The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-09-07 00:00:00

FIRE AT CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL.

On Tuesday morning the Cathedral of Canterbary
narrowly escaped destruction by fire.
Immediately after the termination of morning rer-
vice (eleven o'clock) the inhabitants of the city were
alarmed at bearing the Cathedral fire bell tolled lustily,
and hundreds rushed to the Precincts. At that hour
tlatneas were heeling from the roof at the eastern end
over Trinity Chapel, and a stiff breeze appeared to
favour their spreading along the roof in a straight direc-
tion. The public authorities and private citizens imme-
diately set to work with the view of helping to extin-
guish the flames. Three troopeof military were promptly
despatched from the barracks, but some time elapsed
before much could be done, owing to the Canterbury
Water Company's mains not being laid within the
Cathedral Precincts. With as little delay as possible
these belonging to the city and an insurance
office were attached to hydrants in Burgatestreet—
the nearest available point and these commenced
playing upon the tire, which woo at this time extend'
tag itself rapidly in the direction of the choir. The
molten lead flowed like rivulets from the burning roof
through the turrets on to the roof below, and it was
positively dangerous to ascend or stand beneath the
walls. Firemen, however, belonging to the local
brigade gallantly gained positions whence the hose
could be broeglit to play upon the flames, but it was
neatly an hour before their efforts were erowned with
encases. Meanwhile the utmost excitement prevailed
among those who witnessed the conflagration.
Subeeqnent to the military and the necessary appa-
ratus for using the water having been admitted the :
approaches to the Cathedral Precincts were closed to !
the genetal public, but a large number of persons had
already gained admittance. The military and the
county and city police kept the people from the walls,
and injury from burning rafters, which, after falling
tipm the side roofs of the centre covering, were thrown
to the ground, was thereby prevented.
At half-past eleven the flames were at their highest,
and there was every prospect of the fire, which was
being fanned by the breeze, spreading from choir to
nave. Within the edifice, the Cathedral and loeal
clergy, the lay clerks, vergere, and others were busily
engaged in removing the movable fittings, valuable
books, kc., from the altar and choir into the nova. It
was half-past twelve bsfore the eneiren ceased to play,
and the &eager of further damage was at an end.
The extent of the wreck outside was easily noticed.
The toot extending from St. Thomas or Trinity Chapel
to the choir, had entirely dieappeared, the only relic
remaining being glittering masses of lead amid the
blackened ruins above. The damage inside was for-
tunately tlifling. Within that portion known as St.
Thomas's Chavel—the spot where once stood the
shrine of St. Thomas 4 Beckett—showers of heated
lead had fallen through the "boss" in the canopy
above. The beautiful mosaic pavement in front
, of it, which three who know Canterbury Cathedral
: will remember is railed off in order that it may not
Buffer injnry, has been deluged by melted lead, but has
escaped fortunately uninjured. It is believed, too,
that none of the beautiful windows at this end a the
Cathedral have been damaged. Water by a similar
aperture has deluged the altar and the steps leading to
it, and it is, therefore, fortunate that the appointments
of this part of the Cathedral were removed into the
nave early.
The energy displayed by the military, police, the
Cathedral clergy and officials, and citizens generally was
worthy of great commendation; but the fact of Can-
terbury being supplied with a most ample quantity
of water, and which is applicable to any degree of
pressure from the elevated position of the reservoir,
tended in a great measure to nave the Cathedral from
deetruction. . . .

During the afternoon volunteer and other fire
brigades entered the city from various neighbouring
towns, but, of course, their services were not required.
Archdeacon Harrison, Canon Thomas, and others
of the Cathedral body determined shortly after the
lite had been extinguished not to abandon the after-
noon service which has been held daily without
interruption during the past three hundred years.
To this end the immediate approaches to the build-
ing were thrown open and guarded by military and
police in order that the dense volume of smoke
might be allowed to escape. The hour of Divine
Service was altered from three to four o'clock, and by
that hour, by dint of considerable exertions, the choir
was made available for the accommodation of a huge
congregation. Archdeacon Harrison. who read the
prayers, prefaced them by invoking the assembly to
offer up thanks to God for His mercy in having saved
the beautiful building from destruction. Subsequently
a special Te Deem was solemnized, and the service
throughout was of tbe most impressive nature.
With reference to the origin of the sad catantrophe
there seems to be but one opinion--viz., that it origi-
nated through some charcoal escaping from a vessel in
use by some men who were engaged in soldering the
leaden roof, and penetrating through to the woadwork.
The damage is estimated at many thousand pounds,
but it in said that this will be covered by an insurance
in the Sun Office, in which the roof of the Cathedral
and the moveable fittings are insured.
Thousands of persons flocked to the Precincts to
witness the ruin done, and the most profound feeling
of sorrow at the di-aster prevails among all classes in
the city and neighbourhood.

An intimation of the disaster WM received at the
Chief Station of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade in
'Wailing street at ten minutes to twelve, when a tele-
gram came from Canterbury to the effect that the Cathe-
dral was on fire, and that the water available would not
touch it, and requesting that, irrespective of expense
some of the engines and men of the Brigade might be
despatched immediately by rail. Arrangements for
a special train to convey the men and engines
to Canterbury were immediately made; and at the same
time two of the largest steam fire-engines from Ken-
nington and Southwark stations, with 25 men were
ordered to be in readiness, and 50 lengths of hose each
of 40 feet, and a great number of ladders were packed
up for the purpose. Just as the men were setting out
—about a quarter. pest twelve o clock—a telegram WWI
received from the Dean, stating that the fire bad
stopped, and that they seed not start, and the journey
was, of course, abandoned.
Captain Chamberlain, Captain Superintendent of
Chatham dockyard, having received a telegram relative
to the fire, ordered the powerful steam fire-engine
stationed in the yard to be got ready, and despatched
to Canterbury. Steam was at once got up, and the
eneine was taken to the Chatham Railway station,
where a special train had been got ready, but just as
they were about starting another telegram arrived
stating that the lire bad been got under. A party of
Royal Marines were also ordered to proceed to Canter.
bury, but they were likewise detained at Coatham
station.

