Star.
London, England, 1809-02-25 00:00:00

DRUItr-LANE tHEATRE CONSUMED ,r 3;
FIRE.

Last night this superb edifice was burnt to the ground. we
learned that about a quarter past eleven o'clock at night, tie
flame burst o*t at the lobby windows of the front In L7ye2..s.
street, while volumes of smoke were seen issuing from wiry
part of the Theatre. In less than a quart 2.1. of an hour it *rud
into ate unbroken flame over the whole of the immense pd..
extending from Brydges-strees to Drury-lane; so that the paia;
of fire was not less than 450 feet in breadth. It is impossible f
the mind to conceive any thing more magnificent than the spec
Itacle, if the idea of the horror and ruin which it brought so
the sufferers could bate been separated from the sublimity of tt.,.

object.
In about thirty minutes after its commencement the Ap-sllo
the top fell into the pit, and soon after the whole of the r.;0f.r.1,a
fell. The reservoir of water on the top, which our Reader, w,;l
recollect formed, with the iron curtain, the topic of reliance for
security in the Prologue with which the new Theatre was opm,„*..
was like a mere bucketful to the volume of fire on which it 1.,1i,
and bad no visible effect in damping It. Any attempt to go r... 41
the flames was totally impracticable—and all that wits saved from
ruin was done by the presence of mind and activity of Mr. Kt. N'..
a literary Gentleman, who was the first to discover the
He hurried to the door and gave the alarm. Mr. Pews., the
Prompter, and Mr. Jonas sox, the Mechanist, with the two sratlii.
men, and Mr. KENT, were the only persons present, fur Li a.:g
Friday in Lent, there had been no play nor relit arsal.
They ascertained that the fire broke out in the hall, utal:t the
lobby at the Brydges-street entry, which has been shut ep this
season, and where some plumbers had been at work. It was,
when Ir KENT broke in, confined to that spot ; and they made
en ineffectual attempt to get out the, theatre engine, and play en
it from their reservoir; but in ten or twelve miuutes it ran up
the front boxes and spread like kindled flax. This may be ac-
counted for from tke body of air which so large a hollow afforded,
and also to the circumstance of the whole being a wooden case.
Finding it impossible to prevent the destruction of the budding,
the Gentleman saved the books from the room called the 'trea-
sury, and they were carried safely to Mr. KEN r's hou,e, in T.
vistock-street. The only other article saved was a bureau, to
Mrs. JORDAN'S room. Mr. KENT broke the paanels of the deli.,
and brought out the bureau. All farther endeavour, were ten-
dered impossible, by the excess of heat.
About a quarter before twelve, a body of horse-guards, kat•
guards, and volunteers came to the place, and the engine:: resche I
the spot front every quarter; but they could do nothing. Yu;
of the wall next to Vintgar-yard fell down' and the her
Mrs.
Macbeath; the fruiterer, caught fire. The night wax
commonly fine, and the body Of flame spread such a mass of th;ht
over the metropolis, that every surrounding object 8:::;:-red aCI
the brightness of gold.
Mr. Sheridan was in the House of Comm9ns, assisting in the
important discussion on Mr. Ponsonhy's motion. he
was illuminated by the blaze of light t and the Interest univer-
sally taken in the circumstance interrupted the debate. A
data was made to adjourn, but Mr. Sheridan said, wilt grr...t
calmness, " That whatever might be the extent of the rkiv
" calamity, he hoped it would not interfere with the public hag-
" ness of the country." He then left the House, and the discw.
sion proceeded. Many of his friends accompanied him to t't.
scene, but it was too late for any effort to b.: made : and all that
the engines could effect, was to save the houses in Vin:•gar-yard,
and Russell-street, the roofs of which had caught fire, from being
burnt down. Mrs. Macbeath's suffered most.
About half past twelve, parts of the outward walls, both in
Russell-street and Vinegar Yard, fell down, and completely
blocked up the passage, but fortunately no lives were lost. 'lle
edifice was insured, but not for a sum near its value, as wiz
which it can be rebuilt. The insurance is in the Imperial, the
British, the Globe, the Hope, and the Eagle. We have rat heard
the precise =mint, but we understand, that since the t'.estructicu
of Covent-Garden, the insurance in the new Offices has been in-
creased. The loss to the performers is most serious. They have
lost every thing—and, in one day, several hundred persons ..se
thrown out of bread. There is no place in town to which they
can have resort as a temporary theatre, unless they were to divide
themselves into several parties, and act at the Pantheon, or the
minor theatres, in the Lyceum, Catharine-streeet, or theßoyalty.
Mr. THOMAS SHERIDAN has been very unwell at Bath; hut
he was expected in town yesterday. We know not whether he
had arrived when the calamity happened.
At one o'clock this day the whole exhibited a Confused mass of
smoaking ruins, but no appearance of flame whatever was visible
—Such of the walls as have been left standing are in a torterirg
state, and me huge pile at the western extremity, adjoinir.„;
Brydgei-street and Covent-garden, is expected to fall In every
moment. The firemen anti constables are actively employed in
keeping Off the crowd, to prevent accidents.
The• whole of the Piazza, fronting Russel-street, has been
•vi rwhelmed in the ruins, and the swami composing the Colc-
.nade are literally shivered to atoms.
The private property of the performers, in dresses, &c. his
been of course entirely lost, as well as many of the valuabi: in-
struments in the Orchestra.
Thus, within a few months, the two principal Theatres of this
great metropolis have been destroyed In a similar manner. }lip-
pity, the preser.t conflagration has been attended with fetes of thot
lamentable consequences which marked the destruction of Co-
vent Garden Theatre. We have heard of only one human lite
being lost, and of no serious bodily injury having occurred to any

