Gazette Of The United States And Daily Evening Advertiser

July 23.

FIRE at RATCLIFF.

Wednesday afternoon, about two o'clock, a most dreadful fire broke out at a barge builder's Mr. Clove's Stone-Stairs, occasioned by the boiling over of a pitch kettle, that stood under his ware house which was consumed in a very short time. It then communicated to a barge, it being low water, lying adjoining the premises, laden with salt petre and other stores. This occasioned the conflagration to spread widely in a very short time. Several other vessels and small craft, lying near the barge soon after took fire, without any possibility of getting them off. The blowing up of the saltpetre, from the barge occasioned large flakes of fire to fall on the ware-houses belonging to the East-India company, from whence the salt petre was removed to the Tower (20 tons of which had been fortunately taken the preceding day.)

When the fire communicated with the East-India ware house, the firemen discontinued their exertions, and prudently withdrew from the threatening scene, as did also, by their advice, the nearer neighbors—Soon after, the combustible matter contained in the building blew up, with an explosion that could only be likened to the bursting of a volcano, and which had the effect upon the surrounding houses, as far as Lime-house, Tower-hill, and Mile-end, of the shock of an earthquake: those immediately adjoining were unroofed.

The conflagration now spread in every direction and was greatly increased by the wind, which towards evening, blew very fresh, and all that followed was "confusion worse confounded" by the impotent efforts which were made to oppose what had so completely obtained the mastery; till at length, it may be fairly said, the fire ceased for want of materials to consume, having reached an open space of ground, where the connection of perishable substances, was broken.

It was at the farther extremity of Mr. Shakepear's Ropewalk that it stopped.

It is not yet possible to ascertain the number of houses demolished: the whole extent of ground from Stone Stairs to Ratcliff-Cross, and from the water side to Stepney Causeway, is covered with one confused mass of smoking ruin. Where the different streets ran cannot be traced. Some accounts suppose so many as a thousand buildings of different descriptions destroyed; there cannot be so few as five hundred; among the principal of these were the above India Company's saltpetre ware-house, a large sugar house, a glass manufactory, a lighter builder's and all the warehoufes which extended along shore. The ship destroyed, on account of her being aground at low water, was a Barbadoes vessel.

The dawn of day presented a scene most distressing to the feeling mind; all the surrounding fields were covered with houseless poor families that had with difficulty saved sufficient to cover them; decrepid old men and women, unprotected wives and famished infants! What a subject for the exercise of that charity so characteristic of Britons!

It is deserving of particular notice, that one stood entirely uninjured in the very midst of this mighty ruin, and which we are informed, was never quitted by the family that inhabits it; assisted by their friends they so drenched it with water, that not even a pane of glass was cracked. It is a good house, and well worth the labour bestowed upon it, but it appears to the spectator to stand by miracle. It belongs to Mr. Bear.

The loss sustained in consequence of the above dreadful catastrophe cannot at present be even guessed at: it must exceed a million sterling!

That some idea may be formed, the warehouses of Mr. Whiting contained sugars to the amount of upwards of 40,000l. which were entirely destroyed.

The fury of the flames was much increased in their progress in London street, by the great quantity of deals in the yard of Mr. Joseph Hanks.
A survey was yesterday afternoon taken by the wardens and other officers of the Hamlet. whose report was, that out of 1200 houses, of which the Hamlet consisted, no more than five hundred and seventy were preserved from the conflagration; and what it more to be regretted, the greater number were the principal contributors towards the support of the poor.

It having been reported that the fire was maliciously occasioned, upon the most minute enquiry it is clearly ascertained it was entirely accidental, from the cause above mentioned. It raged with so much violence that it was with the greatest difficulty Mr. Cloves and his servants escaped, one of whom was terribly burnt and is now in the London hospital; and Mr. Cloves himself had unfortunately his arm broke and is otherwise much hurt.

From the great distress the above fire occasioned to a great number of poor families government has humanely ordered 120 tents to be immediately pitched for their accomodation, in Stepney Fields, till they can be more comfortably provided for.