To The Editor Of The Time...
Sir,-1 am truly grateful for tre notice tas en or tnie sltuauon or my family in The Times of this morning, and beg to present the following brief statemnent ;_ APer having quitted work, at half.past 12 yesterday morning, I retired to bed about hlalf-past one, was awakened by the cry of fire between three and four, got up and ltoked out of the first floor vwin- dew, saw nothing then, but smelling fire I opened the door on the stair-case, and seeing an unusual light, I wvezat up to the second floor stair-case, opened the casement, and the flames burst upon me from iUr. Bond's house, and caught my stairs; I instantly alarmed my family, rushed up stairs, caught two children in. m armns, brought them down through ihe burning staircase, and deposited tdem in Bride's-passagee; on my return, I found my eldest bor (14 years) with his sister, four years old, on his back, in the gare: those two I happily dragged ovt. Mly motber and eldest dattghtet had saved themselves; withi the exception of a petticoat, literatly naked. Bly wife,with etiack infant, hadlso saved herself, and also 6 ; the little else that was saved, bh tlte assistance of a benevolent stranger. At this period, my wifie called my attention to the clothes in the hitchen; for which I returned; It was per- b! fectly dark, and in groping about I was astonished by the voice of my little girl, 4 yeats old, who had thither unaccountably strayed, sayin-, " Fathier, I am here ; what a fire !" Trbreught liar out, with te warming pun and somerchildren's shirts, hanging there ors a line; and thus, by the special interference of Providence, I am still blessed by the! lives of aU my family; bet unhappily Dereft of, I may say, every thing, beitng, it;t in.ntred I will not disguise that the object of this statement is, that my case may be publiclv kn6wn, and tha7t by assistance, I may yet he enrabled to maintain theh,, as hitherto, in decent respectability.- My l,,,cin,,v is ,lmt nf t.d!or. I am. Sir. vour humble servant, JOSEPH SMITH, (Late of No. 6, Uride's-passage, JeM-SLrc:k No. 17, Black-Horse-court, Fleet-street, Nov. 15, 1824. TO TH1R EDITOR OF TEE TIMES.