Star.
London, England, 1817-12-08 00:00:00

DREADFUL FIRES is; NEWFOUNDLAND.

Saturday afternoon arrived at "ortsmo tb his Ma-
jesty's sloop PIKE, Captain Euctsast, frdm St. John's,
Newfoundland, in eleven days, leaving there the Slit
FRAKVS DRAKS, (Vice-Admiral Pic►wtotte), Captain
Bowxett ; TAMAR. Captain Toxee ; EGa►uA, Cap-
tain RowLmc ; and the FLY, Captain BALDWIN.—She
brings accounts of two most destructive fires at St.
John's, which destroyed one-half the houses, and the
principal part of the property in the to .% n. The con-
sequeoces to the poorer part of the population, in
the ensuing winter, were contemplated with the most
painful feelings. His Excellency Vice-Admiral Pict:-
MORE issued a Proclamation on the Bth November,
stating, that it had been represened to him, that in
consequence of the extensive destruction cauied by the
late disastrous fire, among the principal storehouses
, and depositories of provisions intended fir the winter
supply of the inhabitants of ti.is town, an alarming
scarcity may ensue at a season of the year when it
will be impossible to obtain an adequate relief; he
thought fit to impose a temporary emliargo upon the
export of provisions from the port of St. John's, until
the extent of the evil could 'be ascertained, and such
measures adopted as the exigencies of the case may
require. We extract the particulars from the Royal
Gat: tte and the Aftrcaati& Journal, which have
reached us :

" DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.
(FROM THE ROYAL GAZETTE, NoVENEIR 18.)
41 Painful and difficult is the task which devolves
upon us of recording the truly distressing fire with
which this ill-fated town was again visited on Friday
night, the 7th instant. The flames were first dis
covered about half-past ten o'clock, issuing from an
uninhabited house, about 40 yards from the Asys/
Gazette ()eke, in front of Mr. William B. Thomas's

dwelling, and in ten minutes communicated to the
sorrounding buildings; by this time the inhabitants
had assembled, but the engines, with their united
efforts, seemed of little use in checking this elide-
waning element, which now began to assume an ap-
pearance that struck every beholder with terror and
dismay. In the centre of the town, between two
streets not exceeding 20 feet in width, all exertion
was unavailing to stem the current of conflagration ;
the flames spread in every direction with the rapidity
of lightning, until about six o'clock on Saturday
morning, when the exertions of the more respectable
part of the community, aided by the army and navy,
succeeded in arresting its progress at the King's
Wharf. To give an adequ4te description of the aw.
ful, we had almost said teiribie grandeur of the scene,
we confess our inability. The glaring splenJour of
the flames dissipated the darkness of tne night, and
discovered the misery is which we were placed. Im-
mense volumes of smoke rising majestically above
the buildings, at once obscured the dazzling blase of
light, and reflected it back again on the earth.
" When the morning dawned such a scene of deso-
lation presented melt as perhaps very few of the
spectators ever before witnessed, and such as we sin-
cerely hope they never may behold again ; a space of
ground extending nearly a quarter of a mile in length,
and 500 yards in breadth, was cleared of the houses
which stood thereon. From the Dissenting Meeting.
house to the Church-yard, on the west side ; all the
buildings from the Court-house to the north.east
boundary of Crawford's premise► (both inclusive) on
the east side if Duckworth-street; from the corner
of Church-hill to Wm. Findlay's on the upper side,
and from .1. and R. Brine's shop to the King's Wharf
on the lower side of Water-street, including the stores
and wharfs, were reduced to ashes, and with them
the greater part of a very large stock of provisions,
with which they were stored.
#4 The progress of the conflagration and its me-
lancholy effects were indicated by the smoking ashes;
while chimneys, standing like trees bared of their
'verdure by the fury, of the lightning, denoted its
power. On the countenances of each sufferer we
beheld delineated, in the most unequivocal charac-
ters, either the violence of acutefeeling. or the dread-
ful stupefaction of extreme grief. What renders it
more truly distressing is, that most of those who suf-
fered so severely in the fire of the 11th of February,
11316, are again involved in the distress which we
now attempt to describe—in that calamity, many re-,
seectable individuals lost their all, and are again re-
duced to a similar situation, without sheltering or
covering, at this advanced season of the year. Win-,
ter is approaching—a long, dreary, Newfoundland
winter—and the prospects before us ace gloomy in
the extreme; but we will not distress our readers by
dwelling longer on this melancholy topic. We do,
however, most sincerely hope that efficient measures
will be speedily devised, and promptly executed, to
save as from a repetition of the scenes of last winter.
" Amongst the causes of distress, not one has pro-
duced in our minds more powerful effects, or ammo
unpleasant feelings, than the awful, we may say
alarming depravity manifested in the extensive dep ..
dations committed during the horrors and confusion
of the night, by wretches totally devoid of all reli-
gious feeling—of all sense of mural obligation. We
cannot unbody our thoughts on this subject—such
crimes bid defiaace to expression ; they could only
proceed from the coplunction or the most brutal apa-
thy and diabolical rejoicing in the misery of others. I
We hope the penetrating eye of justice will detect
chase hardened villains; we are sore that her arm
can never inflict more deserving punishment than is
due to such infamous miscreants. Nothing now..
under any pretence, can be offered in extenuation ;
since places are appoipted for the reception of such
goods as may not be in the pusession or under the{
coatroul of its lawful owners.
" So far as we have been able to ascertain, thirteen
mercanti►e establishments, and among them the ex-
tensive concerns of Hart, Robbiason, and Co.; Hun-
ters and Co.; Peter Henderson (late JAS. Macbraire
and Co.) ; Baileys, Job, and Cross; Parker, Cheerer,
and Co.; Wm. B. Thomas; Atwood and Haynes;
Peter le Messurier, and at least 135 dwelling-houses,
occupied by not less than 1100 persons, have been
consumed; and it is calculated that the amount of
property destroyed cannot be less than from four to
bye hundred thousand pounds. Of the awful cola-
laity which the 7th of November brought upon as,

