The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-12-09 00:00:00

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT WARWICK
CASTLE.

Warwick Castle, the grand al baronial mansion of
the Earl of Warwick, at an early hour on Sunday
warning was the scene of a terrible and destructive
conflagration. The Castle is familiar to every tourist;
and the rare pictures, the Gobelin tapestries, and the
unique art treasures which abounded in every apart-
ment rendered it attractive alike to the artist and the
antiquary.
The fire was discovered about half-past one o'clock
on Sunday morning by the steward-room boy, Joseph
Powers, and the footmen, William Everton and
William Gregory. They slept in apartments in the
basi ments of the Castle, and were awoke by a noise
st hich they at first conjectured was caused by hail
falling on the boot-hall, opposite to the room where
they were sleeping. The sounds becoming louder, they
tic it imagined some one must be attempting to break
into the Castle, and got up to see what really was the
matter. They- soon discovered that the btulding was
an on fire, d volumes of smoke were rolling out of Lady
Warwick's apartments, which were on the second floor
over-looking the River Avon. On entering her lady-
ship's Pitting-room they saw here a mass of flames.
An alarm was ralswl, anti messengers were des; atched
to Leamington, Kenilworth, and Coventry for assist-
ance. The Warwick Fire Brigade under the direction
of Captain Glover and Lieutenant Pritchard, was
speillily on the spot, and the Leamington Brigade !w-
-rite I shortly after. The flames had, however, made
Hoch rapid ;nogg,s that the destruction of the whole
building seemed inevitable. The front part of the
Cuedie was imwcessible from its great height above the
Ater, and consequently the burning structure coal
only be played upon from the courtyard. where
there was only a suppl, of water to be obtained
from a inch main. lso quick was the praimi .us
of the flames that the whole east wing between the
gi and entrance hall and the domestic offices adjoining
'altar and Guy's Towers was spec lily gutted, and only
the inter walls and the charred and smouldering rubbish
remain. These apartments consisted, on the ground
floor, of the waiting room and library overlooking the
courtyard, and the breakfast-room, his Lordship's
room? and Lady Warwick's boudoir, looking out upon
the river. On the second floor were the ladies'-maals'
rooms, Lady Warwick's bedroom, dresiiing-room, and
Lord Warwick's dressing-room. These looked out
niton the conityard, and overlooking the river were the
Wi hits Room, the Red Bedroom, awl the Leather Bed-
room and dressing-room. The furniture and contents
of these apartments were almost entirely destroyed.
The only things saved were a few of the most valuable
pictures and smite books, in spite of every exertion
made, it being impeasible to check the flames until the
whole of this wing was completely destroyed.
Meanwhile the fire was leaping across the grand stair-
case and attacking the hall, with its gorgeoindy carved
bithic roof, einbLlZOnisl with heraldic devices, its for
of Venetian marble, and its curious antique wains-
coating hung round with armour, swords, and match-
locks. Here was 'romwell's battered helmet and the
lioublet in which Lord Brooke died at Lichfield. It
alei contained antiques and fossil antlers of the elk
; ail deer, old statues, ancient tombs and other
curiosities. These have all perished. Along the richly-
carved roof, executed ill 155i7 from designs by Mr.
N Illter, the Haines fast spread, and the Panelled wooden
walls proved equally intimumable. The magnificent
apartment, idft. by 40ft. and 21ift. in height, was soon
a mass of flame. The roof, which was thickly covered
with lead, fell in, and there remain only the bare
blackened walls of one of the finest halls in the king-
enm. A nursery and apartments over the entrance
gateway, and also a dining-room by the side of the
great hall, erected a few years ago by Lord Warwick,
WM also destroyed, hut a portion of their contents were
saved.

