Very few particulars were known last week respecting the fire
at Hatfield House ; but the papers have since been full of them. The
following account is taken from the Hertford 1?,:ji,rnier : it omits none
of the more interesting circumstances, and contains some riot men-
tioned elsewhere. It will be seen that the Dowager Marchioness of Salisbury, concerning whose fate much uncertainty existed 'in town on Saturday evening, perished in the flames !
" on Fi blay eveniug. about five o'clock. the Dowager Marchioness, who had come down from town, according to leer usual custoin. to he present at the first public day. which was to have been held on Wednesday, retired to her room to prepare for dinner ; and desired her maid, elle; (keeling her, tu return in an hour, as she had some letters to write, before she went down stairs. She was left at 6.r writing-table, with three candles, instead of two. before her ; which may possibly itecouut fur the fatal accident that occurred,—as. although nothing positive can be known respecting it, no alarm having been given mit il all was over, it seems probable n hat some part of her dress must have caught fire, either in sealing one of the letters, or in the act of writing, and that in her efforts to reach the bell, the flames communicated to the bed, and to the rest of the apartment. About six o'clock, a needle.wonetu, named Brown, observed a quantity of smoke in the i aesage 1 ailing to her Laelyship'e rooms ; and meeting Peregini, the confectioner, she told him of the circumstance. Ile immediately ran to the spot; and on opening the door, found the room one mass of flames, awl tilled with a smoke so dense, that it was impessible to enter it. A female servant, and one of old Lady Salisbury 'a, men-servants, attempted to do so; but the man fell down stupified by the smoke, as soon as he had crossed the threshold, and was with difficulty saved. It appears certain that the. fire must have commenced above twenty minutes before it was discovered ; and the apartments being all wainscoted, its progress was terrifically rapid. No vestige of the Marchioness was discovered by any one; nor was a sound heard' by those who first approached the room, except the moaning of an old favourite dog, who was shut up with her. Lord Salisbury was one of the first to reach the fatal spot. Of the feelings of a son, meter so awful a visitation, it is not for us to speak ; but we are assured, and we doubt not the fact, that it was only by the utmost exertions on the part of the set.. volt Peregini, who grappled with lii, Lordship until further aedstance arrived, that lie was preveuted from rushing himself into the, flames, in the vaiii hope of preserving his mother. In the first moments of distraction and lion-or, the greatest confusion uaturally- prevailed, and no effectual measures were takeu to arrest the progress of the tire. Bitt after a little time, Lord Salisbury recovered himself, and continued during the night to give the neee,sary orders, and to take a part in every thing that was done for the preservation of the leuildin„,e with a calmness, ay. activity, and a self possession, whiell cannot be too highly praised. The only peasons staying in the house were the Ifonoarable Ii. Talbot, Mr. Barham, and Lady Caroline Barham, with Lord tirimstou, whose great exertions during the night, all concur in acknowledging.
" tine fire broke out in the west wing, where were the two suites of rooms appropriated
to the Dowager Marchioness; the whelk of which are destroyed, together with a vast ranee of servants' apartments above and below them. The difficulty was to prevent the flames from spreading to the body of the house; which at one time seemed hope- less, as the engines which first arrived from St. Albates and Barnet were not of suffi- cient power. It was found necessary, therefore. to strip the house entirely ; and in one or the wettest nights ever known, the furniture pictures, tapestry hangings, beds. cabinets, and books, were carried uut into tine petit, tit, awl deposited there without any ether shelter from the rain than rick-cloths and tarpaulins, under the protection of the St. Allean's hoop of Yeomanry, which had hastened to Ilatfield as soon as the alarm was given, under the orders of Captain Grimston. Lady Salisbury, after seeing her children placed in safety, in the housed the steward, herself superiutended tine re.noval of the books from the library ; and showed, throughout the night, after the first horrible hour, the gteatest firmness and self-possession. " About ten o'clock, a large engine, belonging to the County Fire office, arrived from London, and rendered the moat effectual assistance. The thick walls of the chapel fortunately intervened between the west wing aunt the great entrance-hall ; the o ek-work of which communicating as it does with the long gallery and the other state apartments, would have rendered the destruction of the whole building inevitable. if the flames had once reached it. This was prevented by taking out all the wood-work in the chapel, and bricking up, the deers while the interior of it was saturated with water, and the engine-pipe played fro:n one of the windows upou the burning wing. The slimily of water was unfortimately bad; but the exertions of the firemen were materially assisted by the bursting of the large reservoir on the top of the house, the lead of which being rnelted, allow-eat the water to escape, and deluged the (hated jest at the most critical moment. It is to this that we ascribe the preservation of this splendid buildiug; the whole of which is uniojured, with the exception of that portion of it in which the fire commenzed. When we say uninjured, we do not allude of course to the damage sustained by the furniture, awl other things. which were removed into the park, and remained exposed to the weather fur many hours. This, we fear, must be very serious; hut there is nothing irreparable in the loss, which would have been the case had Hatfield house itself perisleel. It affarels us much pleasure to state, that not. withstauding the temptations to plunder, and the multitudes assembled, nut the slightest disorder or dilapidation took place. Every one lent assistance zealously and O the utmost extent of his abilities. Lord Gritnston, Mr. Faithfull, Mr. Franks, Mr. Barham, and many other gentlemen who were on the spot, were actively engaged during the whole night ; and the troops of Yeomanry belonging to the Hatfield corps, have relieved each other alternately in mounting givird upon the property:" The remains of the Dowager Marchioness hove Lot been discovered, although a report to that effect was current on Thursday. She is supposed to have had with her all her diamonds, which are said to be of immense value, and amongst them an extraordinary pearl neeklaoe, given by Edward the Third to the celebrated Countess of Salisbury. This necklace was presented to the family of Cecil by King Charles the Second.
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