we have given but a faint description—more, how-
!Vet, we cannot attempt; our Readers will require
no apology for thus-,..they will readily believe that
such are the powerful emotions which agitate our
words that we cannot say all that we would—we are
confused whenever we revert to tl.e painful subject,
and feel unable in attain to any thing like perspicuity,
in the expression of our thoughts: those seho witnebs-
ed the awful sight can never forget it ; most vivid
will be the recollection even to their latest day.
" To those who were not spectators, we despair of
giving any thing like an accurate conception. We
have not had a fire, but a conflagration a dreadful,
and, considering our peculiarly distressing cireum•
stances, we should scarcely be wrong in adding, an
unheard-of conflagration I In consequeree of a Pro-
clamation issued by his Excellency the Governor, all
virssels and boats are prevented from leaving this port
till the quantity of provisions in the town be ascer-
tained ; this, we are in hopes, will have the good
effect of securing to the community whatever nr ry
be yet remaining, but that itself, with the addition ,o 1
what is expected, will nnt, we apprehend, be near suf-
ficient to supply our wants, till our navigation opens
in the spring of the year. In add,tion, owing to the
quantity of fuel consumed, there is a scarcity of that
valuable article. The major part of our printing
materials haring been destroyed, the Proprietor of
the Mercantile Aurnll has, with great kindness, of-
fered us the use of his types, &c."
"ANOTHER CALAMITOUS AND DISTRESSING FIRE.

(lfll+,l*l THE MERCANTILE JOURNAL, NOV. 21.
About half-past three o'clock this morning, just
as we were about to put our Paper to press, we were
AlArrned by a signal tor fire ; and we have now the
painful task to record, after so short a lapse of time,
another extensive and distressing conflsgraiiilk It
.:appears that the fire was observed in the prenrks of
Messrs. Hole, Reed,' and Co. in Water-street, and

