Date: 1867
Indeed, in many cases, they were unconsciously adding fuel to the flames in their endeavours to extinguish them.  For as their sup plies of water were taken from the Flethe — the half ditches, half canals, which intersected this part of the city — and as the oil and other inflammable hquids stored in the houses burst their weak bonds when they became heated, and ran into these very courses, so were they drawn up with the water, and pumped by the engines into the flames, or on to the houses still untouched and which the firemen were labouring to save.  Thus all their toil seemed worse than useless.