The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-05-17 00:00:00

FATAL AND DISASTROUS FIRE AT

DEWLISH.

MORE THAN TWENTY HOUSES DESTROYED.

On Friday forenoon one of the most extensive and
destructive fires took place in the remote village of
Dewfish which has ever been recorded in the annals of
this county. Within the hours of eleven and three a
good half of the beautiful and thriving village, com-
prising the part devoted to shops, &c., was turned
into a heap of desolate ruins; a large brewery, a
chapel, and two-and-twenty comfortable-looking
habitations were, almost at the same moment,
burnt down to the ground, one poor little
fellow, four years ohl, perishing amid the flames
and falling walls. The lately green hedges, grassy
lanks, budding fruit trees, and vegetation of all sorts,
charred, blackened and destroyed, added deeper
gloom to the wide-spread scene of desolation.
The origin of the catastrophe appears to have bern
purely accidental, and is attributed to a flaw in the
chimney of the brew-house belonging to Mr. W.
Symes, while the rapid action and extensive range
of the fire, are owing to the roofs of-the houses being
of thatch, rendeied dry and very inflammable by the
recent sunny weather. Shortly I.efore eleven o'clock
on Friday morning, Mr. Joseph Symes, son of the
proprietor of Dewlish Brewery, on returning to the
brewhouse after a few minutes absence—brewing
going on bnskly at the time—saw flames issuing
from the chimney at its junction with the roof, and
nearly at the same instant the thatched roof burst
into a blaze. Every effort wan used to try to subdue
the conflagration but in vain; it ran along the entire
roof of the long range of buildings and dwelling-
house, and in a single hour, lirewhouse with its vats
of liquor, malthouse, at dwellinghouse, a large
quantity of fuel, and well filled garden, were utterly
destroyed, a very small quantity of furniture, the
account books of the firm, ite.. alone being saved.
, The buildings and residence of Mr. Symes stretched
down one side of a street, and very nearly as soon as
the fire was discovered, the flames licked the roofs
on the opposite side of the street. and four houses.
including the Post-office, were quickly one mass of
flames. Ailjoiuing this row was a newly built Wes
leyan chapel having a slated roof, but the
destruction of this edifice could not he prevented.
Passing to the back of this row and consuming
everything in its way, beehives, fruit trees, plants.
the unprepared-for foe alighted on the thatched roofs
of houses in the Higher-street, occasioning fresh
bewilderment to the affrighted and panic-strieken
villagers. The roofs of the houses in the row beyond
the chapel, and including that in which the little
boy's body was found, took fire at this nioment,
while up at the farthest end of the village the wind.
though not strong, carried the devouring element
across a meadow of about the width of the patch of
wheat separating the Dorchester South Western
, Station front the Junction Hotel. and again flames
; leapt forth from the parched and ready thatch, and
I more dwellings were destroyed. Thus well nigh at
I one and the same moment the whole of the two-and-
twenty devastated dwellings, the chapel,. and the
Ibrewery, blazed forth under the scorching rays
of a midday sun, anti the valley-yule was one
mass of flames and suffocating smoke. To preserve the
remaining part of the village and stay the eager
destroyer, great efforts were used in the way. of
covering roofs with wet cloths and careful watching,
and
rmtheleapiron vrhleantoulentutruh
isnugthicioieut,
nTeliigo;ouu-rsho
hail
and a number of strangers, made every- exertion to I
rescue goods and funiiture from the flames, as well as ,
to extinguish them, yet the quantity of furniture and
valuables saved was very, very small, and but little
advantage resulted from the employment of bucket* of
water. A courier was despatched to the. nearest fire
engines, and two were obtained from hddletown, a
distance of about four miles of hilly and tortuous road.
One of these engines hail to be pushed a considerable
distance by hand, which was of course slow work,
in consequence of no harnessed horses being sent. A
harnessed horse was at length, however, despatched
to its aid from Mulish. A line of buckets was
formed between the engines and a stream which
meanders through the Valley, but having no hose,
little effect was produced by both engines; and the
wells in the locality, owing to the strenuous demand
urn them, were dried up before long. About four
o deck the fury of the tire was spent, and blackened
and crumbling wall., the bare remains of gutted
houses, and heaps of smoking debris, showea how
fiercely the devastating flames had raged. The havoc
was very great, and the poor homeless, homeless,
sufferers were put to sad straits to find shelter for
the night. Barns were fitted up for the accomnice
dation of some, and neighbours kindlyassisted others;
a good number also were sheltered at the hospi-
table residence of Mr. Walmealey, Dewlish House.
Five or six men of the county police force, together
with. Sergeant Brown horn Nlilbonie, anti Supt.
Everitt. were on the spot during the conflagration,
and did all they could to arrest its spread. and to aid
the inhabitants ; and a body of pollee are still in
attendance to protect what property may be found
in the ruins.

