Star.
London, England, 1824-08-17 00:00:00

HALIFAX, JUNE 21.

A fishing vessel has lately returned to Margaret from
St. Paul's Island, off Cape North, where they discovered
eleven dead bodies of persons lying in a tent on the
island, supposed to have perished from cold and star-
vation, as there appeared signs of their living on each
other. Part of a vessel was on shore, but no papers
were found by which her name could be discovered.

Some regulation of police is evidently called for with
respect to an abundant supply of water in those cases
of sudden conflagration which will occasionally happen
in large cities like this metropolis. We have had two
very recent instances in which the exertions of the file-
men have been rendered almost useless, in consequence
of the scarcity of water. In most cases the fires, when
they are first discovered, might be got under and extin-
guished, if water enough could be procured. Much
time, it is well known, is always lost before the en-
gines can be worked ; and if it were not for the party-
walls and the width of the streets, the most dreadful
consequences would follow here, as in other crowded
towns, mole closely and less carefully built. It is singu-
lar, that in a city which is better watched, paved, and
lighted, and whose police is, upon the whole, so much
superior to that of any other in the world, the proven-
tion'of public conflagration should have been almost
entirely overlooked. It is true, we believe, that in
every parish there is an engine or two kept at the pub-
lic expense, with about the same number of firemen ;
but these engines, and their managers, are generally
found to be unfit even to quench a burning chimney.
—The safety of the town depends on the provision
made for that purpose by the Fire Insurance Offices,
amongst which, we are informed, the burden is very
unequally borne. These offices, however, have no autho-
rity or controul over the Water Companies, without whose
aid all their well-provided apparatus Is useless ; and
thus we often have neighbourhoods thrown into alarm
and confusion by fires, which most frequently on their
first discovery might, with a sufficient supply of water,
be easily extinguished. In the late fire In Greville-
street, it appears, that the destruction of the printing-
office in which it commenced might have been easily
prevented, if the firemen, immediately on their arrival,
eoisld have brought their engines into operation. The
Caledonian Chapel, near toHatton-garden, must certainly
have been destroyed on Saturday night, for want of wafer,

if the firemen had not obtained a considerable supply
from a large cistern or well op the adjoining premises.
These miters. are worthy. of Ostia attention, And we
least thak these recent occurrepcevivill, not. be allowed
to: Okssiver withourklaviog
-the Public of the4ecessity of instituting some efficient
regulation, of police, with respect to this subject, in
every parish in the metropolis. If Any disinclination
Ithould exist on the part of the Water Companies.triac-
cede to the arrangement's which may-be devised—a
circumstance we by no• means anticipate—application
must be made to Parliament, to impose upon them the
obligation of affording the fullest supply of water,
where the general safety requires it. The cost would•
be but trifling to establish reservoirs at reasonable dis-
tances throughout this great city.