The fire raged so fiercely at four o'clock that it was
feared all the effoits of the firemen, which had been
directed to cut it off from the rest of the apartments,
would prove fruitless. Through the chinks listwtyn
the massive doors separating the Great Hall sad the
lied Drawing-rood the flames could be Keen, and the
stifling smoke forced its way through every aperture.
Preparations were therefore made for the worst, by
stripping this and the adjoining apartments of their
costly and almost priceless treasures. The pictures
by Rembrandt, Vandyke, and lieubens were borne
carefully to a place of safety, and when every port-
able article of value was removed, still further precau-
tbms were deemed necessary. The gilt drawing-room,
the state bedroom, and the state dressing room were
also cleared of II wir principal contotts. The tapestry
round the state bedroom, made in Brussels us lfito4,
was wrenched from the wall and carried to a place of
security-, together with the portraits of •• Queen Anne,"
by Knell,-r, the "Earl of Essex," by Zucchero, and
either rare paintings. The pictures by Holbein,
Rubella, Vandyke, Titiens, Salvator Ross, Sir Peter
Lely, and Caracci's "Dead Christ" were also taken
down. Tlw costly tables aud treasures in the cabinets
were carried to the remotest corner of the Castle, the
billiard-y..lns, ready to be again moved in case of
necessity. Fortunately, the efforts of the fire-
men practically arrested the fire at the end
of the great hall, though the Red Drawing-room
is slightly damaged about the roof and by water.
The damage, however, done to the building Cannot
f ...Ably be estimated pecuniarily, and is really irremedi-
able. Many of the most valuable contents of the Castle,
which was crowded with treasures of art, have been
damaged by hasty removal, although every possible
care WM exercised. The flames were not subaued until
nearly ten o'clock in the morning, and then there re-
mained a mass of smouldering flame which might, it
was feared, at any time develope into another confla-
gration..

•sp osbery, Lord Warwick's agent, telegraphed
to Birmingham for a steam fire-engine to be sent by
special train. Unfortunately, Ilinningham does nut
p0.98e38 a steam fire-engine, and a special train could not
be procured, but a powerful manual engine was
promptly despatched by road. Before it reached
Warwick, however, assistsnce had arrived from Kenil-
worth and Coventry, and the progress of the fire had
been checked.

Lady Warwick only left the Castle on Friday, and
Lord Broke on Saturday. Lord Warwick had ben at
Torquay for a few days. Lady Eva Creville and the
Hon. Sydney Greville were sleeping over the dining-
/mil when the fire broke out, but, happily, neither was
inj are&
The whole of Lady Warwick's wardrobe was con-
sinned, with her ladyship's apartments, which con-
tained many objects of interest, which were greatly
prized by the family. Her Ladyship's jewel's are safe
and also the
.plate, the apartments in the basement,
where there Is a large fireproof safe, being hardly in-
jured except by the heat of the burning apartments
above and the water thrown upon the fire. .
The sad occurrence has created a profound sensation
throughout Warwickshire, and on Sunday the scene of
the disaster was visited by thousands of persons from
the surrounding district.

On Monday, workmen were engaged in carting away the
charred thVis which choked the private apartments it, the
enat wing of the Castle SW the grand baronial hall and
dining-rooto, width were entirely consume :I, with the ex-
ception of the external walls, by the terrrible and destructive
centlagratien 011 Monday. The whet° of the central portion
of the Castle, right and left of the grand entrance hall, IS
literally 3 blackened ruin. As the still smouldering rubbish
WWI turned over, preparatory to being carted away, any
vestiges of Ihe armoury In the grand hall were picked out
nod carefully stored away for future examination. The
fragments—LT they were on/y such—consisted merely of
portions lif iron armour, bent, charred, and dislignred, and
the barrels of the quaint old matchlocks and the blades of
swords and poignards, which had defied the fun, of the
flames.

