lU 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



[Nov. 



they, for the purpose of shelter, 

 and the more effectually to secrete 

 themselves, took up a position 

 under a projection of the cliff", 

 where they remained until day- 

 break, when the serjeant ordered 

 one of the privates to call in a 

 party, who were stationed on the 

 opposite side of the Gateway, 

 nearer to Broadstairs. The man 

 had gone but a few paces, when 

 an immense portion of the cliff 

 gave way, and buried in its fall 

 his four hapless companions. The 

 fall was so sudden, thar it struck 

 his musket from his shoulder, and 

 he fortunately escaped, though in 

 a \ery terrified state of mind, to 

 give an alarm of the fate of his 

 unhappy comrades. Immediately 

 on its being known, Mr. D. B. 

 Jarman, an inhabitant of this 

 town, accompanied by Mr. N.Gott 

 and a gang of men from tlie 

 works at the liarbour, proceeded 

 to the spot, and commenced cut- 

 ting a trench through the middle 

 of the chalk, and after two or 

 three hours laborious exeition, 

 tliey found the serjeant and cor- 

 poral extended on their Faces, and 

 presenting a most shocking spec- 

 tacle. Jn the course of a few 

 hours more, the two jiri^ ates were 

 found as having been in a sitting 

 ))Ooture, but with their heads 

 forced betwixt their legs, and 

 crushed in a most ('readful man- 

 ner. The l)odies, as taken out, 

 were placed in a boat, and con- 

 \eyed to Broadstairs, jjreparatory 

 to the Coroner's in(iuest, the ac- 

 cident having hapjiened within tiie 

 limits of the parish of Nt. Peter. 



"2!). Kdiiihurgli. — On 'J'uesday 

 nioining, a little aftei" 9 o'clock, a 

 fire was obseived i^suir.g fi'om the 

 roof of the College, on the north- 



west quarter, which suddenly as- 

 sumed an alarming and threaten- 

 ing appearance. The fire engines 

 v\ ere speedily brought to the spot, 

 and the supply of water, though, 

 at first limited, was, by the un- 

 remitted exertions of many respec- 

 table gentlemen and others, pro- 

 cured in sufficient quantities, ade- 

 (piate to the demand of all the en- 

 gines. By the strenuous exertions 

 of the firemen, aided by the di- 

 rection of several of the profes- 

 sors, the flames were rapidly got 

 xmder, and the fire completely sub- 

 dued in the space of two hours. 

 The interior of the apartment, 

 however, in which it was confined, 

 is entirely destroyed. The magis- 

 tiates, professors, students, and 

 gentlemen in the neighbourhood, 

 rendered every assistance ; and 

 the attention of the High Consta- 

 bles and the Superintendent of the 

 Police, together with a detach- 

 ment of the 88th regiment fiom 

 the garrison, which was directed 

 in keeping the communication 

 open from the College to the se- 

 veral fire-cocks, was of the first 

 importance, and tended greatly to 

 facibtate the extinction of the de- 

 structive element. The roof was 

 imder repair, but from what cause 

 the fire originated, we believe, has 

 not yet Ijeen ascertained. The en- 

 gine belonging to the Royal Ex- 

 change Assurance, which now 

 stands at Leith, was on the first 

 alarm immediately dispatched from 

 thence, with its firemen, by the 

 agents, Messrs. Thomsons and 

 Pollock. During the fire, Mr. 

 Playfair, the engineer, was dis- 

 tinguished by his anxiety and in- 

 trejjidity on the occasion. Huriy- 

 ing from some distance, on the 

 first alarm, he was soon on the 



roof. 



