214 L O N 
About n quarter before twelve, a body of borfe and 
foot guards and volunteers came to the place ; and engines 
reached the fpot from every quarter, but they could do 
nothing. Part of the wall next to Vinegar-yard fell down, 
and the houfe of Mrs. Mac Beath, the fruiterer, caught 
tire. The night was uncommonly fihe; and the body of 
flame fpread fuch a mafs of light over the metropolis, 
that every furroutiding objeft glittered with the brightnefs 
of gold. Mr. Sheridan was in the hcufe of commons 
shifting in the difcuffion of Mr. Ponfonby’s motion on 
the affairs of Spain. The houfe was illuminated by the 
blaze of light; and the interelt univerfally taken in this 
circumftance interrupted the debate. Amotion was made 
to adjourn ; but Mr. Sheridan faid, with great calmnefs, 
“ that, whatever might be the extent of the private cala¬ 
mity, he hoped it would not interfere with the public bu- 
finefs of the country.” He then left the houfe, and the 
difcuffion proceeded. Many of his friends accompanied 
him to the fcene, but it was too late for any effort to be 
made; and all that the engines could effedt was to fave 
the houfes in Vinegar-yard and Ruffell-ftreet, the roofs of 
which had caught fire, from being burnt down. About 
half paft twelve, parts of the outward walls, both in 
Ruffel-ftreet and Vinegar-yard, fell down, and completely 
blocked up the pafiage; but fortunately no lives were 
loft. 
The proprietors held a meeting on the Monday follow¬ 
ing at the houfe of Mr. Graham, in order to hear the tef- 
timony of fuch perfons as could give any information 
refpedling the fituation in which the fire broke out, and 
what was the probable caufe of it. Several perfons were 
examined ; and, from their depositions, it was tolerably 
conclufive, that the flames originated in the coffee-room 
on the firft tier, immediately over the grand coffee-room, 
and under the two-fhilling gallery; but the caufe of it 
lias never been afcertained. It was reported, that an 
anonymous letter had been received by an illuftrious 
perfonage, immediately after the fire in St. James’s pa¬ 
lace, intimating, “ that his royal iiighnefs would fliortly 
hear of the deltrudfion of other public buildings in the 
fame manner.” Such a letter, it afterwards appeared, 
was a&ually received by the high perfonage to whom 
it was fo ftrangely addrefled. It did not at firft engage 
any particular attention; but, on learning the calamitous 
event of that night, his royal highnefs fent for Mr, Sheri¬ 
dan, and, after exprefling the kindeft fympathy in his great 
and unexpected lofs, communicated to that gentleman the 
contents of this letter, which had beeli received fome weeks 
before. With refpebt to this myfterious letter, whether 
it was meant as an effufion of malice, gratified in fome de¬ 
gree, but not yet fatiated ; or whether it was intended as 
a menace, calculated for the attainment of fome objedt as 
yet unfpecified, has never been difcovered : and we fliould 
mot have laid fo much ftrefs on an anonymous Jcroll , if it 
were not coupled with another lingular and authenticated 
occurrence, which our readers wall perule with fenfations 
of horror and indignation. It is pofitively Hated that, 
about five weeks before, a train of gunpowder was difco¬ 
vered at the King’s Theatre, difpofed evidently for a mif- 
chievous purpofe. This circumftance had been hitherto 
concealed through motives of prudence. We now give it 
publicity from motives equally juftifiable. 
A fierce and deftrudfive fire broke out about ten o’clock 
on Sunday night, May the 14-th, in a veffel adjoining Bil- 
lingfgate Dock, at a very fliort diftance from the water’s 
edge. The flames extended almoft inftantaneoully to the 
other (hipping, and to the line of warehoufes running 
from the dock along Dyce Key, &c. The range of ware¬ 
houfes, filled with fugar, tar, oil, hemp, turpentine, tal¬ 
low, &.c. were all fucceffively confumed ; and the volumes 
of fire were rendered more furious and horrible every ten 
or fifteen minutes by fome new combuftible matter which 
they caught. The fire communicated in a gradual but 
rapid' manner to the veffels- next the fliore. The fight 
from London and Blackfriars bridges was awfully grand ; 
and it was at one period apprehended that it would be 
D O N. 
impoflible to preferve any of the (hipping in that part of 
the river from abfolute ruin. Fortunately, the tide fa¬ 
vouring about eleven o’clock, by the efforts which were 
made for the prefervation of the veffels in the dock, feve- 
ral were towed out, although with extreme difficulty. 
