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SECOND ^ DITION ; % \ ) t fxmmmx . SATURDAY , MAY 5 , 1 SS 3 .

Fire At Freemasons' Hall.

FIRE AT FREEMASONS'HALL .

DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE . Freemasons throughout the world will learn with the deepest regret , that shortly before midnight on Thursday , the 3 rd instant , that portion of Freemasons' Hall , which is known as " The Temple" was totally destroyed by fire . An inspection of the premises the following morning showed how completely the flames had done their work . Of the valuable pictures of Past-Grand

Masters of the Society , of the valuable fittings and furniture , nothing but the charred remains are to be seen , except the marble bust by the late Bro . Bailey , R . A ., of His late Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex , Grand-Master 1 S 13-43 , and grand uncle of His Royal Highness of the Prince Wales , the present Most Worshipful Grand Master . This , though

it has been seriously affected by the heat and smoke , there is reason to hope may be retained as a valuable relic of the past glories of the Old Hall erected more than a century since by the oldest section of the Masonic Craft in the whole civilised world . Of the interior fittings we shall have occasion to speak at some length later on . Suffice it to say here

that this portion of the building , in Great Queen-street , is utterly destroyed . The magnificently-decorated roof is gone , and the wonder is , that , considering the position of the Temple and the difficulty the firemen experienced in their endeavours to cope with the flames , the rest of the premises and the adioinkyr Freemasons' Tavern escaped the conflagration .

Considerably over half a century elapsed before the Freemasons of Rngland bethought themselves of erecting a special building of their own in which Grand Lodge might meet and discuss questions affecting the government of the Craft . Anterior to the year 1776 our great Masonic Diet was wont to hold its stated and emergent communications , now in the Hall of

of one of the great City Companies , now in some well-chosen and commodious tavern . Thus , as Preston relates in his " Illustrations of Masonry , '' it was at the Queen ' s Arms Tavern , St . Paul ' s Churchyard , the then headquarters of the old time-immemorial lodge of St . Paul ' s , now Antiquity No . 2 on the roll of Grand Lodge , that on the 24 th June , 1 7 , Grand-Master

Payne and his Grand Wardens with the former Grand Officers and the Masters and Wardens of twelve lodges , met the Grand-Master elect , His Grace the Duke of Montagu , and Grand Lodge was opened in ample form . When the proceedings of the previous communication had been duly confirmed , and several gentlemen , including

Philip , Lord Stanhope , afterwards Karl of Chesterfield , initiated , Grand Lodge marched in procession in their clothing to Stationers ' Hall , where the duke was formally inducted into office as Grand Master , the learned Dr . Desaguliers , a Past Grand Master , delivering an elegant oration in praise of Masonry . Other city halls and other taverns were similarly

honoured , but about the year 1770 measures were taken to erect a home of its own for Grand Lodge . A subscription was raised for the purpose , a committee was appointed to superintend the management of the business , and so indefatigably was the scheme worked that on the 27 th of April , 1774 , the said committee were in a position to report to Grand Lodge that it had

entered into a contract for the purchase of a plot of ground and premises , consisting of two large and commodious dwelling houses , with large garden attached , in Great Queen-street , the sum agreed to be paid being £ 3180 , while the expense estimated for the erection of the Hall , it was said , would not exceed £ 3000 . The report having met with general approbation , Lord

Petre , Grand Master , and Past Grand Masters , the Dukes of Beaufort and Chandos , Earl Ferrers , and Viscount Dudley and Ward , were appointed trustees for the Society , and the conveyance of the premises aforesaid was made out in their names . In February of the year following it was agreed to raise ^' 5000 by a tontine in order to carry out as completely as possible

the designs of the brethren , and in three months the whole sum was forthcoming . On the 1 st May , 1775 , the foundation-stone of the Hall was laid by Lord Petre , Grand Master , in the presence of , 1 large and iniluential gathering of the brethren , and on the 23 rd of May , 1776 , the same Noble Grand Master had the good fortune to complete the work , which had been so

happily carried out under his directing influence and zeal , by opening and personally dedicating the Hall to " MASONKV , VIRTUJJ , and UNIVHRSAL CHARITY and BENEVOLENCE , " in the presence of one of the most brilliant assemblages of the Craft that had ever been witnessed . The building thus solemnly consecrated to the use of Freemasonry is

described by Preston as being of elegant proportions and design . In length it was 92 feet , in breadth 45 feet , and in height over 60 feet . The roof is said to have been , in all probability , the most highly-finished piece of workmanship in Europe , and conferred lasting honour on the architect Bro . Richard Cox . In the centre a splendid sun was represented , and around this were the twelve signs of the Zodiac

with their respective characters . The pilasters on each side of the hall were fluted and otherwise beautifully decorated , the places between them being occupied with full length portraits of the following Grand Masters , namely , Lord Petre , Grand Master , 1772-76 ; Duke of Manchester , G . M ., 1777-81 ; H . RH . the Duke of Cumberland , G . M ., 1782-90 ; his nephew , H . R . H . George Prince of Wales , G . M ., 1790-1813 , and Grand Patron till his death

Fire At Freemasons' Hall.

