The Sun.
London, England, 1842-12-15 00:00:00

DREADFUL FIRE-SEVEN LIVES
LOST.

At a late hour last night, the vicinities of the Mi-
nories and Goodman's-fields were thrown into a most
painful state of excitement by the outbreak of a dread-
ful fire, accompanied by fearful sacrifice of human
life, in Little Prescott-street, Goodman's-yard, Mino-
ries. The premises in which this deplorable event
originated were situated at the west si le of the street,
within a few yards of the Blaelcwall Riilwr.y. '1 hey
consisted of a dwelling-house, four stories high, the
property of Mr. Cook, a soap •boiler, -hi Goodman's-
fields, who let them out to numerous faMilies, to the
number, it was reported, of no fewer than 25 indi-
viduals. The ground floor was tenanted by a green-
grocer, named Shackleton ; the first-floor front room
by a foreigner (a manufacturer of Dutch drops) ;
the third floor by Mrs. Holland and her four
daughters ; and the remainder of the rooms by
other persons, the names of whom could not be
obtained. The discovery was made about a quar-
ter past ten o'clock, and the first to raise an
alarm were some of the inhabitants, whose atten-
tion was attracted by the smoke and sparks issuing

from the room over the shop front, tenanted by the
Dutch-drop maker. They instantly commenced
knocking violently at the street-door, whilst others
endeavoured to arouse the inmates by throwing stones
at the windows; but for a length of time none of
them made their appearance. At last the front door
was opened, and two females rushed out in a state of
nudity. By this time police-constable Rutlege, 192,
of the H division, came up, in company with other
constables, when an attempt was made to force a pas-
sage up the staircase, but it was found impracticable,
in consequence of the smoke and heat, which was in-
tense. A few minutes afterwards two females made
their appearance at the windows of the second floor,
in an abject state of suffering. It was evident that
the window was their only means of escape, and the
mob, which had now increased to nearly one hun-
dred persons, shouted out to them to hold on until
some ladders were brought, while others called for
them to jump out. The poor creatures got one of
their legs over the sill of the window, and after remain-
ing in that position for a second or two, one threw
herself out and fell with awful violence upon the
pavement, smashing, apparently, every bone in her
body, the height being upwards of thirty-five feet.
Directly afterwards the other precipitated herself in
a similar manner, but, fortunately, her fall was in a
alight way broken by alighting on the lead front of
the shop window ; before being picked up she was
proved to be dreadfully injured, and as soon as the
stretcher could be procured, she was forthwith con-
veyed to the. London Hospital. The other unfortunate
sufferer proved to be dead. She was recoanised to be
Julia Holland, and the other her sister Nancy Ilol-
land, young women, under the age of three-and-
twenty. In the interval the terrible element had
made rapid progress ; it had extended up the stair-
case to the rooms above, and shortly shot forth from
the roof, attracting an immense concourse of per-
sons to the spot. A body of the II division of
police had previously blocked up the different
avenues leading to the burning building, under
the direction of Mr. Pearse, the Superintendent, as-
sisted by Mr. Inspector Norman, thereby affording
ample space for the operations of the firemen, who
speedily came up from the stations of the brigade in
Jeffrey-square, Wellclose-square, Watling-street, and
other parts of the City. Immediately the firemen
reached the scene, they used every effort to ascertain
whether any person remained on the premises, but
such was the consternation that prevailed that they
were utterly unable to obtain the slightest information
upon the subject. Mr. Braidwood, the superinten-
dent of the force, accompanied the Watling-street
station engine, which, with the rest, were brought
into active operation, the supply of water being plen-
tiful. In consequence of the dilapidated state of the
premises, fears were apprehended that the flames
would communicate to houses that adjoined ; but
ultimately, through the strenuous . exertions of the
firemen, they succeeded in stopping their extension to
that in which it commenced; it was nearly gutted ere
the fire could be checked, which was• not till 12 o'clock.

,
Shortly after the fire had been somewhat got un-
der, Mr. Braidwood directed some of his men to dis-
cover whether any person was missing, and shortly
they learned from a poor man named Proudfoot, who
tenanted a room on the second floor, that three of his
children were not to be found. He said he had saved
his wife and two children, but whether any one had
preserved the rest he was unable to say. The poor
creature was running about in all directions in quest
Upon
of them, and appeared almost distracted.lichhaa
been placed
this
e ad
information, Mr. Braidwood ordered two of his men
to ascend the scaling ladders which
against the walls of the premises, and, if the ruins
would permit, to search among them.
At one o'clock in the morning two bodies, namely,
those of children, were found by Carter and an-
other of the brigade among the rafters of the flooring,
on the second floor, shockingly burnt and disfigured.
dTheseren!
shprovedort
Shortly
to
after be those
anotherb
of poorody of a child was
Proud fo ot's c hil-
found on the same floor, apparently a girl of about
six years of age.
Two o'Cnocx.—We regret to state that the fire-
men, in further searching the ruins, discovered three
other bodies—namely, that of an elderly female and
two children. At the present moment Mr. Braid-
wood and his men are lowering the mutilated remains
down the ladders in blankets, and conveying them to
a public-house on the opposite side of the street. The
latter are supposed to be the mother and sisters of the
unfortunate creatures, Julia and Nancy Holland, who
threw themselves out of the window. It is impossible
to identify them, nothing remaining but their trunks,
burnt almost to a blackened cinder.
The sensation that exists in the neighbourhood is
immense, and the place is thronged with people.

