392 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1804. 



sisf in breaking open the magazine, 

 vhich he relused to do. He then 

 proposed the same thing to another 

 soldier, named William Pontenej, 

 of the- light ctinipany of the third 

 regiment, who acquiesced, saying, 

 that he was ready to die with him ; 

 and tliey shook hands. Edward 

 Touzcl then took a wooden bar, 

 with which he broke the barrier of 

 the pallisade which surrounds the 

 magazine, and finding at hand a kind 

 of axe, he got to the door of the 

 magazine, where he broke also two 

 padlocks, and having by these means 

 opened the door, he entered, and 

 addressing himself to Mr. Lys, who 

 ■was on the outside, said, " The ma- 

 gazine is on lire, it will blow up. 

 \Vc must lose our lives, but no 

 matter, hir^xa for the king! We 

 must try to save it." With these 

 words lie rushed into the {lames, and 

 seizing the matches almost burnt 

 out, he threw them by armfuUs to 

 Mr. P. Lys and W. Ponteney, who 

 had remained without. Mr. Lys 

 seeing a cask standing on one end, 

 ' filled with water in the neighbour- 

 hood of the magazine, and having 

 no other vessel than an earthen pit- 

 cher, he and W. Ponteney made 

 use of their hats, and this pitcher, 

 to carry water to Edward Touzel, 

 ■who was still in the magazine ; but 

 scarcely able to see, in consec|uci^ce 

 of the thick smoke which surround- 

 ed him : observing, however, some 

 wood on fire, he extinguished it with 

 the water which was brought to him. 

 He then called out to Mr. Lys, that 

 he Mas almost suffocated, and re- 

 quested something to drink. The 

 fire had scorched hi. hands, and 

 even some part of his face. The 

 people now arrived in crowds, 

 bringing with them water ; and Mr. 

 Lys sent him a glass of spirits. 



mixed with water, which he drank. 

 At lengtii the fire was entirely ex- 

 tinguished by the zeal and intrepi- 

 dity of Edward Touzel in particu- 

 lar, and of Mr. Lys and W. Pon- 

 teney. Captain Leith, of the 31st. 

 regiment, and Mr. Murphy, of the 

 same, the oflicer on guard, and se- 

 veral officers of his majesty's troops, 

 repaired with soldiers to the hill, 

 and employed the utmost activity 

 to get the magazine entirely empti- 

 ed, in order to ascertain whether 

 any sparks remained in it. Two 

 caissons of wood, filled with ammn- 

 nition, were found, attacked by the 

 fire, and one in particular, in which 

 there were powder-horns, tubes, 

 and a flannel cartridge was half 

 burnt through. Near this caisson 

 stood an open liarrel of powder, 

 to which the fire, had it not beea 

 extinguished, must inevitably have 

 soon communicated. A rammer 

 was almo«-t consumed, and some of 

 the beams which supported the roof 

 were on fire. Such was the state of 

 things when Edward Touzel, Mr. 

 P. Lys, and W. Ponteney, displayed 

 heroic courage and bravery, ex.. 

 posed their lives to the most immi- 

 nent danger, and thereby saved the 

 town of St. Hclier and its inhabi- 

 tants from the most terrible disas- 

 ter ! '.rhe constable therefore finds 

 himself impelled, both by duty and 

 inclioatiori, -to request all persons 

 who have property in the town of 

 St. Hclier, or its neighbourhood, to 

 meet on the IStli inst. in the church 

 of St. Jlelier, at ten in the morn- 

 ing, to take into consideration the 

 means of testifying their gratitude 

 towards these three brave and ge- 

 nerous men." 



This providential and almost mi- 

 raculous escape, nuist have greatly 

 interested every reader. The debt 



of 



