAR oson's yard,
ittli,,_ ti
several other places:: :teas~: iCe ware the
Und
saved from the Theatre«
milotrins of flames whielt RI one time ascended
meonceivibly great, and the crowd assembled
tounti the spot was. immense -; and continued sci
ling the Whole of yesterday.

tlt t's ninit
Astley's former Theatre on this spot. was destroyed
by a like calamity

ANOTHER ACCOUNT.

About half :past two o'clOCk'yesterday.rnorning,
a'thick-and black' smoke was seen by the watchman
to issue out of the back part of ASTLEY'S elegant.
little Theatre, The alarm was immediately given,
and the doors were burst open. No sooner was the-
air introduced, than the flames broke-out in the in_
-tenor part Of the building; in that paq,where the
scenes and machinery are kept. Theperfortnances
on Thursday slight were T/ae heroine #'Cbina, and
:kelt/vas/or. In the latter there is a brilliant.dis.
play of fire-works, -illuminations, &c.• It! is.the.
business of the lamplighters to see that all the, lamps
are carefully extinguished, More particularly after
any entertainment in which there are fire-works.-,
The fire, we have heard, broke out in the lamp.
room ; some sparks ft-Om the fireworks fell upon
the tow in the room, and set .it in a blaze. Our
readert will easily imagine how rapid the spread of
fire Must be among well combustible materials, and
what food must. have been afforded to the flames by
the canvas scenery, and the thin wooden partitions
and Machinery. upon the stage. 'The flames raged
With-most astonishing fury. The fire engines were
immediately sent for; and ,the populace, who a.s.
sembled it crowds, ran down to the Thames iwith.
littcisets.and pits, thinking to be able to be of some
assistance: - Unavailing, however,' were their Well.
meant offers. - Nothing could'stop the fury of the
fire. donstetnetion pervaded all, the inhabitants of
the adjoining houses, which are small. There is a
row of small houses, called AtoPhifieatre Row, the
back parts of which almost.- touch the Theatre.- The
Wretched inhibitants were seen-running to!and fro,
nearly naked, throwing th ir goods out of the win..
dows, and increasing the horror of the - scent by
screams and shrieks. The same scene of Misery
and distress occurred hi net:nix-street, which runs
parallel ivith Amphitheatre Row. AsTtAyt.',late.
acre was situated between those streets,,
In the mean time every effort was glidi
:as much as poisible from tic Theatre. Vite;hortes
wereall.got out without injury ; but ejt,was impos-
sible to save, as we understand, any of the scenery
or machinery, the Rallies were so rapikr The en•
.
guises armed as, soon as.possible, and began. playing
upon the 'Theatre, which occupies a considera4le
dept-h. from the street. Little cited was ortscloceci
•for some tinie. The fire in the 'mean time hail
communicated to the adjoining houses.. Never
were firemen more ;idly; and unremitting in their
exertions;. but the houses unfortunately were most
of them small and slightly built, many of them
chiefly ofwood;

Mrs. SMITtI)
.the mother of Mrs. ASTLVT,
unfortunately was In the house that was inhabited
by her son and daughter, in front of the Theatre.
She was an old Lady, about 60, and rather in.
firm. Two Gentlemen,. Messrs. Moott and U.*.
NETT, made use of every effort in their power to
save her. A laddet was raised to the window.
She was seen to approach the window, and, as We
hear, to run back on a Sudden, as if recolleCting
something, probably she wished ro save some papers
or Money in the'house. As she was coming back
to the window a second time, the floor of the room
gave way, .and'she was seen to fall in with it. It
was now impossible to save her : she was burnt to
death:

• With a Very commendable alacrity the Stelamrs's
Volunteers nod Lambeth Association tan to arms
as soh Its they heard of the fire ; they funned. a
line tottnd the fire and the engines, and thuS kept
off- the: crowd froto impeding the efForts of the
firemen,: and proteded the furniture of the 4tljAin-
ing,houses which was brought out into the streti
all the space from Westroinsrer.bridge to 'the Totn.
pike,, is loaded with the etreas of the poor SofFerers.
t

About six o'cldek tilt flames were got under.
We have not. It'eatd that any but Mrs. Agv.sitie
mother fell a viOim to the flames. Two children
belonging to a waterman were in great danger, but
by, the intrepidity of the firemen were saved. A
constable, named Burr,' was very aelime in endea.
vouting to rescue as much as possible.,ot,,,Me.
tit's prdperty from the flames. He succeeded
saving the chests; in which were deitisiied pla4
and 'other valuables. .r. .T no rig,
'The visitation of the same kind, and in -tiielsame
place,'occurred on the night of the. Duke of Yolkx's
Birth.day, Aug. 16, 1794.. The destruCtion which
then took place, and in a similar way, was as
complete as in the: present instance.
A number of wretches, as usual, profited of the
moment of afflietion, and under the pretext of assist.'
log, despoiled the sufferers of watches, spoons,
&c.
This nefarious practice, however, Was put an end
to by the arrival of the soldiery, who maintained
stria order.

Transports and armed vessels are now assembling
in the Downs; on board of which, it is said, Gen.
Mooita's Brigade, encamped .at Shorn cliff., is to
embaik. The troops in camp at Shorn Cliff, are
the 4th or King's own regiment; goad (Light In.
fantry) ; c4th,,7oth, and Rifle Corps. They are
all, particularly the 4th, and pd Light Infantry,
in the highest- order.
Sir DaNto buranAs had a general inspetlion on
Sunday last of the Horse Artillery,' °Wirth, and
Militia, stationed in the neighbourhood of Chatham,
previous to his leaving his present quarters for Can..
terbury._ _f 1:41

Commissioner Hops is appointed Colonel, J.
Stiturs, tgq. Lieutenant Colonel, and HUGH
P4iLLtssit, Es q. Major, of the five cOMpanies of
Volunteers in Clutham Yard.
At a meeting held at Abergsvenny, onVcduel
risy sentsight, four hundred Volunteers enrolled their
names.

A Spanish house of the first respeilability at Ham-
burgh, has received infOrrnation from Cadjz, that
thee Spanish Cabinet positively refuses the passage of
a French Army through Spain to take poisession of
Portugal. Spain has given orders to farm an Army
of`4o,ooo'men on the frootier.provinecs, bordeiing
on France. The French are said to insist not. oniy
On the free passage of the Troops through
&c. to Portugal,, but also upon B)liitdilion by
laud and fled agriinst Gibia)tar4