The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-06-14 00:00:00

DESTRUCTION

THE "ALEXANDRA PALACE,"

BY FIRE.

The following particulars of the destructive fire at
the "Alexandra Palace," on Monday, are condensed
from an ac.uut of the ca.ansity in The Times of
Tuesday :--
From all accounts the fire originated In the dome, and
first disclosed itself some time between half-past 12 and 1
o'clock. It was first observed in the rim of the dome, and
speeoily shot upwerds and round it, alarming the whole of
the people In the building end all connected with It. Al-
though • Monday and a sixpenny day, there were, se It
happened, not so many visit ,rs to the Palace as might
have been expected, or as probably that would have been
later in the alternoon ; and, as far as could be
ascertained lest evening, none of them ha sw.tained
any Injury In making their escape though three of
the workmen employed at the Palace are said to have been
Ise fortunate One is understood to have been eerlously
hurt, so much so that it wee apprehended he would not
survive the night. At present some mystery hangs shout
the origin of the fire. There is a current report among
people connected with the place that one, if not two work.
men—said to be braMers—had been engaged all the morn-
ing in doing eomething to the outside of the dome, and that
the fire was discovere, during the dinner hour, and after
those men had descended from the roof Up till yesterday
morning, it seems, there had been but one fireman perma-
nently settled at the Palace—one Meek—reputed to have
been an experienced member of the London Fire Brigade,
and to have served as • fireman daring the siege of Parts,
By • sort of coincidence be wee reinforced, under • fresh,
arrangement, early on yesterday mondug by another fireman
and their united services, as it happened, were soon In re-
quisition, but there is said to have boons languid and fitful
supply of water, and so rapidly did the flames spread that
they were wholly unequal to cope with it.

A telegram was deepatched to the headquarters of the
Metropolitan Fire Brigade in Watling-street, and Captain
Shaw, the chief of the Brigade, was speedily on his way to
the scene of the fire, with a full complement at men and
engines, as fast as hones could convey them: but they had
some six or eight miles of ground to cover, much of it being
up-hill, and by the time they reached their destination the
ruin which had been effected in the meantime was well-nlkh
complete and irreparable. Captain Shaw had taken with
him nine 'team fire-engines and seven manual engines,
with about 120 of the most experienced men In the
force. On their snivel the Brigade with their engines
were speedily la action, and worked from a valley on the
western side of the burning building, where, however, there
was but an indifferent supply of water. Their hose, too, had
to be carried over a line of railway, and the Brigade had to
contend, moreover, with a stiff breeds, which greatly tanned
the flames. Strictly speaking, the Palace was locally situ-
ated beyond the limits of the metropolitan area, but in such
an emergency Captain Shaw did not for a moment pawns to
count the cost of any excess of seal on his part.
The fire at first aces not appear to have excited much
alarm, and it was thought the engine belonging to the
establishment and some from the immediate neighbourhood,
for which messengers were deepatched in all directions,
would have sufficed to extinguish It. But all in vain ;It
epeedtly baffled ail attempts to reel:rain it. fury. The flatus*
spread along the roof, which fell in great flakes by degrees
upon the area below, splitting the floor In places, and
distributing fire ss it descended. At length the centre
dome collapsed and fell in two directions with a ire.
mefidous crash. Just before
.that the cord of the
. . _ . . . _