Star.
London, England, 1808-09-21 00:00:00

ably mangled, with broken limbs and dreadful bruises.
A party of ruffians, taking advantage of the general
consternation and distress, began to plunder, but eight
of them were apprehended, and lodged In Covent
Garden watch•honse. A gang of pickpockets also
committed great depredations. At nine o'clock, how-
ever, a party of horst soldiers wic sent to keep off the
crowd, and a party of foot soldiers to relieve the vo-
lunteers.

The loss sustained by the dcstniction of this great
property is estimated at A 150,000, of which not
more than one-third was insured, as follows :
The Royal Exchange - . E 5,000
The Phoenix - - .- 15,000
The Union - - - 5,000
The Sun - - - 25,000

Total £50,000
The money and all the title deeds which were in
the iron chest have been saved. The money was
saved by the activity of Mr. Hughes, and the ho-
:testy of the old woman who awoke him. He ran to
the Treasury on the first alarm, and loaded her with
two bags of money, with which he sent her off, with-
out any dress but her petticoat, to Mr. Boyce, a tax-
gatherer in York-street. On her arrival at Mr.
Boyce's, however, and knocking at the door, the ser-
vant seeing such a figure at such an hour, refused ad-
mittance, supposing her a mad woman. The poor
woman, thus excluded, and fearing to inform the pas-
sengers of the treasure, sat down upon the bags, at
the steps of the door, and there remained until the re-
turn of Mr. Hughes, who had originally escorted her
to the door. Of all the rest of this great property,
Such was the fierceness of the flames, scarcely any
thing was preserved.
The King's Arms, a Roman Eagle, Mother Goose,.
a few other pantomimic devices and-pieces of mecha-
nism, and some pikes, halberts, &e. used in proces-
sions, were all that were preserved. They were
broight out, and laid under the Piazza, where they
were huddled together, presenting in the mixture a
strange and whimsical appearance. Next to Mr.
Harris, Mr. Kemble, and the other Proprietors of
the Theatre, the musicians are the greatest sufferers.
Mr. Ware lost a violin value 3001. It was the only
time in a space of two years that he had left it behind
him. The musicians are in the habit of leaving all
their instruments at the Theatre ; they were all- de-
stroyed, with all the musk, and other appurtenances
of the Orchestra, estimated at 20,0001. value.—
To aggravate the loss in this department, there are
no copies of many of the best pieces. All the lite-
rary productions of the House are also destroyed,
and of many of them also there are no copies. Miss
- Bolton lost all her jewels, and Mr. Mundell his
wardrobe, valued at 3901. All the other performers
have also shared in the calamity ; and, according to
the usage of the Theatre, their salaries cease uatil
theft perfomiances can be resumed. By this cams-
teophe npvhrds of 200 other persons, with their fa-
milies, consisting of artificers, door-keepers, and other
inferior servants, employed about the Theatre, are
thrown out of bread. The event may therefore be
said to have spread distress through the neighbour-
hood, and consigned many industrious families to
actual want.
Among the killed, whose bodies were conveyed to
St. Paul's Chinch-yard, Covent-garden, were Joseph
Holmes' —Jones, an apprentice at No. 5, Oxford.
road ; Joseph Kilbey and Richard Riglesnvorth, fire-
men belonging to the Phoenix Office; Crab, a
butcher's boy, whose master resides in Paternoster-
row ; and an officer in the Duke of Cumberland's
sharpshooters, name unknown. One of these suf-
ferers was recognised by his sister, by means of a
nutmeg-grater, found in his pocket, of which she
had, on the preceding day, made him a present.
Of the mangled and contused, sent to the hospi-
tals, the following expired in the course of the day :
Richard Bird, coachniaker, John Sayers, engineer of
the Phoenix engine, Mr. Harris, optician, a young
man, aged eighteen, and a member of the Blooms.
bury Volunteer Corps, and Mr. James, an attorney ;
be had only arrived in town from Wales, about a
week ago, and lodged at the house of Mr. Watkins,
tailor, York-street, Covent-garden. He was brought
home to his lodging, but had scarcely entered the
ship when he expired. Among those in a dangerous
state at the hospitals are, Peter Fish, fireman of the
Phoenix Office. A man brought into the Piazza
Coffee-House, with his arm burnt, was in such
agony, that, mad with pain, he tore the flesh down
to the wrist. He was sent to St. Bartholomew's
Hospital in a most deplorable state. A pillar of the
balcony at the entrance of the Theatre, from Bow-
street, gave way, and two Volunteers, it is said, of
the Blm)insbury Corps, were crushed to death. Two
females, who had ascended the roof cf one of the
houses destroyed in Bow-street, it is said pe-
rished in the ruins.
It may be seen from the above account, that the
men of the Phoenix Office were the prine;pal sufferers.
On their arrival with their engine at the great door
under the Piazza, they were met by Mr. Kemble, who
had arrived at an early hour, and were humanely ap-
prized by him, though greatly interested in thesucce:s
of their exertions, of the great danger of entering at
.that door. He told them that the rooms of the Shake-
speare, immediately adjoining, were used as a ware-
house to the Theatre, and were filled with powder,
s)il, and other very inflammable matter, and entreated
them not to run any risk. These brave and bold
fellows answered—,, Where danger is there is our
duty ;" and rushed forward. Mr. John Johnstone,
a Comedian of inferior order, rushed in along with
them, and shared their fate.
A part of the Sliakspeare is irjured, and it is not
improbable that sane of the powder stored in it may
have exploded, blown up the ceiling at the entrance
of the Piazza door, and spread destruction in that
quarter. The persons without, who heard the crash,
conceived it to be an explosion cf gun-powder. We
forgot to mention, that seven other persons were killed
by the fall of a wall in Hart-street. The precise
number cannot be yet ascertained, but, upon a mo-
derate computation of the killed and wounded, it is
supposed that they cannot be fewer than fiity. Du-
ring the whole course of the day the engines continued
to play upon the smoking ruins ; but, about nine
o'clock, the fire appeared to break out again in the
angle that the element had spared in the morning,
between Hart-street and. Bow-street. It was, how-
ever soon got under, and at twelve o'clock last night
-there was no symptom of new danger.
Upon enquiry this morning, we find that of nine

