The following account of a fire near Manchester appeared in
only a part of our impression last week.
A considerable portion of an extensive spinning and weaving mill, belonging to Messrs. Bowers and ( 'o., at Levensh tilme, near .Manches- ter, was desttoyed by fire on Wednesday morning. William Worth, who was employed in the gas-works belonging to the mill, came in contact with the flame on opening the door of one of the retorts; and his clothes, being saturated with oil, immediately took fire. The com- bustible materials in the retort-house were soon in flumes; which vere communicated to a wooden shed, anal thence rapidly to the upper part of the main building. five stories high. Worth ran into the open air towards a reservoir of water. Unhappily, instead of plunging into the water, the poor fellow, who was almost blinded, threw himself on the ground, where he lay like a heap of tinder : he survived only a few hours. A girl of sixteen leaped from the top story to the ground, and was almost shattered to pieces: she was taken to the Infirmary, but could not recover. Several other persons were injured less severely. Fire-engines soon arrived ; and by great exertions the principal part of the premises was saved. The loss incurred is estimated at about 23,000/. Nearly all the hands were immediately engaged by Messrs. Woolley and Sons, of Manchester, and other manufacturers.
On Wednesday week, ninety-eight makers of fireworks in Leeds and the neighbourhood were summoned before the Magistrates, warned to give up their illegal business, and directed to destroy all the squibs and crackers in their possession. The dreadful explosion at Holbeek, mentioned in the last Spectator, has caused the Magistrates to enforce this dormant law.
The Prince Frederick steam-packet, Captain Wood, plying between Goole and London, was lost on Wednesday week, on the Corton Sands, near Yarmouth, and three of the persons on board were drowned.
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