July.] 



CHRONICLE. 



55 



of table and bed-linen, and some 

 \aluable china, were deposited, 

 was greatly damaged ; some of the 

 shelves were quite burnt through, 

 and the linen was consumed : the 

 china also was made so hot, that 

 some of the persons whom the 

 ringing of the bells in the village, 

 and the alarm of fire, had brought 

 to the Hall, broke many costly 

 plates, and other articles, by drop- 

 ping them in endeavouring to 

 remove them. The fire, thus per- 

 ceived, was soon subdued, but the 

 cause of it, and the extraordinary 

 circumstance of its bieaking out 

 in two distinct apartments — and 

 that in a closet and the drawers 

 of a detached table — remains a 

 mystery which it is painful to re- 

 flect upon. It is believed that, 

 had not the sudden and providen- 

 tial illness of the noble earl occa- 

 sioned a timely alarm, the fire 

 would in half an hour afterwards 

 have got to such a height as that 

 all the family must have perished 

 in the flames. Under the circum- 

 stance of its wonderful discovery, 

 the damage done, we understand, 

 does not exceed 4 or 500/., prin- 

 cipally in linen and china. La- 

 vender left Ufiington on Tuesday 

 last ; and we are sorry to say that 

 nothing is known to have been 

 at present discovered tending to 

 convict the perpetrators of a fire 

 which, there is every reason to 

 believe, has been wilfully occa- 

 sioned. 



4. Total Destruction bij Fire of the 

 Regent Margate Steam PacMet. — On 

 Wednesday morning last this ves- 

 sel, commanded by Capt. Iliirvcy, 

 left London for Margate, wi!h be- 

 tween 40 and 50 passengers on 

 boaid; and it appears, from ac- 

 counts received in town yesterday. 



that when off ^\Tiitstable, which 

 is 18 miles from the port of des- 

 tination, she was discovered to be 

 on fire ; at this time she was also 

 three miles from the main land. 

 As a vessel of this description 

 never carries a boat larger than 

 sufficient to hold her own crew, 

 which seldom exceeds a dozen 

 persons, the consternation of be- 

 tween 40 and 50 passengers may 

 be better conceived than describ- 

 ed. The fire was discovered to 

 proceed from the furnaces used 

 for the boilers of the steam-en- 

 gines, and to gain rapidly on the 

 exertions of those on board. The 

 vessel was seen from the shore ; 

 and one account which we ha^e 

 seen states, that she was met by 

 several boats from Whitstable, 

 who succeeded in getting all ou 

 board safe to land ; and this ac- 

 count seems corroborated by the 

 following notice, which was posted 

 yesterday, in the afternoon, at 

 Lloyd's : 



The Regent steam-packet, bound- 

 to Margate, was burnt to the wa- 

 ter's edge, yesterday afternoon, 

 off Whitstable. Grew and pas- 

 sengers saved. 



The cause of the fire is stated 

 to be as follows : — The gale of 

 wind being strong, blew the chim- 

 ney flue away, and the wood-^ 

 work, that is nearly bieast higlt 

 from the deck, at the bottom of 

 the flue, for the purpose of keep- 

 ing the people near the chimney 

 from burning themselves, caught 

 lire : the men in throwing the 

 buckets over for water to put it 

 out lost them, conseijuently the 

 fire was not checked, and the 

 captain immediately made for 

 land; and got all the people and 

 creWj and luggage, safe ashore, 



but 



