388 
Incidents in and near Londotu 
[Nov, U 
fake about 140,0001. to discharge fill claims 
upon the late theatre and its patents. To- 
v.-ards the discharge of this-debt there were 
funds available to the amount of 56,7001. 
leaving a balance unprovided for of 87,2351. 
to which might be added the fractional parts 
to account for unforeseen contingencies, leav¬ 
ing a balance to be provided of 90,0001.— 
The rent charge of 7,5001. per annum had 
ber-ii reduced to 3,2501. and the interest upon 
the whole would be 8,0001.—The highest 
calculation of the expence of any plan that 
has been presented to the committee for re¬ 
building the theatre, with the money neces¬ 
sary for preparing it for performances, did not 
exceed 150,0001. as it was not intended the 
new theatre should be so large as the former, 
nor tliat so great a sum should he expended on 
its exterior decorations. The interest upon 
this sum would be 7,5001. per annum, which, 
added to the interest upon the sum required 
for the extinction of the old debt and the 
discharge of the annuity, would be altogether 
about 15,0001. To this there was likewise 
to be added 1,7001. for rent, and 8001. for 
taxes. The total estimated income would be 
49,1001. and at the most moderate ccmputa- 
tioii, the committee conceive that a fair re¬ 
liance might be placed on a profit of 7 per 
cent, in addition to the free admissions of 
subscribers of 5001. shares.—Mr. Benjamin 
IVyatc’a plan has been approved by the com¬ 
mittee. 
On Tuesday^ Oct. 1, about cne o’clock in 
the morning an alarming fire broke out in the 
Infirmary of the. Royal Hospital, Greenwich, 
which raged v/ith dreadful fury for upwards of 
four hours, in which time the greater part of 
that noble buildmg was laid in ruins : such 
a scene has not been witnessed in this town 
since the conflagration of the Royal Chapel, 
about thirty years back ; the present, how¬ 
ever, was beyond comparison the most dis¬ 
tressing j numbers of the sick pensioners 
•were hurried from their beds with scarcely 
any covering, as the rapidity of the flames 
would not admit of the least delay ; others, in 
the most enfeebled state, were obliged li¬ 
terally to crawl to some place of safety; 
beds, blankets, Scz. were seen in all direc¬ 
tions outside the buildings, with these poor 
veterans huddled together on them, in which 
state they were obliged to remain until the 
fury of tlie fianies had abated, so that they 
Could be conveyed to places more suitable. 
The fire first broke out in the upper part 
of the North West corner of the building, 
in one of the junior surgeon’s apartments, 
which had been lately bviilt, and, it appear;, 
in order to make it quickly habitable, a fire 
had been made, on the hearth. Tire surgeon 
went into this room previous to his retiring 
. to vest, to see if all w'as safe, but finding the 
fire not quite out, threw the contents of a 
water bottle on it, which he thought would 
extinguisa it sufficiently ; but, unfortunately. 
It did not, for the alarm was given not long 
aftcrwai'di, \^vcn the fiooring beams and, ia 
short, the whole room was discovered ijs 
flames.—^The greatest apprehensions were en¬ 
tertained for the brew house belonging to the 
hospital, and, indeed, for the hospital itself j 
but, from the timely arrival of engines belong* 
ing to the town, we are happy to say they 
escaped injury. We should consider ourselves 
ingrateful in the extreme, if we were not to 
notice, and highly applaud, the strenuous exer¬ 
tions of the men and engines belonging to 
Messrs. Crowley, Millington, and Co. who 
were, as has been on all similar occasions, the 
first that were brought into use with effect, 
and it was by means of these tw-^o engines 
alone, that the fire received its principal 
check, so far, indeed, that they completely 
stopped its progress in the North-East quar¬ 
ter ; which, had that not been the case, the 
whole building must have been destroyed be¬ 
fore the arrival of the engines from London, 
as it burned with such uncommonrapidity.— 
The voluntary efforts of these men were 
conspicuous to every one present, and we are 
happy to say, has not passed unnoticed by the 
directors of the hospital, who have rewarded 
them liberally ; they likewise have returned 
thanks in a handsome manner by handbills, 
to all those w'ho rendered assistance at the 
momentous crisis. 
The ceremony of laying the first stone of 
the Strand bridge, took place on the Surrey 
side of the Thames, close to the landing 
stairs called Cuper’s Bridge, nearly opposite 
Somerset House, on the 11th of October. 
About four o’clock, every thing being pre¬ 
pared w'ithin the first cofferdam, a fine large' 
block of Cornish granite (a specimen of what 
the bridge is to be built with) was lowered 
down, and covered an excavation in the work 
beneath, which contained the gold and silver 
coins of the present reign, over which was 
fixed a plate, formed of block tin. 
Application is intended to be made in t!-c 
approaching session of parliament, to obtain 
an act for making a tunnel underneath the 
River Thames, from the Isle of Dogs, in the 
Hamlets of Popular and Blackwall, Middle- 
se.v, to the opposite shove, in the parish of 
Greenwich, Kent, and the necessary road», 
&c. to and from the same, in order to form a 
more direct and commodious communication 
betwixt the counties of Middlesex and Kent, 
An estimate may be formed of the im¬ 
mense improvement in the tirosvenor.estate, 
3001. per acre per annum being required for 
80 acre; uf land between Grosvenor-place and 
Sloa.ne-street, on a lease of 99 years ; thi.^ 
traa: therefore, vrhich within memory was let 
at the annu'al rent of 2501. will, by the pre¬ 
sent valuation, procluce 24,000i, per annum. 
A grand cricket match has been played this 
montn, between eleven nvotnen of Surrey and 
eleven of Hampshire, for 500 guineas. 
—It was set on foot by the hop gleaners of 
Hampshire, against all England.-Their 
neighbours in Surrey, took up the gauntlet, 
and Che contest was decided near Bali’s Pond, 
Middlesex, The combatants were dressed in 
loose 
