The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-01-02

Sons standing in that direction seopt nc two
feet short of it. In the efforts made after
the smoke reached I'VE Unjust have consumed
i'll half a minute. then was compelled TO
breathe this oppressive smoke, which Was 30
iintolcrablc that could only make one con-
vulsivc struggle to advance, and then sank
senseless.-My last recollection " as that Ivy
feet were descending; but whether the f,cr
or stairway were broken, or had reached
the descent, am not conscious, heard NO
noise. lnsensibly descended to the Level Ut
the pit and there a stroig curreh, OF CHI
air revived me. as lay amongst heap OF
PROSTATE persons. st uggled to RS, lid
found my:e.f Gu my feet with u lad. cling
ing to me, she entrl ated meto SAY, 20 AID
as she was unable &C. supper herselfl Ialri-
ed her in various directions I. find the cutter
door, which avoided from a mistake that
had almost prcvea fatal. ] 81 sever ~ err
Sons falling from TIE wndo, into the sti eet'
IN full blaze, and NY imp,css'en was
that becoming GcsrSratc ny the fne, they
| were l..dnging from the boxes into the pitt.
the place OF all others most to be avoitcd
IN his effort to find the way cut ssw seve-
| raj gentlemen running to aud ire, whom
: ! addressed the enqairy e which is the way
nu. = but obraired no ;rnswer. / atlsngth
determined TO find the avenue throuC!cwhich
.Ae great Column Gf air entered and by
running towards It, .on gained the door.
tshCh VIC got Out, tne NE was 'pO;icinE
through the front win ows, and ere two
had advanced far the roof tu;nblcd in
The lady whom / rescued still claimed
NY assistance and carried her to a Place
II sntcty--l saw no mere of the scene until
he walls tumbicd down, aud do not know il
aEy, or how many got CIT after we did, but
am confident that j: those from without
had ran iii, many who fell by the sufioea ton
& were buried before they regained strength
to rise would have bccn sayed
J. G.JACKSON.
December 60.
SIR,-Agreeabiy to your request, pro.
coed To state the circumstances attending.
m situation and escape, from the Theatre
| OH the awful night Of the Goth inst.-l car.
RCD with me to the lay my niece and the
two Miss Herons, A red Gilliat. Peter Kir-
hy and Nicholas Gillian nerhews of my
vie and self, the Hou was much crowded:
tor the girls, / with difficulty procured seats
among SOME Of their friends mostly ladies in.
box No. 8, and for the boys, seats inthe back
or box No. and was sitting, when the
curtain rose in the second act OF the After
piece rext the boys, immediately afterwhich
the alarm of fire was given, and instantly
sa" the lire falling on the stage. On rising
from my ,seatI desired the boys to take care
OF themselves and escape as soon as posi-
bic, and proceeded myself towa ards the seats
III the next box which were occupied by my
neice, the Miss Herons and their party.
with the intention of assisting them out Of the
House. reached the place without much
eifhcGlty. but s,ie party had all left their
seats and lnendcavoring to return thro' the
lobby was carried with the current of the
crowd opposite to the place FROM whence
Nd departed and found that Mrs cihl,on,,
Mrs. Iaiiego, Miss Conyers and the three
Buys had all left their scats--In the then
state OF affairs il was evidently fl,uitless for
me to search for either of the persons Of:
whoTl had been in pursuit. and 1T this juno
tufe began to think OF myself for the first
tliae,--- was in the lobby next to box, No.
., and the flames were approaching with
degree or fury and rapidity that perhaps was
never exceeded-hitherto the scene had
Deen ali hustle, confusion and CONSERVATION:
1t now changed to one of awful horror and
desperation that begsars all description
an ceremony was forgotten III Conforming to
the shrst law OF na ure-IpeTceived the cen
tre window in the front end of the House &c
determined to en- avor torcach t-witn the
assistance of a S&ord cane which had in
my nand, and the partition bctwixt the lobby
ana box No. 2. l mounted on the heads Of
the crowd betwixt me and the window
TINS time the Ffol sc was in total darkness
from smoke, but in creeping | providentiallv.
reached the Sidenf the window, surrounded
by the unavailing and affecting cries of those
sahocating around me. stepped within the
window, and with difficulty raised the lower.
sash with the intention of slipping out, and
mad thrust my feet thro' for that purpose
when the sash was suddenly pressed down
and Caught my feet betwixt it and the win
dow sill extricated one foot but could not,
cxtricate the other, until those behind me
who had sufficient strength left to mount o..
yer me and the lower sash which kept me
down, did so: in this situation found myself
SO lar gone from sufIocation that gave my
self up as lost, the flames however rushed
over my head and the Introduction of fresh
arr at the bottom Of the window gave me new
life,--ttlose bcbind me being no longer able
to keep me down, / with last effort raised
the window, eXtiicated my foot and jumped
ont, without receiving any injury from the
tall, tho much injured in one Of my feet from
bruises occasioned by tie pressure of the
window sash, and / have other wounds and
bruises received in the lobby ard window so
slight however as under ether considerations
not to be worth Daming.-Mr John Lynch
merchant OF this city was believe the only
person who past thro' the window after me.
left many others about it, all Of HON must
have perished--so rapid was the fire that 7
do not think three minu es could have clap
sed from the first alarm until reached the
window: at any rate with all the cxertion
that Gould make, about thirty feet would I
think include the whole space of my progress