perions carried to St. Bartholomew's liospitll
yec-
terday, five died in the course of the night.—The
ruins were falling in at intervals throughout the whole
of this day.

Every thing itt the Treasury Department, with the
exception of the iron chest, which we believe has been
found, was utterly destroyed • and it was not without
considerable difficulty that Mr. Hughes, the Trea-
surer, who slept that evening in his apartments, es-
caped. It is usual to make up three receipts—the first
includes the whole price, which is deposited in the iron.
chest; and the two latter comprehending the halfprice
accounts, which, as they are usually received at a late
hour, arc placed in drawers, the amount of which
was of course lost. Sloper, the Carpenter of the
Theatre, who has been confined for some time by in-
disposition, was very near perishing; and Mr. Hill, the
Copyist, has lost every moveable and article of
furniture that he -possessed. At the Bar in the
Saloon, a very serious and individual loss has been
sustained to the amount of 200/. expended in wines,
liquors, and refreshments, for the frequenters of
the Theatre, not a single article of which was
either saved or insured. It must have been a con-
soling
alleviation to the anxiety of Mr. Brandon,
that during this horrid scene Mr. Brandon and family
were at their residence at Barnes. Several of his
friends attempted to save part of his furniture, but 1
he entreated them to direct their exertions, as indeed
his own constantly and assiduously were employed,
to the general welfare of the concern, and it is a
pity that such strenuous efforts were rendered una-1
vailing by the irresistible fury of this dreadful element.
Mr. Harris, jun. arrived with all possible speed at the
distressing scene of action, and immediately dispatch-
ed an express with the intelligence to his father, at
Belmont, near Uxbridge. Ivlr. Kenible and Mr.
Lewis were also present ; they supported the sight of
this dreadful spectacle with as much firmness and
presence of mind as they could command, and were
laudably active in direction and personal exertion.—
The Prince of Wales's Volunteers, and the Duke of
Chmberland's Sharp Shooters, arrived early, to keep
open the passages to the Theatre, and prevent the in-
conveniences arising from a mob. These were soon
followed by a detachment of the Life and Foot
Guards, who continued at all the avenues leading
to the scene of ruin, and in the different openings to-
wards Covent-garden, till their assistance was no
longer necessary.
In consequence of this afflicting event, the Perfor-
mers, Artists, Mechanics, &c. belonging to the esta-
blishment, will be deprived of their salaries, and
many of them for some time of the means of neces-
sary subsistence. Those who know the merits, the
worth, and excellent character of Mr. Harris, must
sincerely sympathise with him in the vast loss he has
thus unexpectedly sustained. The public will not,
however, we trust, be long deprived of the admirable
talents of the Company.
It was a most unfortunate circumstance, that for a
length of time no water could be procured, nor was
there a free supply until a messenger had been sent
to the River Head, near Sadler's Wells; in which
interval the devouring flames raged with dreadful
rapidity : the engines were, during this period, fur-
, nished from the private pumps of the Bedford and
Piazza Coffee-houses.