LA.IEST PARTICULARS THIS DAY.
The scene of this truly melancholy disaster is
thronged by thousands of persons as the day advances,
and the utmost excitement prevails. From the con-
fusion incident to such an event, it was almost im-
possible to come at any thing like a succinct or trust-
worthy account of the origin of the fire, or its con-
sequences, but the prevalent opinion amongst those who
have means offorming a true one is, that even more per-
sons than what, was originally stated have lost theirlives.
A number of labourers, under the direction of the
Fire Brigade, are excavating the ruins, and it is to be
feared that the report that all Proudfoot's children
were lost will be soon verified by the discovery of their
remains, as much of the rubbish at the back part of
the house in which Proudfoot's family resided, has
been cleared away. The two unrecognised bodies,
which were found in the ruins, have not
as yet been identifie-1, but it is surmised they were
those of the sister and niece of the foreigner who
lodged in the second floor. It is now known that up-
wards of 30 individuals lodged on the premises, and
those_who escaped are at present located amongst
their immediate neighbours, by whom they are treated
with that sympathy which their melancholy si-
tuation should excite. The poor girl (Holland)
who miraculously
herself from the window, still lies
escaped being dashed to pieces
in a state of insensibility in the hospital, and consider-
able doubts are entertained of her recovery. It was
stated that the premises were insured to the full
amount of their value, but the poor persons who were
when ss o
he precipitated
lodgers have lost all their property, as, owing to the
sudden outburst of the flames, they were unable
to save more than the clothes upon their backs.
From a source upon Which we can rely, we are
enabled now to announce the melancholy fact, that
no less than nine individuals have lost their Eves by
this dreadful fire. It originated in the room occupied
by the foreigner, who, with his wife, were fortunately
enabled to make their escape. When the fire first
broke out Proudfoot rushed down the burning staircase
with a child in his arms, and escaped through the hall
into the street, after being severely burnt. His
wife after some delay attempted to follow him, but the
stairs were then all in flames; and through the exer-
tions of Mr. Cock she was saved, by getting through
a back window, after being shockingly burnt about
the head and neck. Mrs. Holland and four daughters
resided in the attic. Of the melancholy fate of two
we have spoken already ; but the more painful
task remains of stating that
the mother and
the two other girls, both remarkably fine young
women, after remaining at the window for several
minutes imploring that aid which no person could
afford, fell back into the burning mass and perished.
Upon the same floor resided a person named Sum-
mers, with his wife and three children, of whom two
of the children were unable to escape and were burnt
to death.

THE EXTRAORDINARY ATTRA
-IPT AT MURDER AM)
SUICIDE. AT THE AUCTION i
&ART TAVERN.—Last
night sYrnptoms of the female
w
and information had been sent
to Mr. Commissioner Harvey to that effect. The
erelietss was reported , that the
young man, Connell, who is still at St. Thomas's
, after a
stable of the City police, has been pronounced by the
in custody of a con-
Hospital, where he is constantly
medical gentleman of the Institution to be out of
them that in a few days
to
love her?'
be able to undergo
hanee."x' Major, at the Mansion
House. He appears to be devotedlydanger,
examination
itthe
recovered
Lord
attached to his
1:81.WORTII PEEL.—We
Consstuancl:l3,a.
ejaculating,disparitof
i, n, c
ot eDhnEdtidaitivwi
ocotrmi maA,n;ubt.ohuna gt
OhßEt
woman,iteTr e I
years between them. He is
of the above gentleman, brother of the Right Hon. Sir
Lawrence Peel, Chief Justice protracted illness,
of Bengal, and first
have to announce the death
cousin of the Right Hon. Sir Robert Peel, Bart. Ile
died at St. Asaph, on Saturday last. The deceased
was in his 53d year, and was formerly in the 3d Dra-
goon Guards.
Christmas-day, which this year occurs on Sunday,
will not so fall again for 11 years— namely, not until
1853 ; the year 1848, in which such an event would
otherwise have happened, being leap year. •