Mr. O'Connell has written a letter to the Dublin Pilot
to contradict a story that he is a freemason. At a very early period of his life, and I, before an ecclesiastical censure had been published in the Catholic Church, prohibiting the taking of a masonic oath," be did belong to the da craft ;" but many years ago unequivocally renounced it. His chief objection to freemasonry is, that it encourages "the profane taking in Tam the awful name of the Deity."
One of the most destructive conflagrations ever witnessed in Dublin, broke out on Tuesday morning at the Suffolk Street side of the Royal Arcade, in a toy-shop next the gateway, occupied by a Mr. Kirby. It is supposed to have originated in the burning of some shavings in the shop. The flames spread with extreme rapidity through the Arcade, owing to the dry and combustible nature of the buildings and the goods which they contained, and the free current of air through the passage. In less than an hour, scarcely a vestige of the two lines of shops or the galleries overhead was visible ; and the flames had extended to the Royal Hotel in front and the chambers for public exhibitions adjoin- ing. In the mean time, the lire had communicated to the adjoining Louses in Suffolk Street—Mr. Wisehurt, bookseller, which was corn- pletely destroyed, and Messrs. Simmonds and Walpole, linendrapers, slightly injured ; but upon this side the fire did not extend far. It was upon the buildings forming the old General Post-office that the flames committed the greatest ravages. At five o'clock, the Royal Hotel was enveloped in flames; and the spectacle presented by the conflagration at this period was awful. From every window the flames were bursting, whilst the terrified inmates were rushing from the burning pile ; and at intervals the crash of the ladling floors increased the horror. One individual, an English commercial traveller, was extri- cated from the hotel by means of sheets tied together, and suspended from one of the windows. About six, the flames had extended to the bank- ing-house of Boye, Lowe, and Pim, next door to the Royal Hotel, and burned with great rapidity. On account of the quantity of property and papers of great value known to be in the banking-house, every possible exertion was made to check the flames in this quarter, and the principal engines were worked with the utmost skill and vigour upon the premises. In a short period the house was completely burned ; but the loss has been limited to the building and furniture. The fire was got wider about twelve o'clock. No lives were lost; but the damage to property is immense.
The Dublin papers of Monday state that the Albion steam-vessel struck upon a rock in Jack's Sound, on her passage on Tuesday, from Dublin to Bristol, and immediately filled, rile passeugers and crew, among whom was Mr. Sergeant Jackson, M. P. for Bandon, were saved. So were also the horses.
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