The following are the Volunteer Corps who attend-
ed
yesterday upon this melancholy occasion: the Duke
of Cumberland's Sharp-shooters, British Artificers,
St. James's, St. Clemcnt's, St. Pancras, Blooms-
bury, and Gray's Inn Rifle Corps. They all ex-
erted themselves to the utmost, to keep off the crowd,
and prevent depredation.
How awful and distressing a situation must he a
neighbourhood adjoining the spot in which such a fatal
scene has been witnessed ! This should induce all per-
sons to be provided with some means to escape, when
surrounded by that awful and most to be dreaded of
' all calamities—Fire I None, we have noticed, de-
serve the attention of the Public more than those
made by J. Cooper, No. 9, High Holborn, where they
may be inspected, and their utility described.

Thursday afternoon, after laying the foundation.
stone of the new Prison, at Edinburgh, the LORD
PROVOST and Magistrates gave an elegant turtle feast
to the Hon. WILLIAM MAULE, the Grand Master
Mason Elect of Scotland, the Officers of the different
Lodges, Lord Viscount CATI4CART, Commander in
Chief, and a number of Noblemen and Gentlemen,
who had been present at the interesting ceremony.
BIPROVENIENTS IN WF.STNIINSTEr..—They have be-
gun the demolition of the old houses that stand be-
tween Palace-yard and the River Thames. The whole
row, in which is the ancient Star Chamber, is to come
down. The perspective view of Westminster Bridge
thus admitted from the new opening, north of the
Abbey, is extremely fine. An embankment is to be
made in the River, to form a terrace walk. This
, ought to be sufficiently broad, and to be carried the
I whole length of the Parliament buildings, between the
SPEAKER'S Garden and the River. The Royal en-
trance to the House of Lords, commenced last year,'
remains much in the same state. Workmen have be-
gun to restore the basement of the north front of
Westminster Hall. St. Margaret's Church, we un-
derstand, is to remain on account of the great ex-
pellees very recently incurred in its repairs. Parlia-
ment voted, within these few years, 11,0001. for that
purpose. It is in contemplation to enrich its exteric r
with the new cement, so as to make it groupe better
with the Abbey. The cost of repairing and restor-
ing the inside and outside of the Chapel of Henry the
Seventh, is estimated by professional men at not less
than 37,0001.

Yesterday morning about three o'clock, slme thieves
attempted to rob a silversmith's shop in the Borough.
They had succeeded so far as to cut a square hole,
about eight inches wide, in the shutters: But fcrlti-
'lately an apprentice, who lay in a room adjoining
the shop, hears them, and immediately gave an
alarm, on which the villains decamped.
Friday se'nnight, C. F. M. Bouchier, a French offi-
cer, a prisoner of war in this country, was conveyed
from the county jail at Huntingdon, to Yaxley Bar-
racks, where he was hanged, agreeable to his sentence
at the last Assizes, for stabbing with a knife, with an
intent to kill, Alexander Halliday, in order to effect
his escape from that prison. The whole garrison was
under arms on the occasion, and all the prisoners in
the different compartments were made witmoses of
the impressive wile.