[ in 1 S 30 ; Karl of Moira , afterwards Marquis of Hastings , K . G ., Acting or Pro Grand Master , 1791-1813 ; H . R . H . Duke of Sussex , G . M . 1 S 13-1843 ; and Albert Edward , Prince of Wales , present Grand Master . In addition to these portraits of the Grand Masters of the Grand Lodge " Moderns , " and the present United Grand Lodge there were those of His ! Grace the Duke of Atholl , G . M . of the " Ancients " from 1775 to r / Sr , and j for a second time from 1701 to 1813 , and H . R . H . the Duke of Kent , Grand

Master of the same Grand Lodge in succession to the Duke of Athol ! , through whose hearty and harmonious co-operation with hisbrotherthe DukcofS-Ssex , ably supported , as it was , by the Earl of Moira , the schism in English Freemasonry , which had endured for some three-quarters of a century , was brought to a conclusion and our present Grand Lodge established . Besides these pictured memorials of our most distinguished brethren there was a mag .

nificent bust of H . R . H . the Duke of Sussex , by the late Bro . Baile } - . R . A ., which , as a work of art , must be set down as the most valuable of all . This , as we have said , has escaped destruction : but the heat and smoke have very seriously marred its beauty , and though it will be cherished as a relic , we fear it will cease lo be the accurate counterfeit presentment it was of the illustrious Prince and Mason , whose virtues it was designed to commemorate .

Of the many splendid scenes that have been witnessed within its walls we have no time or space to give more than a few brief particulars . It was here that at the Grand Festival , held on the 2 nd May , 1792 , His Royal Hig hness George Prince of Wales was installed Grand Master in the presence of his brother , the Duke of York , the Earl of Moira , whom he apoointed actiner Grand Master , and over 500 of the leadinjr members ol

the Craft . Here—on the 13 th of May , 1795—His Royal Highness again presided as Grand Master , and was accompanied by the Duke of Clarence , afterwards William IV ., and Grand Patron , 1 S 30-37 . Here , at a meeting of Grand Lodge , on the 3 rd of June , 1800 , the Earl of Moira Acting Grand Master , delivered an admirable speech in which he warmly vindicated the Society from attacks which had then recently been made upon it

by the Abbe Barruel and Professor Rooison , and here it was at the same meeting that an address was unanimously voted to George III ., whose life had been attempted the preceding 15 th May , at Drury Lane Theatre , congratulating his Majesty on his happy escape under Providence from the bullet of the assassin . But the most memorable events associated with the late Hall belong to the year 1813 . On the 271 I 1 January a most

magnificent dinner was given in honour of the Earl of Moira , then under orders to proceed to India as Governor-General of that portion of the British Empire . The Duke of Sussex , D . G . Master , presided , and was supported by the Dukes of York , Clarence , Kent , Cumberland , and Gloucester and fully 500 other brethren . In the course of the evening the illustrious Chairman invested his lordship with a magnificent jewel which had been

purchased by the voluntary contributions of the fraternity to mark their sense of the splendid services the noble Earl had rendered to Freemasonry during his long tenure of the office of Acting Grand Master . And as this year was thus brilliantly inaugurated , so was it brought to a still more brilliant conclusion by the ever-memorable Act of Union of the 27 th December , an event which has been so often described , that the mere allusion to it now

will be sufficient . The last scene of all which deserves mention was the Special Communication held on the 15 th March of last year , when Grand Lodge voted an address to the Queen , congratulating Her Majesty on the providential escape from the attempt made on her life at Windsor a short time previously . On this occasion His Royal Highness , the Grand Master , presided , and his Brothers , the Dukes of Connaught and Albany , Past Grand Wardens , took ' part in the proceedings .

It should be added that the regalia of Grand Lodge have escaped destruction as well as the throne used on the special occasions when the Prince of Wales presides . As to the origin of the lire , there appears to be little reason to doubt that it was owing toa huge beam which ran athwart a flue communicating with the kitchen of the Tavern , becoming ignited . It is due to Bro . H . Sadler , G . Tyler , who resides on the premises , to say that but for his early discovery of the fire the whole of the buildings would in all probability have been destroyed .

THE GIRLS' SCHOOL FESTIVAL AND THE FIRE AT FREEMASONS' HALL . Bro . HUDUKS , Secretary of the School , has promptly issued the following circular : " Dear Sir and Brother ,--" We are pleased to be able to inform you that notwithstanding the lamentable fire at Freemasons' Hall , the Festival of this Institution will not

be postponed , but as the accommodation will necessarily be somewhat contracted , we feel confident that we may rely upon the co-operation of all those who are taking part in its celebration to make the best of any little inconvenience which may unavoidably arise . —We are , dear Sir and Brother , yours faithfully and fraternally , ROBERT GREY , President Board of Stewards . F . R . W . HEDGES , Hon . Secretary Board of Stewards .

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TPOYALMASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS . We are happy to state that the fire at Freemasons' Hall will not prevent the Anniversary Festival of the Institution being held on Wednesday next , oth inst . ROBERT GREY , Pres . Board of Stewards . F . R . W . HEDGES , Hon . Sec . Board of Stewards , 5 , Freemasons' Hall , 4 th May , 1883 .