1805.] Incidents, Marriages and Deaths, in and near London. O77 
porting, or if he could tranfport them, of 
detaching from his force without manifeft 
danger to France: no apprehenfion is to 
be entertaned as to the event of a conteft, 
howiver we muft all deplore the evils 
w. ich muft neceflarily accompany an ac- 
tual invahon, : 
While our fo'diers and failors are 
fisnting for the fafety and exiftence of 
England as an independent nation, their 
coun rymen, who are lefs expoled to the 
immediate dangers of war, feel a lively 
in‘creft in their welfare. Sucn a fund as 
that ac Lloyd’s Coffee-houfe no other 
country can boaft, nor could England boaft 
till the prefent time. The diftreffes of 
the widows and orphans of thofe who fall 
in battle has iong been deplored, and, we 
truft, will hereatter be mitigated, as far as 
pecuniary affiliance can effect that pur- 
pole, Life cannot be recalled by gold; 
bat gold, will tupply a maintenance pre- 
maturely cut off. The evils of war can- 
not be annihilated ; but all poffible alle- 
viation is now attempted by means of 
thefe liberal and honorable contributions. 
‘¢>Tis all a father, all a friend can give.’ 
INCIDENTS, MARRIAGES, ann DEATHS, i aNp nEAR LONDON. 
With Bi2graphical Memoirs of diflinguifbed Chara&ers recently deceafed. 
Fire at Afileys Amphitheatre, Weftminfter - 
bridge.—The following are the moft intereft- 
ing particulars relating to this calamitous 
event:—Mr. Teller, a baker in Amphi- 
theatre-row, adjoining the gateway leading 
to the ftables belonging to the theatre, being 
up with his men baking, about a quarter paft 
two o’clock in the morning, difcovered the 
theatre to be on fire, and the flames to be 
burfting through that part of the roof which 
was over the front of the ftage ; he and his 
men ran and knocked at the doors of the fe- 
veral houfes in the front of the theatre, and 
the alarm foon became general. It appears 
from this that no perfon was on the watch 
within the theatre, or the alarm would cer- 
tainly have been earlier given, and prevented 
the fatal accident which befel Mrs. -Smicth, 
the mother of Mrs. Aftley, jun. This un- 
fortunate lady refided in the houfe in the 
front of the theatre, and which in Jefs than 
twenty minutes was in flames, when Mrs, 
Smith, who was near fixty years of age. was 
feen at the two pair of ftairs window neareft 
the bridge, attempting to open it; Mr. 
Moore, a tin-man, who lives at the corner 
of Phenix-ftreet, mounted the balcony in 
the front, and thence to the window, but 
being unable to open ir, was obliged to de- 
fcend and ufe the end of the ladder to demo- 
lith tne fath ; in the mean time Mrs. Smith 
difappeared, and fell a viétim to the flames, 
for under the back room her remains were 
difcovered by the firemen, about half paft ten 
o’clock in the forenoon, next day, fo fhock- 
ingly mangled that they were with great 
difficulty colleéted into a bafket, and being 
covered with a carpet, were conveyed over 
the way to the houfe of Mr. Richardfon, 
The moment the fire was difcovered, Mr. 
Trampolin, one of the performers, and Mr. 
Searle, the boat-builder, clofe by, went to 
the ftables to fave the horfes. Thefe ftables 
Were numerous and extenfive, formed by long 
‘miles diftant in Surrey. 
ranges of brick walls, and covered by the 
ftage. At this time the ftage was complete- 
ly on fire, that is all over head, but thefe 
gentlemen courageoufly perfevered. They 
blinded the horfes, to prevent them from 
taking alarm at the flames, and they got 
them all out in fafety, though not till they 
had been well warmed. It is remarkable, 
that thefe were the very fame gentlemen 
who faved the horfes when this place 
was burned down about nine years ago. 
With the exception of the horfes, fcarcely 
any part of Mr. Aftley’s property was faved. 
A few f{cenes, not more than were fufficient 
to load a cart, which were in the outer apart 
ments, were fecured, but nothingelfe. The 
mufic-room, with all its contents, was en« 
tireiy deftroyed. In this was depofited the 
mufic of ali the pieces which had ever been 
broughtout at the Amphitheatre, and which, 
in all, had coft Mr. Aftiey the fum of 15 ,0001.. 
~All che mufical inftruments, fome of them 
very valuable, belonging to individuals of 
the band, were likewile deftroyed. Indeed 
the ruins prefented many curiofities. The 
contents of the property-room, which had 
fallen into the ftables through the ftage, were. 
curious. Here were fwords, the barrels of 
mufkets, tin armour, and all the parapher- 
nalia of kings and warriors, which the flames 
could not devour, Many individuals be- 
longing to the ‘iheatre, as well as the neigh- 
bours, loft confiderable property; and not 
the leaft lofs to the performers, is that of 
their benefits, which were approaching. 
Mr, and Mrs. Aftley, jun. were fleeping at 
a {mail country houle they have about ten 
An exprefs was fent 
as foon as the fire was known, and Mr. Aftley. 
was on the {pot at five o’clock in the morn- 
ing, Juit in time to know that the flames had 
comp etely devoured the whole of his pro- 
perty, valued at more than thirty thoutand 
pounds. 
ing 
Mrs, Aftley foliowed, and on hear- . 
