PORTUGAL.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 160, 5 February 1864, Page 2 (Supplement)

PORTUGAL.

GREAT FIRE AT LISBON. A tremendous fire broke out in Lisbon on the night of the 20th November in the building of the Bank of Portugal, and spread to the Municipal Chamber, the Fidelity Insur-ance-office, and the adjacent shops and houses Everything value in the bank was saved, but several documents in the Muncipal Chamber were lost. Several persons perished. The conflagration was the greatest that had been in the city for many years. DESTRUCTION OF TWO LARGE VESSELS AT SEA. BURNING OF THE AMAZON. A fearful disaster has befallen the splendid packet ship Amazon, nearly 2000,, tons register, which left Gravesend on the 31st Oct. for New York, with passengers and a general cargo. When off the North Foreland, on the 3rd of November, she was discovered to be on fire ; although every effort was made by the officers, crew, and passengers to extinguish the flames, it was found to be impossible and the master (Captain Hovey), seeing that the distruction of his ship was inevitable announced his intention to abandon her, and the boats were at once lowered. A heavy sea was running, and the wind blowing a gale from N.W., which rendered the task rather difficult, but ultimately all the passengers and crew were safely got into the boats. The captain did not leave the ship until the flames drove him in. By midnight the ship was completely in flames. Immediately on the fire being observed from Margate, Kingsdown, and Broadstairs, the lifeboats were launched, and made for the burning ship to render assistance. Nothing appears to have been saved from the ship, the passengers and crew losing everything they possessed, except the clothes they had on. WRECK OP THE AUSTRALIAN SHIP AUSTRAL. The ship Austral, after leaving Plymouth for Australia, sustained such injury in the chops of the Channel, that she had to be abandoned by her crew; she was insured for .£60,000.