The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-06-07 00:00:00

GREAT FIRE IN LONDON.
AWFUL DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY,

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On Sunday forenoon, shortly after ten o'ciock, the
neighbourhood of the City-road, London, was visited by
one of the most extensive conflagrations that bas occurred
in that locality for many years, which in less than half an
hour fired premises containing property valued at nearly
half a million sterling. The whole was not destroyed ;
but the damage done, it is feared by those well able to
form an estimate, will considerably exceed £lOO,OOO.
The fire broke out in the premises belonging to the
Patent Gutta Percha Company, situate at the edge
of the Wenlock-basin, City-road, and extending about
100 feet into the Wharf-road—a thoroughfare filled
with warehouses and stores of vast extent. The
premises of the Gutta Percha Company, although
not more than from 80 to 100 feet in depth,
yet stretched in the other direction upwards of
200 feet, and could not fail from being observed by any
one passing over the City-road bridge, on account of a
lofty and massive chimney shaft, which towered high
above the surronnding house-tops. The building was most
substantially built of brick, and was considered fire-proof,
each compartment being shut off by means of heavy iron
doors ; but the contrary proved the fact, and scarcely any
portion of the factory now remains except a few of the
bare walls, and even these are expected to fall, and if not
they will have to be pulled down.
The factory was divided in the following manner, so as
to afford sufficient room for 300 hands to work :—The
machine-room was in the centre of the premises, extend-
ing from the front to the water side. Adjoining this
portion was a wing on the left, used as the engine-
houses, and which contained three powerful boilers for
driving the machinery. Over the machine-room, in the
centre of the premises on the ground floor, was another
extensive range of buildings, occupied as cutting-rooms
and band-houses. On the ground floor to the right was
another wing used as the rolling-houses, containing ma-
chinery valued at several thousand pounds. Above the
last-named was another extensive building, termed the
press-rooms and manufactory of gutta percha articles,
whilst the fitters' and carpenters' shops, and the pattern-
makers' stores adjoined them. Behind the premises
already enumerated stood the manufactory for picture
frames and articles of that description, each portion being
stored with tons weight of the gutta percha, an article
equally as inflammable as spirits of turpentine.
Adjoining the gutta percha company's works on the one
side, or rather separated from them by a space of not
more than two feet, were the extensive factory for making
Edwards's patent fire-lighters, belonging to Mr. W.
Gortori. In the yard of these works stood a pile of wood
(and so close to the premises on fire that it became
ignited) containing 140 fathoms, or about one ship load
and a half.

From the fact of the Wenlock Basin, which was 100
feet wide, being besides filled with water, not the least
fears were at first entertained of the flames being able to
attack the wharf and warehouses on the opposite side,
but such was the extraordinary progress of the fire, that
several buildings on the opposite side of the water were
ignited.

Two vessels lying in the basin near the factory were
destroyed, and many miles in length of wires in gutta
percha for the Electric Telegraph Company were also
consumed. As soon as the firemen had obtained the
mastery over the fire in the cpposite warehouses the
whole force was brought to bear upon the main factory,
but in spite of which hour after hour was spent, and mean-
while the flames continued to roll upwards in immense
bodies, and even as late as half-past 7 o'clock on Sunday
evening the fire was far from being entirely extinguished,
but all danger of any further extension of mischief was
Over.

The total loss will amount to many thousand pounds;
the damage done at the gutta percha works alone will
reach to between £60,000 and £BO,OOO. The loss will
principally fall upon the Royal, the Imperial, the Scottish
Union, the Yorkshire, the Sun, the Hand-in. Hand, the
County, and other offices.
Upwards of 300 men will be thrown out of employ by
this disastrous event.