cro.ts, u "
The principal portion of the houses belonged to
their occupants, few of whom are insured, and in the
greater number of cases all is lost. We cannot cal-
ulate the t los:
msuatfrinegredtheinhthoueses' ailyt oa
fau:neraitguerev4anutel
of £9O, the aggregate loss in house property, in
addition to the Brewery premises and the Chapel,
will be about £2,000. The land we believe be! ,ngs
to the Earl of Ilchester and General Michel. The
lnea suffered at the Brewery is calculated at between
£2,000 and £3,000, and includes about 300 or 400
hogsheads of beer, valued at nearly £7OO. All this
Property, however, was insured in the West of Eng-
land office. Some of the poor people became intoxi-
cated on Friday night by drinking the beer as it
flowed amongst the relics of the malt-house; and
so great was the beat that the vats before crumbling
to charcoal almost boiled over. A large body of
malt was still burning on Satuiday night. and on
Sunday the tire was not extinguished. The school-
house, bleased with a slated roof, though standing
midway up the meadow above alluded to, escaped;
and soon after the alarm of fire had been given, the
children ran out, going in march of their parents.
The unhappy fate of one little scholar will be seen
detailed below. His body was found buried beneath
lime and stones, just within what bad been • front
room of his parents' dwelling, and it is supposed that
after entering the apartment he was suffocated with
the smoke and could not find his way out. No one
else was missed. Probably more than • huadred
individuals have been rendered homeless by the

Icatastrophe. A bed•riililon woman, aged 78, who
had been removed in her haat to the garden iuljoining
her h g house, was, after a few minutes, dis-
covered enveloped in lunes, tier bed having ignited;
and it was with difficulty she was removed.
During Saturday &setae (ruin several Fire In-
surance offices visited the spot, making inqui-
ries and taking notes. The contrast between the
scene of desolation and the fresh green of the gardens,
trees, and hedges on the confines of the fire was very
striking; and of the houses which remain all axe
thatched excepting one or two.

INQUEST ON THE CHILD.
On Saturday afternoon an inquest was held beton,
Henry Lock, Eq., deputy coroner, at the Royal Oak
Inn, Dewfish, on the body of George A niey, aged 4 years.
A good deal of interest was manifested in the r
ings, and a crowd assembled outside the Inn. 'teefily
hating been sworn, they proceeded to view the remains
of the body, which presented • horrible sight, being one
MINS of cinder. The remains had been placed in a
carpenter's shop near the Inn. The first witness called

