The Sun.
London, England, 1859-07-19 00:00:00

GREAT FIRE IN CHEAPSIDE.

Last night, about ten o'clock, a fire of a most
terrific character, attended with serious destruc-
tion of property and almost fatal consequences to
thirteen human beings, and which was not extin-
guished till two o'clock this morning, happened
in the extensive range of premises formerly
occupied by the Anchor Insurance Company, but
recently tenanted by Messrs. Fishers and Roberts,
and known as the Anchor Dining-rooms, situate
in Cheapside, next door to the ' celebrated
watch manufactory belonging to Mr. Bennett.
At the rear of these buildings stood the City
News-rooms, and very fortunately they did, or
there is little doubt but the damage would
have been considerably greater, and in all proba-
bility many lives would have been sacrificed-. It
seems that whilst one of the proprietors of the
news-rooms was looking out of a window at the
lightning, his attention was suddenly arrested by a
large sheet of flame playing around one of the upper
floors. He at once came to the conclusion that the
building was on fire, and he forthwith shouted
" Fire.' At that time five'females were in one of
the front rooms shelling peas, perfectly uncon-
scious that any accident had taken place, and eight
other individuals were in the upper part of the
premises, as well as several others in the lower
floors. The persons engaged in preparing the culi-
nary additions for the next day's dinner looked out
of the window, and with the greatest sang froid
looked with astonishment at the lightning, little
dreaming that the house they were in was on fire.
The reality, however, soon became manifest, for
what with the springing of the policemen's rattles
and the arrival of the engines, they became con-
vinced that the building was on fire, and they at
once made an attempt to get down stairs. They
managed to get to the first floor, when immense
sheets of flame and huge bodies of smoke met then►
which prevented their egress by the regular way'
and they were obliged to retrace their, steps to the
rooms they had just left. As a last resort they
tried to reach the roof, but they were completely
prostrated by the heat and smoke. Fortunately
they were enabled to get to one of the front win-
dows just at the moment that Conductor Low, of
the Royal Exchange Escape station, arrived, and
we are happy to say that he succeeded in bringinT
down in safety the thirteen imperilled men and
women. The fire by that time had obtained com-
plete possession of the building, which is several
floors high, and strong apprehensions were enter-
tained for the safety of Mr. Bennett's watch ware-
house, in which watches, valued at £20,000, were
deposited. His men, to their credit it ought.
to be stated, packed in boxes the whole 01
the valuable • property, ready to be removed
at a moment's notice, in the event of the fire
laying hold of the premises, but fortunately such
did not take place. Mr. Superintendent Braidwood,
with Engineer Bridges, Perryer, Baylis, and sundry
other officials of the London Establishmentidid a
they possibly could to subdue the flames, and one
of the firemen, named Taylor, in his endeavours to
get the fire under, whilst mounting- he stairs, they
fell ; he was precipitated to the bottom, and was
severely injured; the conductor of the Royal. So-
ciety's escape also was badly cut in rescuing the
inmates from the front windows. At the time this
account was written, the fire was far from being
entirely extinguished, but all danger from further
extension of mischief was over. It is gratifying to•
state that Mr. Bennett has not sustained all,
damage, except a trifling amount by water, but not
in any way to deteriorate his stock. The news-
rooms have escaped without the slightest injury'
aAd so have the houses on the east side, but the
premises in which the disaster commenced' are de-
stroyed, and the contents consumed. The total loss
must amount to several thousand pounds. The
origin of the fire is enveloped in obscurity. The
police rendered essential aid to the firemen by keep-
' ing some thousand spectators out of danger.