The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-11-10 00:00:00

It is impossible at present to estimate the value of
the immense quantity of property already destioyed.

It was not until noon on Monday, that the great
fire at Haggerston was subdued, notwithstanding that
20 steamers and 200 firemen had been engaged in
pouring water on the flames for many hours. Even
by that time all danger of its breaking out again was
not quite removed, and Captain Shaw, who remained
on the scene all day, seeing this did not lessen his
exertions, but ordered the firemen to pull down the
smoking piles snd loge of wood in order to get at the
flames, upon which a contir sous stream of water was
afterwards poured. In the meantime a large staff of
workmen were employed stacking up the charred logs,
but this had to be discontinued at dusk. The scene
of the fire presented a remarkable appearance in the
evening, as looking from the canal bridge nothing was
to be seen but an enormous heap of smouldering dhbris
upon which scores of firemen stood directing their
hose. Late at night even the seat of the fire had not
been reached. Captain Shaw therefore resolved to re-
tain a sufficient number of men and engines to meet
any emergency. Accordingly a relay came on during
the evening, and remained on the spot all night. No
damage was done to the gasworks plant, which is in
close proximity to the timber yard, but great incon-
venience was caused to the company through not being
able to obtain coal readily, in consequence of the cut-
ting of the canal being blocked. An enormous number
of persons visited the scene of the fire on Monday
night, and it was with the utmost difficulty that the
large body of p,licemen present could keep them back.

On Monday night, about half-past eight o'clock a
fire which proved of a very destructive character
broke out in Laurence Pountney-hill, Cannon-street.
At the corner of this small thoroughfare were the
premises of Messrs. Josiah Pewtress and Co., export
packers. These consisted of a warehouse of four
floors of extensive dimensions, and it was in the second
floor of the building that the flames were discovered.
At first the fire appeared to be of a comparatively
slight nature, but within five minutes of the arrival
of the engines the flames buret out with great
rapidity, and attacked the third floor and the
roof. Further aid was at once summoned, and
steamers arrived in quick succession, and were
rapidly got to work. Contiguous to the ware-
house on fire was a large stone building num-
bered from 93 to 106, Cannon•street, and occu-
pied, on the lower floors, by the Indiarubber,
Guttapercha, and Telegraph Works Company, and
by various firms on the upper floors. 'rhis building
soon became filled with smoke and flooded with
water, but the Salvage Corps covered the goods
in the premise with waterproof sheets, and thus
saved a considerable amount of property. Captain
Shaw got the men with the deliveries to work from the
lofty premises on the other side of Laurence Pountney-
hill, and in a short time the Hayes truck ladder was
brought to the scene, and was wheeled into the lane.
With this a number of the men were enabled to get
to work on a level with the different floors of the
boil log, and to render much aid. By half-past ten
o'clock the fire was virtually extinguished, but not
before the three upper floors of the place were corn
pletely burnt out, the roof destroyed, and gre at damag
done to the lower part. The cause of the outbreak i
unknown.