Fire At Woolwich.
The Times, 1824-03-25T00:00:00

k'esterday moming, at three o'Clock, the town and neighbourhood of Woolwich were thrown into a state of the greatest confasion by an alarm of fire; and scarcely had the alarm been gives, when the entire place became illuminnted with the flames of the conflagration. It was imagined from this circumstance that the arsenal was on fire; but the reflection appeared to come from the direction of the Dock- yard, and the fears of the inhabi4ants in some degree subsided. It was soon ascertained that the flames proceeded from the house and premises of Alr. Chambers, bak-er and flour-factor. and a small clus- ter of houses called Trinity-marsh in the parish of Woolwici withir a few minutrs' walk of the dock-yard ; and in less than ten minutes, that whole range of houses presented one grand mass of flames, illuminating the country round for several miles. Fortu- nately the inmates were all aroused and apprised of their langer, and had time to escape with but a small part of their property, as, such was the fury of the devouring element, that it communicated from Chambers's premises to all around with the most incredible rapi- dity, and burned upwards, the high wind in some measure favoutr. ing its progress. Apprehensions were entertained for the valuable Governmentstores that were in thewarehouses surrounding the dock, but happily not the slightest injury was done to thet ; yet such was the awful nature of the conflagration, that many persons residling at Charlton and Greenwich actually imagined that lialf the town of UWoolwich was in flames. There are, in all, ten houses reduced to ashes, besides several sheds, and some hay and straw ricks. The fire, it is believed, eri . nated either in the flue stove, or the bakehouse, which are para"el on the same floor, but what caused it is not vet ascertained. It was first discovered by a young'man in Alr. Cfiambers's employ, vwho was awoke by a sufbetating smell: lic instantly got up, and opened the window of his room,which was on the third floor of IiIs master's house, and had scarcely retumed to liis bed before lie was alarmcd by a loud crash zt the bottom of the house, which was foUowed by a burst or cruhb, which he thought was water, but on opening the room-door, fpund it was a torrent of flame and smoke burning up stairs; he in- stantly alarmed his master, and all the fatily andhiaving done so, at- tempted to get down stairs himself, bitt found it impossible; he then jumped out of a window, and alarmed the neighbours. Mr. Cham- bers at tlis dreadful juncture retained much self-possession, and collecting his family, six in number, into the front first-floor room, closed the door, and flinging two beds into the street, caused each of his children to jump out; the two youngest wese thrown out. Mrs. Chambers fainted, and was obliged to be lowered into some person~'s arms. MIr. Chambers had searcely got into the street wvhen the flames furiously rushed upwards, and burst forth at each win- dow, communicating to the ad joining houses of Alr. PaTkinson and MIr. Shipt, which were also in a few minutes in flames, as were all the houses back and front. Only three of the houses, besides AMr. Chambers's, were inhabited : the remaining six being the subject of a Chancery suit. The lOES of these latter, therefore, is not likely to be much felt, except, perhaps, by the lawyers. Erratum.-In the paragraph respecting the ballot for an East India Director, instead of " disturb" their pretensions, read " dispute." FIRE AT WOOL WICIH.