14 NEW 
occafions even repairing thofe already built when falling 
into decay. That, owing to this impolitic, and, we hum¬ 
bly conceive, unneceffary, reftriftion, the denfityof popu¬ 
lation has become fo great, as to endanger the health and 
lives of the inhabitants. 
“ We beg leave further to ftate to your royal highnefs, 
that the town of St. John’s, with the exception of one 
houfe, is built of wood; that the principal ftreet is in 
one place not more than fix feet wide; that all our ftreets 
are narrow, unpaved, and unlighted ; that, during three 
months of the year, owing to the feverity of our climate, 
we are fhut out from all intercourfe with our neighbours. 
Imagination could not pour tray a more dreadful pi Rare of 
human mifery, than would he realized, rvere this town in the 
depth of winter to become a prey to conflagration. In addi¬ 
tion to thefe circumftances, which we are fure will for¬ 
cibly imprefs themfelves upon the benevolent mind of 
your royal highnefs, we have to ftate that we are without 
a police, without a public eftablilhment for the education 
of our youth, without a market-place, and without any 
legal proviiion for the poor. We therefore moft humbly 
pray, that, as parliament has not made any appropriation 
of the moneys arifing from the fale of the fhips’ rooms, 
your royal highnefs will be gracioufly pleafed to dir eft 
that fuch meafures may be taken as fhall be deemed necef- 
fary to apply the fame towards the improvement of the 
towm and harbour of St. John’s ; and we moft humbly pe¬ 
tition for an aft of the legiflature, to eftablifh a police for 
the proteftion of our lives and property, with power to re¬ 
ceive and difpofe of the rents of the fhips’ rooms, in paving, 
lighting, and widening, the ftreets, eftablifhing a market¬ 
place, endowingafeminary for the education of our youth, 
giving relief to the poor, and other purpofes of public 
utility.” 
The calamity of fire, which the petitioners fo feelingly 
deprecate, overtook them very foon after. Between the 
hours of eight and nine on the night of the 12th of Fe¬ 
bruary, 1816, a fire was difeovered in the houfe of Edmund 
Walfli, in Gambler-ftreet, St. John’s, about two doors 
from the fouth-fide of Duckworth-ftreet. The inflam¬ 
mable materials of which the buildings of the town are 
Conftrufted, excited the moft alarming appreher.fions. 
The wind blew furioufly from the fouth-eaft quarter, and 
rapidly bore the flames to the range of houfes forming the 
north-fide of Duckworth-ftreet, while the all-devouring 
element alfo extended its ravages to the fouth, againft 
the wind, and weftward towards the clufter of new build¬ 
ings lately erefted on the extenfive premifes of Meflrs. 
Crawford and Co. and by five o’clock on the morning of 
the 13th inftant, all the buildings between Sawyer’s cor¬ 
ner, at the eaft-end of Duckworth-ftreet, and the new 
Methodift Meeting-houfe, at Gill’s-fhute, weftward, and 
from the corner building on the King’s Bench, facing the 
Ordnance-wharf, to the ereftions oppofite Meflrs. Hunters 
and Co’s, in Water-ftreet, comprifing about 1 30 houfes, 
were completely deftroyed. Occafional fliowers of fnow 
and rain that fell during the conflagration fomewhat re¬ 
tarded the progrefs of the flames ; and the extraordinary 
exertions.of the navy, army, and public departments, is 
reprefented as beyond praife. Several houfes were pulled 
down before the flames reached them ; and thus, the com¬ 
munication being cut off, the injury was limited to the 
number of habitations fpeciiied. We are forry to fay 
that the lower order of the populace gave themfelves up 
to plunder, inftead of aflifting their wretched fellow-crea¬ 
tures, of whom 1500 were rendered deftitute during a ri¬ 
gorous and inclement feafon, by this awful vifitation. 