soon extended its ravages to the westward, as far as
the house of Mr. Benjamin Bowring, on the upper
side, and the store of Mr. Robert Nevins, on the
lower side, where, by very powerful exertions, it was
stopped in its westerly direction, but continued ad
vaucing eastward until ab•iut half past nine o'clock,
by which time it had burnt the premises of Mr. James
Chit, where great exertions were required, and were
happily exerted, to save the premises of Messrs. Per.
kins and Wlliter, upon which depended the safety of
the whole range of houses on the Church Hill, on
the upper side, and the stores of Messrs. Trimming-
hams and Co. on the lower side, just where the late
fire was stopped in its progress westward ; all of
which buildings narrowly escaped on the 7th instant.
" Thus a great part of the western halt of the town,
"Aids we contemplated as a shelter for the then dia.
tressed, is laid in ashes, and many families have to
lament arid feel the painful distress of a second time
being burnt out of their dwellings in the short space
of fourteen days—by what means many of them will
find shelter the approaching winter, we are at a loss
to conjecture, should they even be fortunate enough
to have the means of purchasing necessaries.
" In this hasty account we cannot enter fully into
particulars, nor can we at this short notice pretend to
estimate the aggregate amount of the damage done:
the very extensive stores and dwelling of Messrs.
Cunningham., Bell, and Co. and those of Messrs.
Rule, Reed, and Co. Ryan and Sons, Mr. Robert
Nevins, Mr. James Chit, Mr. John Burke, and seve.
cal other mercantile establishments, have fallen a
sacrifice to the devouring lames; the dwelling-house,
shop, &c. of Mr. Nevins were preserved.
" Too much praise cannot be bestowed on the
navy, military, and an immense number of the re-
spectable inhabitants, for their united exertions in
stopping the foe, whose efforts were directed, and
supported, by the Civil Authorities and the Clergy,
particularly the Rev. Father Fitzgerald ; and al-
though we could mention numerous other inclivi.
duals; highly deserving, yet ip justice to his merit we
are consuained to notice-hitt' .particularly.
44 Various conjectures are afloat as to the cause of
this disaster, but we will not at present hazard an
opinion. We hive great confidence that the Prod.'-
. mations of his Excellency the Governor, and the de-
cisive measures adopted by the Civil Authorities, re-
' lative to depredations committed on the property of
sufferers in the late fire, will have the effect of pre-
venting, in a great degree, similar atrocities ou the
present occasion."

Two women are in custody, on suspicion of having
set fire to the stack-yard of Mr. DUtiCALFE, of 110-
eingion Grange, Salop..
On Sunday se'nnight, about seven in the morn-
ing,.the fl ate and barley mills of Redhall, a few miles
south-west of Edinburgh, were discovered to be
on fire, but the flames had by that time made such
progress, that all attempts to get them under were
unavailing ; and the mills, the kiln and the granaries
were burnt to the ground. A considerable quantity
of grain, chiefly manufactured;was in the different
premises, of which, kis supposed, not less than 300
bolls have been totally destroyed. The premises and
machinery, we understand, were insured, though not
near to the mem of the damage.
Saturday se'nnight, the liousl, byres, and barns,
on the Mtn of Dumhuils, in the parish of Forgan-
denny, occupied by Mr. 'rookies FINLAYSoN, %ere
accidentally burnt to the ground. The fire was oc
oasioned by a candle having been carried into one of
the out.houses, which contained a quantity of mow
and other combustible materials. Happily the stack-
yard was saved, and no lives were lost, though some
of the people wire eery severely scotched.
Mouday, a most shocking accident took hl .ice at
Galashiels : JONATHAN SHAW, from Marsden, to ar
Huddersfield, who has been for some dose in the em-
ployment of Messrs. WILLIAM and DAVID TIIOMP-
sox) manufacturers there, when putting The belt on
the drum, his smockfrock, of a strong texture, got
entangled in the per, or tooth and pinions, and in a
Moment his brains were scattered on the boar and
walls, and his arm and neck also broken.
Last night between eleven and twelve o'clock; the
house of Mr. PARKINS, carpenter and builder, Nc.
37, Bread-street, Cheapsick, gave way and felt to
the ground, wheu every valuable article therein was
nearly destroyed. The inhabitants consisted of Mr.
Psalm's, • servant maid, and a young man. The
maid and the young man escaped unhurt, but Mt.
PARKINS had three set hi, ribs and a leg broken ; he
was taken to a friend's house close by, where he now
lies. A number of men arc busily employed in me-
, moving the ruins, and 41 inuueuse crowd Da COIICCIed.
. .

CORN ExcitANna„VARK LANE, DEC. 8.

We had a good supply of Wheat from Essex tlis
morning, yet fine samples met ready sale, and Are
from 2s. to 4•. dearer than on this day we. k. Fine
Barley is also 44. per quarter dearer than on fact
Monday, having hut little of that description at
market. Beans and Peas are 2s. per qn net lower,
till arrival of those articles beie•,g large. Oats are Is.
per quarter dearer, and brisk sale at that advance.