The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-01-24 00:00:00

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT WOODSIDE.

We lament to have to state that two elegant stone man-
sions,- belonging to Mr. R. W. Prichard, of the firm of
Messrs. Lodge, Prichard, & Co. merchants, of No. 1. India-
buildings, Water-street, were totally destroyed by fire on
Tuesday last. One of the houses was occupied by Mr.
Prichard himself, and the other by Mr. John Smith, of the
.firm of Messrs. John and Charles Smith. They had been
inhabited only about a month, but so great is the devastation
caused by the raging element, that it is, at present, expected
they will have to be almost entirely rebuilt. -
It will be seen from an account in another column, that on
Tuesday a furious wind prevailed from the west. The houses,
being new, some of the rooms were not perfectly dry, and
consequently a fire was kept in the attic or servants sleeping
room in Mr. Smith's house. Whether any ashes escaped
from this fire, or whether the flames were extended by some
other means, it is impossible to say, but the probability is,
that the high winds had blown in some pane of the window,
and scattered the live ashes over the floor. About three
o'clock an alarm 'was given that the bath room underneath
was on fire. So rapid were the flames that a.lady who hap-
pened to observe them from a house at some distance, de-
scribed them, fanned as they were by the prevailing wind, as
resembling a flash of lightning, rather than a waving hut
compact body of fire. Indeed their progress in destruction
confirms this impression, for the fire instantly extended to
Mr. Prichard's house, and Mrs. Prichard had but just time
to place the children in a neighbour's house, and to save the
plate in immediate use, before the whole house was filled
with fire and smoke. She had not even an opportunity of
saving any portion of her wearing apparel, beyond that which
happened to be on her person. The work of destruction was,
as may be expected, equally rapid in Mr. Smith's house.
The Woodside engine was sent for immediately on the
alarm being given, but owing to the high wind, and to a de-
ficiency of water, it was of comparatively little service in
arresting the flames. Indeed, from the inquiries we have
made, it would appear that no engine, however powerful,
could have accomplished that object. In the mean time, as
much of the furniture as it was possible to get at, was re-
moved from both houses, but it, amounted to a very small
portion. The roof fell in about an hour after the arrival of
the engine, with a tremendous crash, and in its fall carried
with it nearly all the floors ; those which remained were soon
afterwards destroyed by the fire, as were the window frames
and the fixtures in the different apartments. It is but just
to state that the constable of Woodside, and the men work-
ing the engine, exerted themselves to the utmost in suppress-
ing the flames. After the lapse of a few hours, the entire
building, as may be seen by any one one who pays a visit to
the place, was reduced to a complete shell, nothing but the
bare walls remaining.
We understand that Mr. Prichard is fully insured, both as
to building and furniture, in the York and London and Scot-
tish Union Offices. The loss must be very considerable, as
nearly the whole of the furniture was destroyed, and none of
the plate was saved except that in daily use. Mr. Smith,
we understand, was also insured. Much of his furniture was
removed before the fire could reach it, as well as some por-
tion of the plate. Some was entirely lost ; but we were told
yesterday that several silver spoons and forks, supposed to
have been destroyed, were found among the ruins, in such a
state as to render them useless.

Both Mr. Prichard and Mr. Smith's families found a ready
shelter for the night in the Rev. E. Obin's house, adjoining,
who, together with many other kind friends, were most anxi-
ously solicitous to bear some part in administering to their
immediate necessities.

We should also add that J. D. Case, Esq., one of the ma-
gistrates for Cheshire, exerted himself very actively during
the fire, and that his services were of the greatest utility in
preventing depredations, which, we aie sorry to say, were
considerable, notwithstanding the danger, particularly in the
cellar. Some of the offenders, we hear, are in custody.

PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION.-31AYNOOTH

GRANT.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

SlR,—The question has at times been asked, What does the
Protestant Association do ?

I practical answer can now be given by stating, that it
calls upon every Protestant in Liverpool, at this time, either
to record his protest against the grant of £9,000 per annum
to support the iniquitous College of Maynooth, or deserve
no longer to be called by that name.
It calls upon every Churchman, who values and loves the
pure and undefiled doctrines of his own church, to exert him-
self to the utmost in discountenancing the blasphemous errors
of the Church of Rome • therefore he—will sign the petition.
It calls upon the Wesleyan Methodists to lend their power-
ful aid in washing out this disgrace to a Protestant land, and
to adhere strictly to the doctrines of their founder, by one
and all—signing the petition.
It calls upon members of the Church of Scotland, as they
love the truth, to enter their solemn protest against the ini-
quity of Maynooth, by—signing the petition.
It calls upon members of the Society of Friends, (who
hesitate not in protesting against church-rates, or any grants
to support the Church of England,) to shew their consist-
ency in protesting against the support of that church, the
doctrines of which must clash terribly with a sound consci-
ence ; by—signing the petition.

It calls upon Dissenters of every Sect, who delight in the
voluntary system ; by the very arguments upon which they
profess to dissent, to avail of this opportunity of carrying out
their principle, and shewing to the world that they are de-
serving of the name of Protestant Dissenters. This they will
do by—signing the petition.
It calls upon every Jew, who abominates idolatry, to give
vent to that righteous hatred, by protesting against the idola-
trous Church of Rome. This he can do by—signing the
petition.

It calls, and calls most solemnly, upon all who would dis-
entangle our most gracious and beloved Sovereign from the
charge of allowing her government to give encouragement to
that church, against which, she as head, and they as mem-
bers, are pledged to protest.
These, then, are the practical answers to the question, and
_

I would urge upon every one who glories in the name of Pro.
testant, to consider whether he has hitherto gloried in the
name only, whether he does actually protest against the
damnable doctrines of the Church of Rome ? If not, let him
now enter his solemn protest by—signing the petition.—
Your obedient servant, PROTEST.
Liverpool, 22d January, 1840.