Their houfes and provifions were deftroyed ;-and what 
augmented their diftrefs, was the impoflibility of veflels 
entering the port with fupplies, in confequence of the 
ice. The other inhabitants (hared their (tore with thefe 
unfortunates; and a liberal fubfeription was entered upon, 
which afforded temporary relief, and was liberally aided 
by a fimiktr meafure in this country. The. rapidity with 
NEW 
which the houfes were confirmed is deferibed as ahnoft: 
inconceivable. Many of their inmates had barely time 
to efcape naked, or merely covered with blankets, and 
flood fhiveringin the ftorm and fnow, while all that they 
had in the world perifhed before their eyes. Report fpeaks 
of only one life loft on this melancholy occafion. The 
pecuniary lofs has been moderately eftimated at upwards 
of ioo,oool. 
This calamity followed fo clofe upon the ftagnation of 
trade, which was general at the beginning of the peace, 
that many refpeftable eftablifhments were broken up, moft 
of the fmall traders ruined, and the lower clafies brought 
to extreme wretchednefs. 
In thefe reduced circumftances, that unfortunate fettle- 
ment had to fuftain the overwhelming effefts of two other 
dreadful conflagrations on the 7th and 21ft of November, 
1817, which totally deftroyed 200 houfes, (tore-houfes, &c. 
including property to the eftimated amount of 400,000 or 
500,000k leaving hundreds of refpeftable inhabitants in 
a ftate of utter deftitution. 
Such a feries of calamities may well be fuppofed to 
produce an accumulation of mifery which no language 
can adequately deferibe. The firft of thefe fires was in 
the eaftern part of the town ; and a fpace of ground 
nearly a quarter of a mile in length and 300 yards in 
breadth, was perfeftly cleared of all the houfes that flood 
thereon ; and the fecond (on the 21ft of November) laid 
in allies a great part of the weftern half of the town, which 
had been contemplated as a (belter for the diftreffed indi¬ 
viduals who fuftered by the fire of the 7th. The princi¬ 
pal depofitories of provifions intended for the winter- 
lupply of the inhabitants being deftroyed, an alarming 
fcarcity was dreaded, and a temporary embargo on the 
export of provifions ordered. 
Minds irritated by repeated calamities are very prone 
to harbour unjuft fufpicions; and it was thought by many, 
that thefe conflagrations were the work of malicious per- 
fons. But by the laft accounts from St. John’s, we learn, 
that the grand jury of that ill-fated fettlement, after a 
minute examination into the caufe of the late deftruftive 
fires, have declared their unanimous opinion, that the 
fufpicion of thefe fires having been wilful and malicious, 
is groundlefs, and that they originated folely in accident. 
The prefiure of thefe calamities, however, added to another 
bad fifliing-feafon, has occafioned the following notice to 
be publifhed in the Newfoundland Royal Gazette, fo lately 
as Oft. 13, 1818. “ His excellency the governor, taking 
into confideration the prefent diftrefs of this town, arifing 
from the recent misfortunes to which it has been fubjeft; 
and the failure of the fnheries this feafon, has been pleafed 
to make a reduftion of 25 per cent, in the government- 
rents for the current year, provided the fame be imme¬ 
diately paid in.” GibJ'on's Geography, vol. iii. Blunt's 
Wars of England, vol. vii. Gent. Blag. 1817. Blonthly 
Blag. Feb. 1816. and Jan. 1818. Newfoundland Blercantile 
Journal. Royal Gazette. 
NEWHA'VEN, a county of Connefticut, in America, 
extending along the Sound between Middlefex-county on 1 
the eaft arid Fairfield on the weft ; about fifty miles long 
from north to fouth, and twenty-eight from eaft to weft ; 
divided into fourteen townfhips, and containing, in the 
year 1800, 31,926 free perfons, and 256 flaves. 
NEWHA'VEN, a city, the feat of juftice in the above- 
county, lies round the head of a bay, which makes up 
about four miles north from Long-Ifland Sound ; and 
covers a large plain, which is encloled on three iides by- 
liigh hills or mountains. Two fmall rivers bound the- 
city eaft and weft. It was originally laid out in fquares, 
many of which have been divided by crofs-ftreets : four- 
ftreets run north-weft and fouth-eaft, and are eroded by 
others at right-angles ; near the centre is the public 
fquare, in and about which are the public buildings, 
which are a ftate-houfe, three college-edifices, a chapel,, 
library, &c, three churches for congregationalifts, and 
on& 
