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Newspaper
Weekly Chronicle
Location
London, Middlesex, United Kingdom
Date
Nov 07, 1841
Page
2
An enormous blaze at the Tower of London's Great Armoury and surrounding buildings caused extensive destruction of weapons, trophies, and historic ordnance. Admirers and nobles witnessed the ruins as Major Elrington and Colonel Peel oversaw salvage efforts, with the Duke of Wellington and Prince Albert rumored to attend.
Complaints by press figures about rough treatment by troops while attempting to enter the Tower last Saturday. Orders to admit no one were cited as reason, with the Duke of Wellington not intervening. Reports describe extensive weapon and roof destruction, comparisons to the Royal Exchange fire, and warnings that several notable buildings face risk. Captain Davis ordered flints distributed, and authorities seek to repair munitions losses, noting scant musket stock and reliance on the East India Company for supplies.
The passage details a lavish collection presented to royalty and war figures from 1700 to 1758 including elegant carriages, brass mortars, a nine-shall ball mortar for fireworks, and ten small brass cannons. It describes a drum-major’s chariot with heating grate, Lyons-made chevalet de frise, and a wooden “Policy” gun used in Boulogne 1544. The Small Armoury houses arms for 150,000 men, 22-foot pike columns, gilt ceilings, banqueting halls, and walls clad with pistols, swords, and armor in ornate patterns, with famed items once belonging to Tippoo Saib’s guard and weapons from notable sieges and plots.
The article details the Tower fire response with the Duke of Wellington ordering watchmen to parade and receive thanks. Major Elrington and officers hear a letter from the lord chamberlain and a royal message from Queen Victoria praising the warders for their actions.
An inquest at the King's Head on the Tower of London grounds viewed the body of Richard Wivill 22 fire brigade man killed when brickwork and debris fell on him during a fire on the Tower east armoury. Surgeons said concussion of the brain caused death. jury returned accidental death. He supported his aged mother in Goodman's Fields.
The Paris and Madrid accounts detail failed plots and swift arrests. Brussels faces a suspected plot with six cannon and four field pieces seized, while Belgium’s garrisons and authorities tighten security as conspirators are rounded up. O'Donnell fled Madrid and Basque uprisings spread. Basques, Pampeluna, and Bilbao reports abound. Portugal grants refuge to some Spanish refugees as tensions rise across Europe.
A Brussels dispatch reports widespread alarm over a suspected conspiracy. Police seized individuals including M. Decrehen and Vandermissen, conducted domiciliary visits, and arrested around twenty people amid raids and fortifications. Troops patrolled the capital as authorities defend actions against a scene of panic and rumors.
Reports from Constantinople outline a protracted dispute over church rights in Jerusalem and Ottoman firmans, with British and Prussian pressure affecting policy. West Indies notices discuss Megnet’s voyage, currency changes in St Lucia, and Carthagena blockades with local casualties and shifting loyalties amid naval actions.
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