Four Were completely burnt, and about the fame number 
damaged. A floating engine, which was worked with 
great (kill, was of eonfiderable fervice in preventing the 
extenfion of the flames along the river. The extenfive 
Warehoufes of Ralph’s Key, Smart’s Key, Young’s Key, 
and Dyce’s Key, with their valuable contents, were entirely 
deffroyed ; Wiggdns’s Key was partly fo. The fire is faid 
to have been cauled by a lamplighter imprudently Ifriking 
his link, when burning, againlt a caik of (pints of tur¬ 
pentine, which immediately took fire. A watchman came 
to the lamplighter’s affiftance, and the calk was pnffied 
forward with the view of rolling it into the Thames : it 
took a different direction, however, and fell into a (hip 
lying alongfide the wharf. 
Between ten and eleven o’clock on the night of Friday 
the 26th of May, a fire was difcovered on the prernifes of 
Mr. Seabourne, a block-maker, in Narrow-ftreet, Linie- 
houfe. From the combuffible nature of the (lock in this 
and the adjoining work-houfe, warehoufes, &c. together 
with the narrownefs of the ftreet, the flames extended with 
the utmoft rapidity on both (ides of the way ; and, not- 
withftanding the mod prompt and vigorous exertions of 
the firemen, both by land and water, in about two hours 
time the following houfes, together with an immenfe 
quantity of mafts, yards, blocks, fail-cloth, pitch, tar, 
&c. were totally coniumed. 1. Mr. Seabourne's dwelling- 
houfe, work-fliop, Ac. 2. The (hop-loft anu ftore-honfe 
of Mr. Wilborg, fail-maker and (hip-ch3ndler, adjoining 
the former on the weftern fide. 3. The dwelling-houfe 
and work place of Mr. Bell, boat-builder, in the lame di- 
reefion, up to the open landing-place of Ratcliff-crofs. 4. 
The dwelling-houfe of captain Eiiaby, of the ballall-office, 
on the eaftern fide of the firft-mentiohed houfe. 5. The 
Ship in Diftrefs, a public-houfe, on the oppofite fide of the 
way. 6. A private houfe adjoining the latter, occupied 
by Mr. Jewfey. The bailaft-office, next door to Capt. 
Elfaby’s, a lodging-houfe on the oppofite fide of the way 
belonging to a perfon of the name of Scale, and fome others, 
were very much damaged. 
On the following morning about two a fire broke out 
on the prernifes of Mr. Smeeton, printer, St. Martin’s 
lane, which was fubdued before four o’clock, though with 
the complete deftrudion of the houfe and every particle 
of property. Mr. and Mrs. Smeeton perifhed in the flames ! 
One of the apprentices was alarmed, and, having awak¬ 
ened his two fellow-apprentices, went down (fairs to give 
their mailer the alarm ; but they were unable to force then- 
way to his apartment, or to roufe him from his (lumber; 
while the increafing fmoke and flames compelled them to 
attend to their own fafety. Having alarmed the maid- 
lervant, they, with difficulty effedted their efcape over 
the leads of the roof of the adjoining public-houfe. 
On Saturday night, the 6th of July, a dreadful fire broke 
out in the houfe of Mils Slarke, milliner and drefs maker, 
N° 62, Conduit-ftreet, Bond-lfreet. The whole family 
had retired to reft; but, before Mils Slarke fell aileep, (lie 
fmelt fire, and inftantly rofe to afeertain the fad, when, 
to her aftonifhment, (he difcovered that the flames had 
reached the itaircafe. She had prefence of mind inftantly 
to fly to the top of the houfe, where the young ladies her 
apprentices dept, and happily fucceeded in getting them 
all down (fairs and out of the houfe, where they remained 
a eonfiderable time, during a heavy rain, without any 
other clothes on than their night-drelies. The fire by 
this time had got to fuch a height, that the whole houfe 
was in flames. Had the difeovery been ten minutes later, 
every foul in it muft have perifhed. It next communi*. 
cated to the houfe of the Hon. Mr. North, who had lately 
failed for Malta, the whole of which was entirely con- 
fumed. Great part of Mr. North’s library, which was 
one of the beft iu Loudon? and had been very lately re¬ 
moved 