By far the larger part of the present Cathedral is
the work of the Norman era, having been erected in
the first half century after the Conquest when Arch
Inishop Lanfranc foond the old Cathedral in ruins, and
" reconstructed from their foundations both Church
and Monastery." Under his suc2essor, Anschn, the
eastern part of this edifice (which, according to Mur-
ray's Handbook to /Cott, seems to have been only
temporary in its design) was taken down and .e-
-erected with great magnificence under the care of Ern.
Mph, then Prior of the Monastery. It was finished by
the next Prior. Conrad, who decorated the chancel and
-astern part with BO much splendour that it come
to be called ' Conrad's glorious choir.' The Church
was solemnly dedicated by Archbishop William in
A li. 1130, in the presence of Henryl. of England,
David King of Scotland, and all the English Bishops.
It was in this building that Becket was murdered in
A. D. 1170, and in "the glorious choir of Conrad" his
body was watched by the monks during the succeeding
night. Four years later this choir was burnt down;
and the following description of the conflagration is
from the pen of Gervaise, • monk of Canterbury, who
was an eye witness of the event. He says :
"Oo the sth of September, about nine o'clock, the wind
blowing from the south with • fury almost beyond concep-
tion, • flre broke out before the church-gate, without the
walls of the church-yard, by which three Groin homes were
almost burnt down. While the citizens were there assemble&
and employed In extinguishing the flames, the sparks and
ashes, whirled aloft by the violence of the storm, were
lodged on the church, and by the torso of the wind tudnua-
tine themselves between thef Ante of the teed, settled on
the planks, which were abnost rotten, and thus' by degrees
the beat increasing, the decayed nista were set OR ere.
After this the large rafters, with the legator's, no one seeing
list. regarding, t .ok fire—below, tee ceiling, finely bebt4o ;
within.tihvoen
dthMiehTlmrtiiio'rtotunfheleeitire'irecopsFied th. flee that raged
ledl
of the people being appeamod, all returned borne. Cidiat

Church alone, no one being yet apprise I of it, was oppressed,
as it were with intestine flames. For the rafterd a ml their
ligatures being on fire, Ond the flamer rising even to the top
of the roof, the sheets of lent, unable any longer to rash! 6.•
much heat, begao by degrees to melt. The tempestuous at d
then finding a free mortice, increased extremely the fury ot
the loner flames; and to! on a sudden, the fl ones gnat ap-
pearing, there traps great cry In the oh irellyard, • Alas ! alas!
the church is On fire Many of the Icily run to-iether
with the monks ;'draw water, brandish axes, inoui4 ladders
eager to succour Christ Church Just now on the point of
destruction. They reached the roof, ant behold ! all was
tilled with a huTible sm,ike, and a scorching fl one ; In
despair, therefore, they were obliged to consult their awn
safety by retiring. Mitt now the Joists of the raft,. .
and of the pegs being consumed by the tire, the half.
burnt timbers fell down Into the chile, upon the seats
of the monks, which being thus set on tire by the
great mass of thither, the calamity is Mere teed on
all sides. Its this c dillarrstion a wonderful, or rather a
miraculous, sight appear.id, for that glorious choir con-
sumed by fhlrnee, cousiumd itself still worse, for the flames,
increased by such :sheep of timber to the height of 15 cubits,
bernt the walls, an•l especially the pillsrs, of the church.
Thus the house of CA hitherto delightful, like a paradoe
of pleasure, then lay contEmptlble In the ashes of the fire ;
and reduced, as it were, to a solitude, wan exposed to the
injuries of the weather. Not only the choir was consumed
it, these flames, but also the infirmary with St. Mary's
Chapel, and some other offices of the court."
The monk adds that
'• some of the people were en astonished that the Almighty
should suffer such things, and cc maddened with excess ol
grief and perplexity, that they tore their hair and heat the
pavement of the edifice with their hands and heads, blas-
pheming the Lord and Ilia Saints, the patrons of the
Church."

The choir and eastern buildings beyond it were re-
built in 1184, ten years after the burning of Conrad's
choir.

It is impoesible to calculate what would have been
the loss to the Church and the entire nation had the
tire on Tuesday not been providentially arrested in
its onward course. 'the destruction of some
hundred or two hundred feet of the roof of the east
end of the Cathedral is a very slight mischief in
comparison with the damage that might have been
expected to arise, 'seeing that the wind blew
freshly. Had the tire continued, not only "flecks-Cs
Crown" and Henry TV's Chantry, and the Trinity
Chapel, in which are the monuments of the black
Prin., Henry IV., Archbishop Courtenay, Cardinal
Chatillon, and Dean Wotton would have perished, but
the site of Re-diet's shrine must have been entirely
obliterated, together with the tine frescoes in the ad-
joining transept, and the tomb of Cardinal Pole in the
Corona—the last Archbishop interred in the Cathedral
down to our own day—would have followed its fate.