FOR EEGN NEVIS.

DESTRUCTION OF THE PARLIA-

 MENT HOUSES.
{"character_count": 2428, "word_count": 427, "ccnet_language_score": [0.9768999814987183], "ccnet_perplexity": [817.2000122070312], "fasttext_language": ["en"]}
LONDON, Oct. IS.

 Shortly before seven o'clock, last night, the inhabitants of Westminster, and of the districts on the opposite bank of tine river, were thrown mic the utmost confusion and alarm by the sudden breaking out of one of the most terrific conaagratlons that has been witnessed for many years past. Those in the immediate vicinity of the scene of this calamity, were quickly convinced of the truth of the cry that the Houses of Lords and Commons and the adjacent buildings were on fire: the i'll news spread rapidly through the town. and the flames in- creasIng, and mounting higher and higher with fearful rapldity, attracted the attention of not only the passengers ln the streets, but il we may judge from the thousands Of persons who in u few minutes were seen hurryng 10 Westminster, of the vast nlaio- riv ct the inhabitants of ithe metropolis We scarcely ever recolect to have seen the large ihoroughiares of the town so !hronged before. Within less than half an hour after the tire breke out. Ii became im- possible to approach nearer to ihe scene of disaster than the foot of Westminster bridge, on the Surly side ofthe river, or he end of Parliament street on the other, ex- cepi by means of boat, or with the assist ance of a guide, who, well acquainted with the.localities, was enabled to reach Abing- l to;i street, by streets at the back oi the Ab- hey. This locality, however, was in ve- " short space of time as densey thronged with spectators as any other. There was, however, nothing surprising in the multi tude that fiocked to the spot in ,he crowd ed boats that floated on the rlver immedi- aiely in front of the blazing pile-or iu ihe eohntess numbers that swarmed upon the bridges, the wharves, and even upon the house tops; for the spectacle was one of s,lrpassing though terrific spIendor, and the I'stately appearance of he Abbey, whose ar chltectnral beauties were never seen to greater advantage than when lighted by the l flames of this unfortunate fire, would of themselves have attracted as many thou- sands to the spot. But, extensive as the mischief we have to deplore really was, ru- mour has magnified 1t most fearfuily. IL was currently reported through the town that Westminster Hall, and even the Ab- bey itself were in flames.

 HAEr PAST 2 O'CLOCK.

 Westminster Hall IS, we think, quite safe. The fire still burns furiously among ] the ruins which it has made, brt it's power