Star.
London, England, 1826-12-19 00:00:00

FROM TYE BRISTOL MKRCURY.

One of those awful visitations that seem to set at de-
fiance all the calculations of human prudence, occurred
in this city on Friday night; the fatal consequences of
which have thrown a deep gloom 'over the city, and
excited the most painful sensations in every breast not
utterly destitute of human sympathy. The story is one
of such heart-rending woe, such appalling misery, as to
render most difficult the task of recording the boilable
details; but shocked as may be the feelings at reading
those details, their publication, by the awful lesson they
convey, may prove beneficial, by awakening the public
to the necessity of guarding against this destrhctive
element, where impunity may have hitherto seemed to
render more than ordinary precaution necessary.
The alarm of fire was first made about half-past ele-
ven o'clock ; the first notice appeared to be given to
the public by Or. Oxley, at whose premises, in Wine.
street, it occurred. We cannot srouch for our accuracy
with respect to the origin of this calamitous fire; but
from the inquiries we have made, corroborated by the.
evidenie on the Inquest, we do not doubt its correctness.
There were in the house Mr. and Mrs. Oxley, an infant
six weeks •old, and a child about seven years, who were
sleeping in the front room on the first floor: the shop
girl and a child about four years old in the attic, and
the servant maid with two others in the garret.—These
were the whole of the inmates. The house is one of
those built, like many others in large cities, more for
the convenience of trade than residence ; the staircase
was narrow, and there were no back rooms. The fire
originated in the bed room on the first floor. It appears
that a candle or rush-light was kept constantlfburning,
and from the smallness of the room it was necessarily
near the bed. Mrs. Oxley had awoke with the intention
of suckling her infant and while the child was at the',
breast she • fell asleep. It is feared that in moving the
bed-clothes she must have put them in contact with the
candle. Mr. Oxley was awoke by a sensation of ap-
parent suffocation ; and what must have been his horror
to find his bed, on which himself, bis wife, and infant
were lying, in flames, and the room filled to the most
suffocating degree with smoke ! He first attempted to ex-
tinguish the flames, but without effect ; but his face, his
hands, and arms, are dreadfully burnt. He then tried to
rouse his wife,bat if she was awake she must have fainted
instantly. Finding he could not rouse her, and losing his
presence of mind from excess of pain, agitation,and 1111ffo-
cation, he ran down stairs staked as he was, and rushed
into the street crying out for assistance. The flames in
the windows had, by this time collected some half dozen
persons in front of the house ; in reply to their questions
the unhappy husband and father could only exclaim,
se Oh ! for GOD'S sake, save my wife, save my
chil-
dren ! there are three children at the top of the house I"
He attempted to rush back into the house ;. but, the
moment he opened the door, the •narrow staircase acted
111 re a floe, and put the whole premises in one blaze of
liquid fire; the bunting element poured out of every
window and reached half across the street.

Just previous to this moment the attic window was
observed to open, and a young woman with an infant,
four yeah old, both in a state of nudity, presented them-
selves to the view of the crowd which was beginning to
collect. They begged her to remain a few minutes till
a ladder was brought ; but so rapidly were the !limes
gaining on her, that in despair she threw the child out:
it fell on the lead that projects from under the drawing-
room window : a man rushed across the street to catch
it ; his arm broke the fall, but it rebounded to the paie-
mem. It was taken up bruised, but not so severely as
might be expected ; it will recover. In a moment after
the child reached the ground, the young woman was
seen to throw herself from the window ; she also fell upon
`the leads, and she was then caught the people below;
she is much bruised and cut abotidl/4the head and legs
but she is doing well. The servant girl had escaped out
of the back garret window, through Mr. Batten's house,
taking with her `bne of the children. The remaining
three children, with the unfortunate mother, fell victims
to the devouring element ! The details of the appear-
ance they presented, when found, are too horrible and
disgusting to recapitulate. We must refet our Readers
to the evidence that was taken at the Inquest.
The engines arrived within a quarter of an hour or
twenty minutes of the first alarm of the fire; and to
the great exertions that were made may be attributed
the safety of the adjoining premises, and that it was
confined to the house where it first broke Out. The fire
was entirely got under about half-past one or two o'clock.
We never heard of a fire so dreadfully fatal to hu-
man life, so little' destructive of property. There were,
numerous depredators present; but the neighbours,
immediately the shop door was broken open, took 'pos-
session of the property, and, with the assistance of some
large fire bags. which Mr. T. Fry, of Wine-street, al-
ways keeps by him, and which have been frequently
nstrumental to the saving, of property on such: occa-
sions, they carefully removed nearly the whole.