Star.
London, England, 1829-02-09 00:00:00

IHE LATE FIRE IN YORK MINSTER.:

•
FF PF :
. ACCESS TO THE EDINA Or-THE CATHEDRAL?...
Weinesday. the -Cathedral was ihrovin open .to die'
public, who continued' during the whole day to throng
the scene of devastation. and ti gaze with astonish.
ment and regret upon its sudden ruin. It his also-
been open each day since. Many carriages have
UHT drove to the entrance in quick .uccession, some
of them bringing str.ngers from a great distance
behold the melancholy spectacle. The beautiful pare.
nsent was now coveted with soot and ashes, trod
den into a thick black crust, by the feet of those who
had vainly strivento check the raging fire. The massive
clustered columns, from which the western arch that
supports the lantern tower springs, were now no more'
chastened by 'the 18 dim religions light" admitted
through the " storied pane,* but stood boldly • prom's
sent, illuminated by the full rays of the sun which tell
Upon them, unobstructed by any intervening object.
These again firmed a distressing difference 'from the
earern columns, which were hr ken and Wakened by
the flames. The mid-day glare which now shone in the'
ruined choir contrasted the whiteness of its walls with
the blackness of the ruins with ft ightful effect, whilst the
•crren at the altar still stood, but shorn of its beauty.
broken and disfiguied. It was impossible to c .ntem-
plate the scene with feelings of ordinary emotion. That
it should have been standing perfect in its ornament and
beauty. uninjured by the hand of lime, and Seemingly
destined to remain so for centuries; so recently al the
last Sabbath—that, on that'day, the voice of prayer and
the song of praise should have echoed within its now
roolless•sv a Ils—seemed scarcely credible to the co:Damn,
track of thought. • It had altogether more the appear-
ance,d some horrible vision tha r a sober reality. _ •

The Corporittiort on the last Charter Day, resolved to
present the •following Address of Cossiolenee to the
Dean and Chaptet, on the late dreadlui conflagration
at the Minster. • • -
The Lord Mayor is directed by the Corporation of York.
Commun Hall assembled, to convey to the Dean and Chapter of
York, the sincere iondolence of every incnber, ~ the Corporadoo
on the destruction by fire of the Choir of their Cathedral.
That magnificent structure, the beauty and preservation of
which reflect so much honour upon the munihcesice and taste of
its venerable guardians. has for many ages formal the chief urns.
MOM of the city of Tsar, end ha. been a source of just pride and
that purest enjoyment to all its inhabitants. The destruction of any
part of this sacred edifice. and especially that which has fallen by
the late dreadful conflagration. and, which was endeared to all by'
the holiest feelinp and associations. must be lamented by every
one as an Individual and personal bereavement, and may, indeed,
be almost regarded as a national calamity.
The members of the Corporation, partaking of the sorrow which
is expressed by all classes of their feUnw citizens ea this deplorable
occasion, moor respectfully offer to the Dean and Chapter this as-
surance of their sympathy and condolence.
JOHN DALES, Mayor.
Mansion-House, Tork, February 3, lStb.

The Archdeacon expressed, in reply, the Jeep tease
*which he felt, and which he well knew the Dean and
Chapter would feel 01 the kindne.s of the Corporate• n
in thessynspathiz.ng in the heavy loss which the Church
of York had sustained.

That loss however, overwhelming as it was, would
i;setk he hoped, prove to be irreparable; and his hopes
were founded upon the general prevalence throughout
the county, of sentiments similar to those. *which the
Lord Mayor had so obligingly conveyed. There was
'bot• one feeling, he believe t, of drop regret for the
woful calamity which had occurred, and of universal
anxiety to see it nezdily repaired—and by the °rota,
dun of that feeling there was evesy tea.ort to tru,t,
Lb:* the beautiful chili; of the Min,ter uould, before
long, be restored. In the absence of the D an, he could
not, say. more -upon this subj-ct, than that the Lori'
Mayor -and Corporation might be assured, no effort'
should be wanting, on the part of the Dean and Chap-
ter. t s reinstate (if possible) in its termer perfection, a
fabric, which the city were so justly proud; and
that An entertained nut the slightest doUbt of the spirit
in :which their efforts would be seconded through the
whole of Yoikshire.
Tbe Lord Mayor and Town Clerk then retired to the
Mansion H tube. •
We have been desired .to notice the prompt and li-
beral act of Mr. S .ei iff Hornby, of this city, who on
hearing of the dreadful talamit y,i mmedsately forwarded
a note for his suliscii, tion of •100/. towards the repairs
of the Church. A similar. disposition was manifested in
the traveller's roons,C immercial Inn,Leeds, on Monday,
where all present, on I sing informed of the calamity,
expressed the strongest wish to suiscribe their five.and
ten guineateath, towards the reparation of the noble pile.
We- understand that h is intended first to, board up
the East window, on both side., to preserve it from
further injury—then to have the rubbish cleared away
from the Choir—the pillars and monuments carefully
examined, and estimates of the probable expense of
repairing, imaseiiately procured.
YORK, SATURDAY, ELEVEN O'CLOCK.

We have gre4t pleasure ip again stopping the press.
to announce the apprehension of the
,nianiac. Martin,
li near his native town, ezharn. in Northumberland,
Yesterday. and his consignment to the Home of Cor-
rection there.

'This information ha; jll4 been communicated, in two
letters, to C. J. Nee/Head, El. Clerk of the Peace for
the Übe' ty of Si. Peter.
The apprehension was effected by William Stain-
thorp, i Sher ifs offlier, of Hesham, who. had seen the
newspapers and hills, a•'d woo knew the offender..
A pifty has this morning lift Turk in a post eliAse,
for the purpose of conveying hint to this eh'''. It'there.,
fore is more than prubanle that he.urill be Ws tu.mor-
row (Sunday).

The following is an extract from Mr. Britton's va-
luable work on York Cathedral, Mating to that part of
the Minster which has been debtroyed t
41• After paasing.thriogh. the screen, just described,
the visitor is introduced, to the Choir.. which' is grand in
scale and rich in adornment. Oa each side is a series of
20 stalls, with 12 at the ,west end, beneath the organ.
These are of oak, and.are peculiarly rich in their cane•
pies and carved. decorations. Each seats or stall, has
its asoveable miserecetrlia, with projecting rests for the
elbows, from which rise two detached slender co-
lumns, supporting an elaborate canopy. At the
.eastern end of the Choir is the altar-table, raised above
the regular floor by a series of fifteen steps. Behind
it is a handsome screen, with mullions. tracery, a para-
pet, &c. Ira open days, or lights, are filled with plate.
glass, which affords a view of the elegant eastern
win-
dow. Pre•inns to the year 1726. a large wooden screen.
pain ed and gilt, not only obscired the present stone
screen, but shut out the fine eastern window from the
Choir. On comparing the present screen, as a separa-
tion of the Choir from the ea•t end of the Cathedral,
with the arrangement of other Cathedrals. its supe-
riority and beauty are very evident.
" The little Iransept, as we must call it for distinc•
don's sake, was a fine contrivance of the architect.
Standing against the pulpit. or on the opposite side,
its effect is uncommonly beautiful. The lines of the
sides become diversified without breaking off, and dip