The National Register. — 1821-07-15 (London, England)

EXTRAORDINARY SPEED.—Oti Wednesday D. Crisp, the celebrated pedestrian, returned to town front Sidmouth where he WAS engaged for a wager of 25 guineas to run from that place to the Castle-yard in Exeter, and back again in five hours, a distance of 32 miles, over a hilly country. He started precisely at six o'clock in the morning, accompanied by two gentlemen on horseback, and arrived at time Castle.gate in Exeter, ten minutes before eight, performing the first 16 miles in one hour and fifty minutes; he rested iwauty minutes and took some refreshment; the gentlemen did the same, and procured fresh horses, he then returned to Sidman!), where he arrived with ea•e twenty minutes within the time allowed. On the liSth of this month he is to commence his Herculean task of walking WOO miles in as many successive half-hours at Nottingham, being 11311 the lime the same number of miles were performed by Captain Barlelay. Great wagers depend on ibis match. Dreadful viccitlent.—Tsturs.l.l, as Mr. BM, a master bricklayer, and two labourers were erecting a scatfitl,l to the back flout of a house, No. 20, in Por.land-street, the ledger which supported it, front being rotten, snapped in two, and the three unfottunate men were preci• pirated w the ground, a depth of about 40 feet. Mr. 8211 had One Of his legs broken, the bones protruding through his stocking, and otherwise bruised all over; lie was taken up inaensible and carried home on a shutter. —The two unfoittmate labourers, one of whom has a wifi. and four children, 113 d each several bones broken. They were taken up covered with blood and bruises, apparently in a lifeless state, and carried to the NI iddlesex-holtital, where they remain without the smallest hope of recovery. About a month ago, two whales of large dimensions were fi.und, forsaken by the tide, at a point called litnerwell, in the bay of Wigtown, 111 Galloway. These peaceful Arctic wanderers were first observed by a party of seafaring youths, who had been out on a fishing expedition, and who immediately thought of securing the prize. To work, therefore, they set, and as a substitute fur an anchor, hit upon the somewhat dangerous expedient of making fast the boat to the back fin of the largest fish. But the animal, whose leviathan carcase was half buried in the sand, and which had hitherto made no resistance, was very far from relishing this uncivil interference, and, shallow as the water was, he scion began to beat it so lustily, and with such good effect, that had not the party prudently changed their moorings, they might have perished in a storm of their own creating. Accommodating themselves to circumstances, they commenced an attack upon the hinder parts of the whales, and, rude as their implements weir, succeeded in filling. die bo,,t with about a ton and a half of blubber! 11 ith this cargo they immediately stood for the town of Wigtown ; and after providing themselves with a cable, anchor, hatchet, saws, &e. they returned to I itnerwell ; but by this time the tide had thawed, accompanied by a smart breeze front the N. W., and wafted the carcases of both the fishes far beyond the reach of these inexpi r.eneed a-sada:its. On Friday se'intiftht an accident happened near the Fleece, at Brook-street, Essex, where tile road is rather narrow, and at a point tit which three vehicles were its the act of passing each other; one of them was a higler's cart goit.g front Chelmsford market to London, loaded with fowls, the proprietor of which was treating a relation, said to be from Clare, in Suffolk, with a ride to see his friends in town, when the wheel of the cart came in contact with another so violently, as to jerk the pour man iron his seat, and his head fell between the tore and alter wheel of a stage waggon ; and was crushed to atoms; it is needless to state that lie instantly expired.— A nearly similar accident occurred to another person in the road near Ilford, and attended testa circumstances aIIIIULt as dreidlul ; but the unfortimate sufferer, we hear, still lingers in the utmost agony. FlRlt.—About half past eight o clock ott Thursday evening, a most alarming fire broke out in the house of Mr. Clarke, broker, in Clerkenwell Green, which for some time burnt with almost incredible fury. The la. roily (with the exception of the servants) were at Sadlees Wells at the nine, but by the exertions of the surrounding populace the greater part oh the extensive stock in trade was saved. A considerable time elapsed before the arrival of any engme. The Sun was the first whicn came to the scene of conflagration, but ottfortunately no water could he procured for some time, consequently the flames raged with unabated velocity, and soon became master of the enure premises, which were by ten o'clock completely consumed. The utmost confusion was witnessed at the two it,'jitittitig houses. occitpied by Messrs. Goode and Miller, persons in the same business, mid articles of furniture were to be seen pitching front the windows into the street. In short the whole Green was one complete mass of articles, the glcitur part of winch is materially damaged. The fire caught the rear of the house of Mr. Goode, which was consiarrably damaged. Finns the contusion that pre‘ailed we could not learn whether the parties are insured or nut. Suicide.—ln the night of the sth inst. G Hassell, If:sq. drowned himself in a deep pond on his own premises, ;th.,111 a half a utile front his house at Chn'shurv, in the Chiltern hills. Bucks. He served the office of Siteritt for the county in ISIS, and died uniii3tried.