person.
This inclement season of the year, when Fires in this great Me-
tropolis are frtquenr, from which no human prudence has hith:r-
to prevailed to stop tke fatal consequences of so great a calamity,
as above recited, should caution all families to be provtd.ll
with some means of escape from so dreadful a calatity ;—tlie
Machine made by Coors's, No. 9, high Holborn, has stood un
rivalled fur upwards of thirty years past ; much can be satisfacto-
rily explained by applying as above.

The Baggage of the British Army left in Spain, when they em-
barked for Spain, is arrived in Spain.
The 51st V.egiment is expected at Chichester. The I .i:yht Bri-
gade of the German Legion has marched from that town for Bex-
hill, their old quarters. The Ist Battalion marched on Thursday,
and the other followed this morning.
The Smallbridge, AH, a ti a.,sport from Vigo, with five offi-
cers, and about 200 of the 2d Light Battalion of the King's Ger-
man Legion, is still missing.
PORTSMOUTH, FE B. 94.—Arrived his Majesty's ships CYGNET
and DAPPER, with a convoy from the Downs.—Sailed his lki.e
jesty's ships THAMES, ENOYMION, PRINCE ARTHUR, ALL 1:-
DANCE, and JASPER, with a large fleet under convoy fur Spin,
Portugal, and the Mediterranean.—Wind N. E.
Dovta, Frs. 24.—His Majesty's sloop OsYR E v has recap.:
and sent in here the Pappenburg hoy Vrow Getina, laden oi;li
brandy, from Rochefort, bound to London. Came in last nit lr,
with the loss of her bowsprit and an anchor broke, the ship Glas-
gow, Captain La:c DE t, from London, bound to Dublin, with t, a,
hops, Sec. having been run on board of.—Just come in the brig
transport Stirling, THOMAS Etticrr, '. C. having on board part
Of the 82d and other regiments from Portsmouth.—Wind South,
and moderate.
Maass. ice, Fes. 24.—Arrived, at nine o'clock last night, the
CENTS NEL gun-brig, Lieut. KING, from Gottenbargh, fr,tr.
whence he sailed last Sunday week. He brousht with him the
Captain (Most Kis) and crew of the MAGNET sloop of war, th..,
ship being totally lost in the ice : about 20 sail (her covoy) are
also reported to be lost. When Lieut. KING sailed front (ht'
tenburgh the ice had entirely disappeared there.
YAaMOUTH, FE e. 24.—Sailed the Crocodile, Devastation, 7.,e-
-nobia, Censor, and Mariner, on a cruize.—Arrived the Breeds-
geren and remains with the Roebuck, Aboukir, Princess Caro-
line, B
elletodhon, Stately, Brunswick. Egeria, Briseis, Havoc,
Britoniart, Vixen, and Richmond,—Wind N.
The Twenty and Ten Thousand Pound Prizes, besides other
Capitals Shared and Sold by HORNSBY and Co. in the last
Lottery, are paying in full at the Old Established State Letter/
Offices, No. 26, CORNHILL, and St. hIARGARET'S BILL, Bo-
ROUGH j where Tickets and Shares for the present superior Lot-
try are on Sale. The Advantages to the Purchasers are -us:h
as to render them incalculable. The Prized are well arr.:,;cai
and the 1,500 Extra Chances so very beneficial, that curry one
wao can with ease become an Adventurer, no doubt wiil
their good Fortune.

DIED. to
At Steyrtlag Barracks, on Thursday evening last, most =i
regret cd by Ins Broth. r Officers, C iptain Nla.rtin Arms:r6 .
of
the First Battaton of the lift't Regimet7;.

LONDON: Printed sad Published by LEVEL KENT,,i(..'"
terbury Plate, Lambeth, at the STAR-Orrick., No. I,k "Ir'.
street. pulilished also at the STAK-Orriea, Temple Bar•

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