The Sun.
London, England, 1870-07-28 00:00:00

TOE UALAKITOUS FIRE AND LOSS OF

LIFE IN TIIE WATERLOO-ROAD.
INQUEST.—(Tins DAY.)
This morning, Mr. Carter, the coroner, for East Surrey,
resumed at the Henry the VIII. Head Tavern, High-street,
Lambeth, the adjourned inquest upon the six bodies of
the children burned to death in the calamitous fire that
occurred in the premises of Mr. Hill, cabinetmaker and
furniture dealer, No. 132 and 134, Waterloo-road.
The inquiry created a most painful sensation, and the
large club-room in which the court was holden was
densely crowded. Captain Shaw, chief officer of the Fire
Brigade, and Mr. Foreman Cooper, locum tenens for Mr.
Super nt mdent Swanton, of the London Salvage Corps,
who was ill ; Mr. Harolyn, the district foreman of the
Brigade ; and the solicitor of the Board of Works attended
to watch the proceedings.
Mr. Isaac Sheppard, the summoning officer, was first
examined. He sail that on Saturday morning last he was
Bent for to Mr. Hill's premises, and upon ascending some
ladders he saw the six children in the attics. They were
badly burned, and had evidently died from suffocation
and burning. He took charge of the bodies.
James William Hickendon, engineer of the Metropoli-
tan Fire Brigade at Waterloo-road, said that on Saturday
miming last he was called to the fire, and upon getting
tip he arrived at the fire in less than two minutes after
being called. He then saw that Mrs. Hill was at the
second flcor window hi her night dress. He and Williams,
a fireman, fetched some scaling ladders and placed thena
no to the attic windows. He assisted Williams to carry
ors. Hill down from the pent house over the shop. When
he came out of the engine house the fire appeared to be
raging at the back part of the preinises. The distance
from the engine house was within thirty yards. After the
fire was cooled he went up to the attic and found the six
children burned to death. Two men were up and dressed
at the time the bell wa3 rung. He had six men on duty
at the time of the fire. The first person that went up the
ladders was Williams, a fireman. There was a party wall
between the two houses, but the lower part had been cut
away to form one shop. Both houses were three stories
high. He had since examined the premises for the pur-
pose of tracing the cause of the fire. He could.not find
that anything had been done intentionally to cause the fire.
There was one very dangerous place where the glue was
heated. The yard was covered over and used as a work-
shop, which had been burned out and the roof off. The
glue was heated in the workshop in a fire-place run up
with brickwork and shut up with iron blowers. He could
not account in any way for the origin of the fire. No time
was lost as soon as lie heard that there were children in
the attic. The engines, the ladder'-' and everythina were in
order, and the men turned out asfquickly as possible.
James Boyce said lie was second in command of the
Waterloo-road engines. On Saturday morning he *NA
lYling down in the watch room, when he was alarmed by
the ringing of the bell. He ran to the door, and found a
stranger about 17 years old, who said that Mr. Hill's pro-
mises were on fire. He ran into the road and could tliin
see the fire issning into Anbin-street. He rang up the
engineer and the men. He turned out the steamer,
_lit the
fire, and telegraphed to the foremen's station in Kening-
ton for other assistance.
Bt George
at the CharleWaterloos Williams
-road. said that he was a fireman
sleeping
zed On Saturday last he was
in the engine house. He got up and took two
briers to • Mr. Hill's furniture premises. He saw the
names rolling over the house and out of the second floor of
132, and smoke coming out of the windows of 134. The
smoke was so dense that he could not see any one at the
windows. He placed two ladders against the projection
Over the shop, and he carried a spare length with him and
drew the other two le gths up. He placed the ladders to
the second floor and entered the window. The room was
fohot and full of smoke. He felt about the floor and
d m Mrs. Hill. He took her in his arms, and was in the
act of getting with her upon the ladder when his left foot
became entangled, and he fell with her on to the projec-
tion over the shop, He next got more ladders and got up
to the attic windows, which he forced in and tried to get
in, but the smoke was too dense and hot. The flames
Came out of the second floor Window and set the ladders
"11 fire, so that lie was unable to come down, and he was
taken off the next house by the fire escape. He had to
g° home as his arm was badly hurt by the. fall he had
receded.
Wm. Macdonald a labourer, of 124, Waterloo-road,
t_ll the employ of Mr. Hill. He worked for Mr, Hill.
He knew the other two houses, 132 and 134. He was
there on the night of last Friday. He closed the front
shutters after putting in the goods. That was about half-
Past 9 o'clock. Mrs. Hill and seven children were in the
Premises at the time, but Mr. Hill was not at home. Two
men were at the time stowing away some iron bedsteads,
and they had a lighted candle with them to see by. There
was no gas in that room, but there was in 134. As he
Was leaving he saw Mr. Hill, and he asked him if he
41culd close the door. The metre Was in the front area-
l:le did not smell fire when he was shuttina up. The al-
teratione in the shops were not quite finished. He could
not form any (minion as to the origin of the fire.
1211', • Hill having been examined. but no additional facts
~"".°ing elicited the 'jury returned .a
verdict of accidental
'Leth in all the cases.