DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70266#0181
PRESERVATION OF THE TOWN OF ST. HELIER. 155
who acquiesced in his demand, saying that he was ready to
die with him, and they shook hands. Edward Touzee then
took a wooden bar, with which he broke the barrier of the
pallisade which surrounds the magazine, and finding at hand
a kind of axe, he got to the door of the magazine, where he
broke also two padlocks, and having by these means opened
the door, he entered, and addressing himself to Mr. Lys,
who was on the outside, said, “ the magazine is on fire, it
will blow up. We must lose our lives, but no matter,
huzza for the King! We must try to save it.” With these
words he rushed into the flames, and seized the matches al-
most burnt out, he threw them by arm-fulls to Mr. P. Lys,
and W. Pontiney who had remained without: Mr. Lys see-
ing a cask standing on one end filled with water in the neigh-
bourhood of the magazine, he and W. Pontiney made use
of their hats and a pitcher to carry water to Edward Touzee,
who was still in the magazine, but scarcely able to see, in
consequence of the thick smoke that surrounded him ; ob-
serving, however, some wood on fire, he extinguished it with
the water brought him. At length, thank God ! the fire
was entirely extinguished by the zeal and intrepidity of Ed-
ward Touzee in particular, and of Mr. P. Lys, and W. Pon-
tiney. Captain Leith of the 31st regiment, and Mr. Mur-
phy, of the same regiment, the officer on guard, and several
officers of His Majesty’s troops, repaired with soldiers to the
hill. As soon as they were informed of the danger to which
the magazine was exposed, Captain Leith, and the officers
who commanded the soldiers, and all the other officers with
him, employed the utmost activity to get the magazine en-
tirely emptied, in order to ascertain whether any sparks re-
mained in it: and, wonderful providence ! which saved the
town of St. Helier and its inhabitants from the greatest of
all misfortunes, two caissons of wood, filled with ammuni-
tion, were found attacked by the fire, and one in particular,
in which there were powder-horns, tubes, and a flannel car-
x 2
who acquiesced in his demand, saying that he was ready to
die with him, and they shook hands. Edward Touzee then
took a wooden bar, with which he broke the barrier of the
pallisade which surrounds the magazine, and finding at hand
a kind of axe, he got to the door of the magazine, where he
broke also two padlocks, and having by these means opened
the door, he entered, and addressing himself to Mr. Lys,
who was on the outside, said, “ the magazine is on fire, it
will blow up. We must lose our lives, but no matter,
huzza for the King! We must try to save it.” With these
words he rushed into the flames, and seized the matches al-
most burnt out, he threw them by arm-fulls to Mr. P. Lys,
and W. Pontiney who had remained without: Mr. Lys see-
ing a cask standing on one end filled with water in the neigh-
bourhood of the magazine, he and W. Pontiney made use
of their hats and a pitcher to carry water to Edward Touzee,
who was still in the magazine, but scarcely able to see, in
consequence of the thick smoke that surrounded him ; ob-
serving, however, some wood on fire, he extinguished it with
the water brought him. At length, thank God ! the fire
was entirely extinguished by the zeal and intrepidity of Ed-
ward Touzee in particular, and of Mr. P. Lys, and W. Pon-
tiney. Captain Leith of the 31st regiment, and Mr. Mur-
phy, of the same regiment, the officer on guard, and several
officers of His Majesty’s troops, repaired with soldiers to the
hill. As soon as they were informed of the danger to which
the magazine was exposed, Captain Leith, and the officers
who commanded the soldiers, and all the other officers with
him, employed the utmost activity to get the magazine en-
tirely emptied, in order to ascertain whether any sparks re-
mained in it: and, wonderful providence ! which saved the
town of St. Helier and its inhabitants from the greatest of
all misfortunes, two caissons of wood, filled with ammuni-
tion, were found attacked by the fire, and one in particular,
in which there were powder-horns, tubes, and a flannel car-
x 2