Disastrous Fire In Edinbu...
The Times, 1824-11-22T00:00:00

It will be seen by the followingr account front thb s'totjmaft of Wednesday, that the fire was stili raging -t eleven o'clock isr the norning of that day. The engine rematined ill the street during Tuesday forenoon, to keep down the fire, which showed -a tendency n4w and then to tise from the smonldering ashes, and the wind, which had increased to a strong gale, still scatterecA fiery shoo ers. About twelve o'clock, a cry bursting from the crowd in the street5 announced that the spire of tle Tron church was set en fire by some of these flying brands. Tbe troper part being composed encrelv of wood, thefames soon made their way through it while the call covering was seen pouring down its sides. In. a shborf time it wasv completely etrveloped in flame, preseating a most singular spectaCle. Its piUars being urifdrinined, the' iWoodtn part fell to the easlarrd, with a great crash. Some fragments of the burnt beams fell uposi the roof ofthe church, but they wvere eitherremovedor extinguished by the men placed there. The body of the church escaped vwth little injury, but the carfitry of tbe spire was consumed to the bottom. This second fire Mashgarly sabdued by four o'clock, and it was hoped that the conflagrationtind reached its close. This hope, hor. ever, was of' slhort duration. NEW FIRE. At ten o'clock vesternight a new fire burst out in thc high old te. nement at the south-east corner of the Larliament-square, which reaches back towards the Cowgatc. lt commenced on the top iat (from what cause is.uuknosvn,,fir,it is situated to windward of.the butidings prevreuslji burned, and halt t.ot the 'siisallest connex'iors with them). By etleven, this huge old'pi-ile, nine, or ten ctoncesiu height, was blazing in thc noer flass; and by three .bis morning, rMl its floons and wooden vork were'burned down tothe foundation. Tle strong wind has carried the burnt matter over the buiultr-'- to fhe eastward, even In greater abundar-ce than on Monday. . oone knows where thie orischief wiiU termiinte, and a general Feeling of alarm has diffused itself through the old town. The proprietors of all the beildligs of niuch value bave stationed men on their roofs, to prevent any ot' the floating embers from fixing on the wooden work. Sir William Forbes and Co. have removed their books, and the Crown Officers have been taking precautions for the safety of the Parliament.house and Court of Exchequer. One of the most pitiable scenes, Tising out of the present cal2,. mity, was exhibited at the police-gffice on Alonday night and yc. ternight. The upper court was filleI with moveables of every pot. sible'description; the receiving roonm, lower court, &c. with every variety of character. 'Vomen and children seeking shelter; thb vounded seeking help; constables seeking flambeaus; the owners and occupiers ot' destroyed houses seeting security for books, pa. per.s, and valuable propertyv the cnrious and the officious, the de. stitute, the criminai, tihe alarmed, the intoxicated, and the temtora- ilv deranged, wereall congregated together. The number of persons who received bodily injuries at the fire on Mlonday night was 17, of whom three are dangerously hurt. Lazt nigbt a tireman and a dragoon were seriouslv -wounded, and carried to the Infirmary. There are probably more sufferers, of whom we have not vet heard. The numnber of poor families burned out and plunged into the depths of misery and wvant, is great; but it will gratify the public to know, that th e Lord Provost made immediate applicatiou to the officers of Qovernment, and obtained the use of Qucer,sberty-house to afford temporary shelter to those who have been deprived of their homes. This was a well-judged and hutnanc act. Indepd, the Lord Provost has been exceedingl, active and anxious, and has exerted himself mruch bevoSd what tbe stsee of his health rendered prudent or safe. The Dear of Guild and ,Uagistrates have also been most at- tentive, and all the subordinate functionaries hare shown zeal. Mr. Camieron at-ended the whole of riMonday night to ersure a supply of water. The superintendent of policc, and, we may add, the sur. geon, exerted themselveC greatly. WVe are sorry that we cannot ex , tend our praise to the fire-engine department; but the causes of the' want of organization here ough:t to be mzade known. In Edin- burgh, hitherto, neitber the magistracy nor the police bave had either engines or men for working them, of their own, or disciplined by themselves. Engines were kept by ^wuch insaurancc-offices as chose to do so, ana in suclh manner and with such rnen as thev chose ; and, in nction, the men, jealous of each other, were tunder no proper subordination. Nor has any body, au yet, been organized ior work- ing the enginet and sunplying them with rwater. Recently, how. ever, a treaty has been ?onrned with most of tbe insurance-oBficer for placing their engines in the hands of the police, and subscribing a sum towardst the expense of maintairning them. A superintendent of fire-engines had also been appointed, but, unluckily, this fire broke out before it was possible for him to have the engines trarlts ferred, put in order, and mnen eimplovedl, taught, and organized. Front the terrible consequences wshicl, it is now seen, may arise front fire is Edinburgh, we must have these mattert put upon a proper tboting, let the tax upon the inhabitants gencrally be wh:it it may. Six 2. m.-The flames have now communicated to the large range of tenements between John's Coffeehouse anti the inner angle of the square, so that the destruction of' the whole of the east tide of the square is certain. There is every prospect that the tenements ad- joining to the Exciequer Court will be savet. Eleven a. m.-At eight o'clock the lands in the Parlisment-square tell down with a prodigious crash. No material alteration, we be- lieve, has since taken plece; the engines still continue to play at the ilaceswhere danger is apprehended; and it is to be hoped that, trom the measures that are taken, the ravages of the fire may at last be stopped. 'le hear that in rhe course of the morning two soldiers have been killed, and severdi persons dangerously vwounded. The city still continues in a state of the deepest agitation and alarm. In accordance with the deep feeling which the calamitous fire of yestcrday has excited, the theatte was shut last night. Air. Murray, witht a generosity wbich reflects oa, himn the highest credit, has appro- priated' the proceeds of this asmd the twe following evenings' perform- aticc to the benefit of the unhappy sufferers. In consequence of the additional calamitv last night, the Coturoat will l-e published, till further noti e, at *the office of the Edi,zbard'ge IYeekly> Jouzrnal. Thle EdinbargJh C1tonicla of W\tednesdav states, that at thsetime of their putting to prers, the fire was gradually subsiding in the Parlia- nent-dose, but that anotherhad brokenoutin IeWl'wiynd, which they hoped by the exertions of the firemen woald be speedily over- come. DISASTROUS FIRE IN EDIAYBURGIH.