Star.
London, England, 1824-12-01 00:00:00

UNION-NALL

COMPLAIOrk at A SCAOC/TY or Warts AT a FAL—Yesterday
when the Magistrate, R. Ctsawaas, Esq entered the ofilee, Ilan;
the Chief Constable, informed him that a fire broke out at the house
of Mr. Thompson, a blacksmith, in Gravel-lane, between twelve
and one o'clock that morning. He was promptly on the spot, with
a number of the ofi►cers belonging to the establishment; and al-
though upwards of a dozen engines had arrived in the lane, yet not
one of them could be brought into action, in consequence of the
want of Water; indeed, said flail, two hours elapsed before the
water was set on the main ; and, bad it not been that there was an
uncommonly strong and chick party wall to Mr. Thompson's house,
the whole range of buildings on that side of the way mu.a have
been destroyed, as the materials chiefly consisted of wood, &c. Tne
fire, which raged with considerable fury for upwards of three quar-
ters of an hour, was exclusively confined to Mr. Thompson's pre-
mises, by the party-wall ; and after having burned for the above
length of time, the house was redueed to a shell, and the fire mast.
providentially went out of itself, without the aid of water. After
the damage was done,"the constable said the water was then let oit
from the Lambeth Water-works. The turncock, who was ordered to
attend, said that wlmn he is informed that a fire has broken nut in
his district, he immediately proceeds from his residence to the en-
gine-house at Narrow-wall, which is at the distance of about half a
mile, for the purpose of throwing on fresh coals to the fire, in or ei•
to set the engine at work to raise the water into the main. After
haring done so, and assisted the engineer, he then proceeds to till
place where the fire is, and turns on the water. There was no in-*
dividual at the engine-house but the engineer, the stoker having met
with an accident, and the former being unable by himself to work
the engine, which is one of eighty horse power, he (the turncock)
was obliged to do his own and the stoker's duty. This it was, be
said, that caused the delay.—The Magistrate reprobated this sys-
tan of carrying on the duties of Water-works, which, he observed,
should never be without the means of instantly supplying water in
the event of fires, which of late had been so frequent and so destruc-
tive in their consequences. lie then directed that the Directors of
the Company should be made acquainted with the negligence
manifested on the present occasion, and refused to give the re-
ward to the turncock.

An Inquest was held on Monday at the Rock, Lissort
Grove, on the body of Lydia Pear, who died in conse,
quence of falling down stairs, which she had crept up
on her hands and knees, being at that time in a state of
beastly intoxication. Verdict accordingly.

BIRTHS.
Nov. 25, at Bagthorpe House near Nottingham the Laly of
Captain Polhill, of the King's Dragoon Guards, of a daughter.
Monday se'nnight, at Koackershole, the Lady of Capt. Aloud,
R. N. of a daughter.
At Fareham, the Lady of Capt. Edward Chetham, C.B. R.N.
of a son.

At Kilkenny Barracks, the Lady of Capt. Bateman, Paymaster
of the 79th Highlanders, of a daughter.
iklov. 26, in Bryanstane.equare, the Lady of Lieutenant-General
Sir Thomas Hislop, Bart. G.C.B. of a daughter.
26, at the Rectory, Little Bookham, in Surrey, the Lady
of the Rev. G. P. Boileau Pollen, of a soot.
Nov. 13, at Ennis, Ireland, the Lady of Lieut.-CoL Farquhar-
son, 25th Regiment, of a daughter.