The extent of the damage can now be more accurately
ascertained than while the flames bad only just been sub-
dued, and fears were entertained lent they should again
break forth and devastate the State apartments in the
western wieg of the Castle. The whole if the private upset.
meats in the eastern wing have been entirely consumed.
The only things saved were the valuable books front the
Library, which were carried and deposited over the stables,
and the pictures which adorned the walla The furniture of
the apartments was wholly destroyed, togetherwith the entire
wardrobe of Lady Warwick, whist, was undtrgoing examina-
tion. The baronial hall, one of the most magnificent apart-
ments of its kind, is utterly destroyed, save the outer ii ills
from which the plaster has fallen, and winch are blackened
and disfigured by the smoke. The Venetian marble floor,
expressly cut and prepared at Venice, is seriously damaged.
Where the ponderous and blazing beams fell, when the
richly carved roof canalised, the marble floor is splintered and
crushed, out other portions are discoloured and disfigured
by the fire. The roof of the banqueting-hall remains, but
yesterday water was dripping in countless streams from
its richly-gilt, panelled divisions—an evidence id the Im-
mense quantity of .water poured upon the building The
doors communicating with the hall are a mass of charred
timber, eaten through here nail there by tile flames,
but the side wall, external and internal, is only elhrhtly
damaged. The nursery and bed rooms al•ove the dining
hall, however, are wholly gutted. It was here that Lady
Eva Greville Mid the Him. Sydney Greville, two -of Lord
and Duly Warwick's children, were sleeping with their
governess when the fire was discovered. They with dn.
rutty made their way through the dense and choking
smoke down the narrow and winding stairs to the
grand staircase before it was seized upon by the flames. A
short time longer and this mode of escape would have been
impracticable, and they would have had to he conveyed
across the roof of the State apartments. The preservation
of the whole of the State apartments is owing to the massive
stone wall, between the red drawing-room and the baronial
ball. The firemen here severed the connexion between the roof
of the hall and the rest of the weaten, portion of the Castle,
and happily thus arrested the prig rem of the flames. The fire,
however, burst through the folding doors leading to the red
drawing-room, and neorched soil blackened the walls. The
combustible furniture fortunately had been cleared out of
the red drawlng.room, and here, too, as well as above, the
efforts of the firemen to cut off the flames from the rest of
the building were succeasful. The red drawing-room is very
little injured, and tile rest .4 the state apartments is en-
tirely unhart by the fire, so far RA the building is cougerned.
The safety of her ladyehip'n jewels and the family plate is
fully confirmed, although many valued souvenirs Lady
Warwick's boudoir have been destroyed.
The footman, William Everton, did a brave and courageous
act. Lord Warwick was about to entertain his annual
Chrielmas shooting party, and upwards of 500 cartridges
were ntored in the gun room. When the fire was approach-
ing this part of the building, Everton rushed into the room
and carried the dangerous combustibles into another and
distant part of the building. Everton, wbo greatly exerted
himself, is seriously ill, and under medical treatment.
The property saved includes the whole of the valuable
pictures in the various State apartments, and the entire
furniture which they contained. 'the less portable, which
were obliged to be left iho room, have sustained hardly
any damage, and that very unimportant. The pictures have
been wrenchtel front their frames, but the paintings them-
selves, and espeoially the most valuable ones, have sustained
little actual injury. The fine Brussels tapent ry in the State bed-
room is really very little damaged especially mit was torn hur-
riedly [rum the walls when the advent of the fire was deemed
imminent. The splendid Pietra Commesaatable, flowered with
lapis lazuli, formerly the property of the tudortunate Marie
Antoinette, has also sustained little damage. A splinter here
and there and a fragment before broken assay will testify to
the care with which it was removed. The Etntscau
vases, brouzes, and crystal and Bohemian glasses are
also scarcely injured. The rooms, however, presets
the appearance of n sacked and ruined building. Por-
tions of carving bestrew the floor, fragments of uplist-
erel picture-frames hang to the walls, and signs of dis-
order and confusion are everywhere painfully apparent. The
whole of the property saved w.ds conveyed to the County
Hall, where it will he carefully examined, and steps will thou
be taken to execute the repairs.
Lord Warwick arrived at the Castle on Monday from Tor-
quay. His lordship necessarily feels the loss he has sustained
very keenly. His lordship certainly possesses the sincere
sympathy of the inhabitants of Warwick and of the country
generally in the sad loss which has befallen himself and his
family.

There are 23 apartments destroyed, not counting the great
hall nor the great staircase, near the main entrance. both of
which are ruins. Of the former, there are now left only four
hare walls, blackened, scorched, and opened to the sky.
With regard to the walls of the ball, it is some comfort to
fled that their stability has not been interfered with, afol the
room can, therefore, be easily restored to its former
grandeur. There is no crack or fissure of any significance in
the surrounding masonry, and the work of restoration will
therefore be confined to a new roof, and the redecoration of
the walls. _ . .

Among the works of art rescued is a small painting of the
bust of Shakespeare in Stratton' Old Church, of inestimable
value as n work of great national interest. On the back
there to a label containing the following memorandum :
" This old painting of the monumntal effigy of Shakespeare
b a great curiosity, belie one painted by Ilan before he re-
coloured the bust in 1748. The letters proving this are In
the possession of Mr. Richard Greene, F.S A., who printed
them some years ago in Fra.er's Magazine. 1 purchascdthis
picture of Mr. Greene, who is the lineal descendant of the
Rev. Joseph Greene, of Stratford, the owner of the painting,
about 1770.—J. 0. iiALLIWELL.v