1803] 
cned by ladders placed againft the windows. 
The houfe was foon in a blaze; and a 
coachmman, named Pierce, was fortunate 
enough, at the rifk of his life, to refeue his 
daughter, whem he carried down ftairs 
amid fire and finoke. 
his wife remained behind. he appeared in an 
agony ef grief. To return as he came was 
impolible, as the ftaircafe was completely 
enveloped with the flames, but hehad fearcely 
recovered himfelf, when one of the win- 
dows in the two pairof fairs front room 
opened, and the unfortunate woiap pre: 
, 
fented herfelf. Without a moment’s hefita- 
tion, fhe precipitated herfelf into the ftreet.. 
By the fall, her thigh was broken,, her neck 
ciflocated, and fhe inftantly oned in the 
prefence of her hufband and daug hter, who 
were eye-witnefles of her melancholy fate. 
Lhe fire had by this time got pollefion of 
Diet part of the, ho afe, which prefented, 
nothing but one entire blaze, and no hope 
wus leit that any of the unfortunate inha- 
bitants that remained in it could poffibly ef- 
cape. .. They confifted. of Mr. Adams, a 
coachman, ana his wife, an elderly woman, . 
and her two grandfons, fine lads, and two 
Young men, fervants, out Ct place, all of 
whom, to the number of feven, fell victims 
tu the fury of the flames. 
Onthe ift of February the new Wet Docks, 
at Wapping were opened for the reception 
of fhipping. 
had been examined, ahout two o’clock a 
sun was fired from the Dock-yard, as a 
fignal for the Perfeverance, ot Liverpool, 
laden with wine (being the oldeft ae in 
the Oporto trade) to get under w eigh from 
the river, and remaia in the outer, bafin, 
fhe having been previoully decorated with 
the fags of all nations, not even the French 
being omitted. When the water was {uffi- 
ciently deep in the Docks tor her reception, 
the inner gates were thrown open, and the 
{ailéd in majeftically ; but her progrefs was 
impeded by the quauatity of ice in the Docks, 
which being cleared away fhe failed 
acro{s the batin, and was moored at the 
north-wet extremity of the Docks. ‘The 
Great Dock contains exa&tly 20 acres, and 
the Little Dock or Bafin about three acres, 
which together accommodate about 250 fail. 
A quay 100 fect wide furrounds the great 
Dock cn all fides, excepting a fmall part 
fubdivided and inciofed tor tobacco, which 
is only about half that width, forming a 
length of wharfing of nearly 5000 feet, and 
an area for landing and baraiie merchan- 
dize not to be paralleled. The whole com- 
prizes a ‘pace of the extent of 60. acres. ‘he 
ean next Nightingale-lane, and on the fide 
next the Thames, near Hermitage bridge, is 
parchafed, and will be built upon as ipee- 
diiy as poflible. The Quays are of immente 
length, faid to be 1,260 feet, with a thed, 
over the front for covering goods as they 
may be landed, which is to be coppered over 
when the whole is complete. There are 
Recollecting that, 
After the walls, buoys, &c., 
Incidents, Marriages, and Deaths in and near London. 179 
ten round walking cranes for hoifting goods 
ont of the fhipping. The Tobacco Quay is 
three feet .ugher than the Great Quay 
on the North fide, for the conven: 
that defeription of, veffels. ‘Phe Bafin con- 
tains 23 feet depth of water when filled to 
its regular extent, end will adunt of any 
velfel drawing 18 feet. The Great Dock is 
29 an cine twenty of which are filled with 
wate Its fuperficial contents amount to 
24. sore. and it is capable of containing 200 
fail of merchantmen. There isa natlage at 
the Weftern end, with proper locks, for the 
fhipping to go out at when the whole of the 
sreat Deck is fully.occupied. This is fitu- 
ate between the Tobacco Quay on the Weft, 
and the great range ef warehoufes on the 
North Ge which form aright angle at this 
point, where a drav whridge is’ to be thrown 
over for the convenience of paillengers. On 
the fpacious Quay at the North fide of the 
Dock, there are five diftinct piles of -build- 
ing, each containing fix divifions of ware- 
houtes, which are to be connected with ano- 
ther range, when the whole of the plan is 
completed. Each body of warehoufes has 
ten cranes in the infide. ‘The cellars are 
ten feet high, are completely arched over, 
withan earthen flooriiig beaten down to equal 
the firm fubftance of brick, which is three 
feet above the level of the water. There 
are iron ftaunchions from the cellars to the 
upper ftory to prevent the fettling or finking 
of the ficors. Irom the moft minute ebfer- 
yation of thefe premifes, it is evident, that 
the able and ingenious architect, J. Ren- 
nie, Efg. who fuperintended the whole 
of the building, has moft feduloully aimed 
at blending, and has fucceeded in the ac- 
complifhment of a. work, which at once 
unites fimplicity and grandeur of appear- 
ance, and in which the commodious ftowase 
of goods and the fecurity of them after they 
have been depofited may be looked to with 
the moft perfect confidence. There are two 
tobacco warchoufes at the Eaftern end of 
the Dock; the one 250 feet long and 200 
wide, 
inwidth. The roof of thefe buildings forms 
three diftinct plain ranges acrofs, which 
extends without interrupti on to the full 
length of each warehoufe, difplaying the 
moft admirable fimplicity of appearance on 
the outfide, while in the infide the whole is 
fo firmly united that nothing thort of the 
‘hock of the walls upon whicn it ftands can 
pofibly endanger them. This range of 
building is raifed but one floor above the 
ground, though the warchoufes on the Nerth 
fide ave four ftories high above the cellars. 
But underneatli the tobacco warehoufes are 
high vaulted cellars of the fame extent, one 
part of which is to be appropriated to the 
purpofe of depotiting wine, until the propri- 
etur finds it convenient to have it ient to 
fome other place. . Befides the materials of 
which the arches are compofed, there is a 
folid paved floor over the arghes, fo that if 
by 
ence of 
the other 762 feet in length and 160. 
