The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-01-10 00:00:00

VERTU:CT/ON of Ike BIRMINGHAM TIM/TAM

A letter from one of the principal performers states,
as far as could he collected to the moment of writing,
whirl) was the morning of Friday the 7th, else dream-
stances of this melancholy event. It appears to have
taken ;dace in the night, between Thursday and Friday
last. The play on Thursday reigning, was " Pizerer:'
the after-Meow " Moe to die ftr Love." At half-past
eleven the house was entirely cleared, and every tbieg
seemed safe as usual. But, at a quarter before one, the
whole Theatre was in a blaze, and were every eget.-
tion circumstances admitted of, it was entirely consumed,
with most of its valuable contents, to the bare walls.—
''l he general opinion, as elicited on the occasion, was
that the shocking calamity was attributable to sown
vile iscendiaries. Such seems to be the feeling of many
of the principal inabitauts of Birmingham, who are it.-
cfined to take up the matter warmly, especially by the
way of investigation. Most of the performers, as natu-
rally to be expected, are more or less sufferers, Yates
and Wrench particularly. One of the firenies ensploved
was miming when the foregoing account was forwarded.
This calamity is especially to he regretted on accourt
of Ikon, who had spared neither trouble nor reprice to
get together a respectable and efficient commute. and
who conducted himself as Manager in the must liberal
and spirited w ay.
voirttla PRITATI LITTHR.
BIRMINGHAM, JANI!•RT 7.—This morning this town
was thrown into the utmost alarm, by the cry of •• Fire!"
the inhabitants were fortunately many of them not retired
to rest, it bring Twelfth Night. On proceeding lute
the street, the Theatre was foam' on fire; and although
every assistance was immediately given that possibly
could be, in the course of two hours the whole of that
beautiful and magnificent structure was reduced to a
heap of ruins. The first alarm was given ahont one
o'clock ; a party bad been detained until a late hour, by
the festivities of the Manager, Mr. Bunn, in one of the
moms, and they 'had obly broken up about half-past
eleven.
The servants of Mr. Sums, of the Shakespeare Ts.
vern, adjoining the Theatre, were not retired to rest
when the alarm was given. They succeeded in carrying
Mrs. S. out of the house, she being near her confine-
ment. The whole of the goods were conveyed to the
house and premises of our Post-mistress, across the
street; and he great exertions, the Shakespeare Tavern
was preset eed.
Every attempt to check the progress of the flames was
found unavailing; and about three o'clo4k the roof felt
in, with a tremendous crash. Fortunately no lives her*
been lost during this dreadful calamity ; hut not an ar•
tick tif any description was saved.
The
,performances of the evening bad here Pizarro .°
and it is conjectured that the wadding front the muskets
might have occasioned the disaster, by which man,-
members of society hare been cast upon the world with.
out any portion of the property. The Theatre was in•
mired in the Sun tither, for 7,01101. and the furniture in
the Norhtwich Union for 2,0091.
Our last Theatre was burnt down by an incendiary,
in August, 1791.
• It is a curious coincidence, that Pizarro also was the
play performed on the night when Covent Garden Theatre
was burnt down, audit was then imagined that the waddiag
from which the gnus are fired at Roils had ceased the ear
flagration.

conostaa' INQUIIITII ox PERM:4M attanab TO DEATH.
On Saturday last, the five following idol tots were,
held on the bodies of persons burned to death, by their
clothes taking fire, sad in each of the differeet eases a
verdict to that effect was given.
The first inquest was held at the London Hospital on
the body of Frances Hussey, a fine child, eight years
old, the daughter of Mr. Hussey, a calico-printer. at
Stratford, in Essex, who, it appeared, had been burned
to death during the temporary absence of her mother,
on Priday last.
The second inquest was held al the Old Swan, Chel-
sea, on the body of Miss Harriet White, daughter of Mr.
White, of Paradise-row'. The deceased had met with the
fatal accident while in the act of taking a kettle off the
lire, when her clothes communicating with the flame,
she was burned in a most shocking manner, aid expired
shortly after.
The third inquest was held before T. Prteitno,Essi.
at the Middlesex Hospital, on the body of Clara Meet's,
aged t 2 years. The deceased was standing with her
back towards the fire, putting a handkerchief her a
chair back : she cried, " save me, save me, I am on
fire," and then ran into the yard, where a wet woollen
apron was wrapped round her, and the dames extin-
guished. Iler breast, arms, and face were sadly disfi-
gured. She died on Wednesday.
The fourth inquest was held by the same Coroner, at
the same time and place, on the body of Harriet Ford,
aged six years, who was on Thursday burnt a death by
a similar accident, at Ne.tl4, Earl-street, Soho-square.
The fifth" inquest was held by the same Coroner, at
the same time and place as the two former, on the body
'of William Pelham, aged six years, who was burnt to
death.
Mary Creed, of No. 6, Yorklstreet, Camden Town,
stated, that on Thnrsday last, about two o'clock, the
mother of the deceased went out, and•left the deceased
with his sister, aged four years. The deeeseed had
been poking the fire with a knife, for itim and his deter
to play at sweeps, and black their hands. Witness was
in the kitchen, and hearing the screams of the deceased,
ran to him, and found his clothes on fire. The lower
part of his belly was dreadfully burned, which caused
Lis death.
The above eases might to warn all those who have the
care of children, to be particularly cautious in guarding
against sack melancholy acciffeuts.

CORN EXCIL4NG S, JAN. 10.
---.IIP
We had a very small supply of all sorts of grain at
market this morning, in consequence of the navigation
being stopped in the principal canals, Sue. on oar own
coasts and by advice* from various places abroad, u•
learn that the navigation of the Elbe, Le. is also stepped
for a time. The samples which appeared this trorstng
consisted chiefly from the granaries, but for which
there was little or no demand, and prices may be eon-
' sidered nominally as on Monde. last.
Fore** Wheat .... 80 72 1 Urey Pees 4O 0
43
Tine Ditto . 0 0 New Ditto 0
bangWbrat .:. • ii 10 Tick Beans Si 46
I Floe Ditto 0 0 Old Ditt0.......... 0 0
New Ditto ... is sa• • 0 Smell Ditto. ... • ... 40 80
Rye - al 00 Feed Oats ........ 10 Si
Harley .... WI Id Fire Ditto
Fine Ditto ...... . • 0 0 Poland Ditto 0 0
Malt
i Fine Vitae
, Mae Pau (basin) 41 1119 scltpadi
I Now Ditto .. ... •. 0 asPe Sew'. per WI las se
_

(To Ask 111;0E01 :
Beef . 11A. Ie Oa. *I.
Mattes 4e. 01:1, M. ed.
; veld . • SIAN. to da.
. Pork .i.Y. r M 44.
Lamb . Os. Al. la Os. UIL
RAY AY
Pay
Geyer
%Straw

par stnne of Sibs.)
CATI'La AT issegre.
Beasts
Valves
1 Pigs ISO
CI STRA.W. .
S. 6. Od. lo Y. 46. 61.
. . fol." 3s. fld. to O. 48. N.
. , . IL 106.61. to 11. 118. OIL