WAS
Jonathan Vincent, who deposed : I live in DewlA.
A Ere broke out shortly before II Friday, at Mr. Symms'
brewhouse. I was present about 11 o'clock. and than
Mr. Splits' brewhouse, ni.,lthouse, and dwellingliouse
were on fire. In a few minutes four cottages took fire,
and were quickly followed by the remaining four cottsgea
in the row. The Mimes still raged, and by four o'clock
there were twenty•two houses destroyed, besides.
the shape'. About 5 o'clock the deceased's mother,
DMA Amey, and Mr. Rogers, a farmer, came and
saying that the child WU missing, requested me to search
for it. I took a shovel and went into the doorway of
John Autry's house accompanied by several men;
otter removing &hued two wheelbarrowfuls of ashes
I came to the child. The fire was then alive, and the
hody woe yet burning. By order of Sergeant Brown, I
fetched water which WAS poured upon the corpse.
Hslf of the face was then quite burnt off, I have seen
the rellialWl of the body, ant have so doubt that is the
unie I discovered.
Elias Jsne Riggs, a girl about 14, deposed : I ems
scholar at Mrs. John Mitchell's school. George Amy
i went to school there, and Was there on Friday morning. I
saw hini in the school when I left at hairless. 11. AIL
the children ran out. That was the iast tines I saw
him alive.
A little boy about 8 years old, named Joke Aber,
'all that he and Nis little si.ter went with deceased int*
• field and left him vine in search of his own parents.
On returning to his sisters Arne, was gone away hem
the field. It was then about 12 o'clock ; Alner's true
other sisters were in the field, Court Close, and*,
deceased Was taken there to be out of the way, whale.
Alner searched for his parents, because lie said he.
wanted some victuals. Alaer on his return went dores
the street to look for the deemed.
Mr. Joseph Systies deposed: 1 ant the son of Mr.
William Syines, brewer, in this village. I was working
in the brewhouse on Friday morning. Between 11 and 12
I left the brewhouse, and on my return in • few minutes
I smelled ere, and saw flames outside the roof does
to the chimney. The roof was thatched. I imagine the
fire originated through something amiss in the chimney.
There was no wood-work in the chimney, that I knew
The jury, niter hearing the foregoing evidence at
once returned a verdict 'Accidental Death."

The deceased's mother on learning that the child
was under the burning mate, sank into a fit, and
remained insensible for some time. The fit returned
upon her subsequently and she was removed to Dew.
lish House, the seat of J. Walntesky, Earl, where
she remains, receiving the most kiltgeatteiition. On
Saturday the poor woman had r relapse. On
Sunday night, owing to the baker's shop being des-
troyed, and but little being done to mabetitute tbe loss,
as well as from the increased demand by visidetesthe
village was nearly destitute of provisions.

STE EMI NETER NEON.
VALE OF BLACKMOOR CRICKET CLUB. —The
members of this club have commenced plating for
the season, and at the first evening meeting there
was a stronger muster than on any previous occasion.
Their funds are in a very flourishing condition, sad
the coming season promises to be one of the best
they have ever had.
LITERARY INSTITUTION.—The last lecture for the
season took place on Monday mei at the National
School Rooms, and was delivered by Mr. Spinney,
our talented organist, his subject being "Music."
In the illustrations, which formed the most attractive
part of the lecture, he was assisted by Miss Mattis
Spinney and Master Spinney. The room was well
filled, and the audience was much gratified with the
treat afforded them. At the conclusion a most cor-
dial vote of thanks was presented to Mr. Spinney.

WITCHAMPTON.
FIRE. —About 10 p.m. on Wednesday last a de-
structive fire broke out in the rick barton at Dean's
farm, in the occupation of Mr. Samuel Bartlett, by
which one large oat stack, estimated at 120 lacks,
and three straw stacks were entirely consumed. The
Wimbonie lire engine, with Mr. ("unman, promptly
attended on receiving notice, and two wheat ricks in
the same barton were preserved. The origin 'tithe fire
is unknown. It is supposed, there being a dab held
that day in a neighbouring parish, that some see
must have returned and laid down under the stack
and lit his pipe. The grain belongs to H. C. Stork.
E,,1., vii., is no hind a landlord to small and great
as to leave no room to suppose the act was that of an
incendiary. We regret to state that some cowardly
fellow, inebriated by the cider kindly given by Mr.
Bartlett to the men engaged in carrying water, got in
the way of the hose of the engine and had a little
water thrown over him, went behind Mr. Cottmsn,
whose services are purely voluntary, and gave him a
severe blow with a stick across the face, from which
I be bled profusely, oue of his eyes being completely
closed and his nose broken. In the confusion the
assailant escaped, the police being engaged carrying
water and removing the burning embers from the
building. Mr. Bartlett is insured us the County
Office.