The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-07-21 00:00:00

DESTRUCTIVE FIRES IN LONDON.

In the early hours of Tuesday morning London was
the scene of two great fires, one in the East-end and
the other in the West, and two other outbreaks,
although of a comparatively minor character, were
with serious resul,s.
The two larger fires broke out simultanecusly, the
brigade at Bishopegate being " called " at 2 53 a.m. to
a warehouse alight in Artillery-lane ; and the men at
Eaton-square, a minute later, having to turn out to a
builder's workshop on fire at South Eaton-place.
The City fire broke out in premises occupied by
Messrs. Bush and Co., wholesale chemists; Messrs.
Richardson and Co., fancy soap makers; and Messrs.
Backhouse and Co., hemp merchants. These premises
had a frontage in Artillery-lane of 75f t., and ran back
301 t. It was in the upper floors that the fire had evi-
dently originated, presumably among the chemical
goods of Messrs. Bush, who occupied this portion of
the building. The hydrants were first of all got to
work, and then, as the steamers from the surrounding
stations began to arrive, they were promptly set
to work under the direction of Captain Shaw,
C.B. The promptitude with which the brigade
got to work was the means of presenting the
destruction of the whole building; but the three upper
floors were doomed, and it was little more than an
hour after the first discovery that the roof of the
building fell in. Several explosions of chemicals had
taken place during the progress of the fire, but none
of a serious character, The water did considerable
damage to the lower floors of the premises, but the
main damage was to the three upper storeys, which
were virtually destroyed.

The fire in the \Vest-end, it was found, had broken
out in a brick and timber building, three floors high
and 801 t. by 401 t. in dimensions, which was used by
Mr. T. Heath as a buildeee workshop. The flames
had too strongly enveloped the building to allow of
any portion being saved, and so rapid was their spread
that two lodging houses, 44, and 46, Eaton-square,
had become involved, and almost before the deliveries
could be turned towards the premises, the back
windows were all ablaze. Fortunately, the inmates
of the rooms hare had received timely alarm, and
were enabled to make their escap3, but the heat was
too great to allow of the removal of any of the
furniture. Seven stand pipes were eventually got
to work round the fire, but the roof of the workshops
soon fell in, and the building was totally destroyed.
A fire, unfortunately attended with a fatal result,
occurred at 18, Hamilton-road. Mile End, at a private
house occupied by Mr. R. Wright. A spirit lamp
exploded in the back room on the ground floor and
ignited a bed and bedding. A young woman named
Harriet Wright, aged eighteen years, was fearfully
burnt about the hands, face, and body, and was re-
moved to a hcspital, where after suffering great agtmy,
she expired In endeavouring to extinguish the flames
Mary Elizabeth Wright, aged twenty-one years, was
also burnt upon her right arm. The amount of damage
by the fire was not serious.