Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1861-07-26
Tho Great Fire In London.

| The hre which broke out In London on
Saturday, June 90, seems 10 have been only
surpassed in destruction BY the great conaa.
grafton OF 1866. The loss has been es.imat.
cd a, 1000, 900.
Tho scene Of tho catastrophe vas on tho
waicr-sids portion Of Toolev street. neares.
London bridge, . locality which has been
sipguiarly unfortunate during tho las. 2j
years, some Of the larscs. 6res having oc.
CURED ,hero. Tho outbreak took place In
the extensive range Of premises known as
Co,ton's wharf. and the bonded warehouses
belonging to Mes'r'. Scovell. They had an
extensive river frontage, and the whole
space on the land side extending to Tooley
street, was covered with eight or nine ware
houses. six stories In height, some OF which
had formerly been used n ordnance 'iore-,
and the whole occupying, I. wc wero in
formed. about three acres.
These buildings were filed with valuable
merchandise Of every description. There
werc some thousands Of chests Of tea and
oa'es OF SIX stored 10 'neuPper n'o"' Wn'e
IN the lower WAS" immense STOCK OF ha''
''an fai'o~ ana tar o'is' oales OF eo"on'
hops, and grain. Every portion Of the &c.
'ao,''nmen' "'s'' 10 .a'a 70 n''' oe"
'oaaed WIN so'''' anu O' 'ne N"''e " '"''
property not yesiige remains but the bare
walls 10 ~ A''ed 70 'n'' very serious 'O''
" the obstruction OF ''o wno'o o' '"o """
''" 'A'su " "''''"'" ''"p
houses hAhA'ns tue no" uocA' Ano"n u"
n'!' "haf'' 'he burning OF ''u' ware
houses and quay comprising '"au'"s''
'sins wharf. adjacent 70 81 oiA'e : church,
besides many other buildings IN ioo'ey o.
Tho adde's loss OF ALL however, W." tue
deploraole accident which oe'e'i MI james
Hardwood. the director OF the London IRE
brigade. who was killed IN the early part OF
the fire 10y the falling OF avail His body
vas taken iron the runs on the SUGGESTING
Monday feAriully crushed.
The Ere was discovered about halt past
Tour 4. NJ, anu spread % rapld'y 'haIN
ten o clock u had reached It's height.
Probably between eight and nine there
was agrea'er body OF hame than at any
subsequent period, but the broad light oi a
summers evening drowned It's hiieou' rIar''
|, was no, .lll night fell thA. the trcmen'
dous ,errors Of the spectacle could bsappre-
ciA,ed in oil their horrid grandeur. Tho
whole South bank Of the river from London
bridge to below the Custom House seemed
one s,upendous pile o! Ere, glowing at its
core with an intensity tha' made IL painful
to look at. and casting rudy glare above
on everything lar and near. A' this tine
the only hope Of the fremen lay in the night
still continuing calm. Their efforts TO check
the flames they felt and knew were utterly
hopeless. All tho engine, Of London, aud
al tha, could DO brought by rail or road
from the suburbs we're ~ u-.e-s as chill
d,en's squirt. against these acres OF burn.
ing ruins. The efforts Of the mos, power.
erful engines. could only sprinkle at rare
intervals the outskirts OF the building. for
the hca, wa, so great that none could ap-
rroaeh near and live. All the worst masses
ofaams were thu, quite out Of freach, though
=, great VA, the bulk Of the glowing ruins,
,b,t. even had they been under command,
no water power the aremen could procure
could have made tho slightest Impression.
IL seemed as IL nothing could stop the iire.
There were great warehouse. which were
called Ere proof, with massive brick walls,
iron roof. and stone aoor., But against
,uch Intensity Of heat nothing ayailed. To
the eve they were seen 10 re, rcd.ho,. like
she'll, Of furnaces. until their content. pour.
Cd out through door, and windows in great
stream. of flame.
A, warehouse after warehouse caught, the
barrel, OF .altpe,rc and tar with which some
were stored, exploded, and came pouring
forth IN streams OF liquid FIRE. which hoa'ed
out upon the water In great sheets ana
broke up at last into little islands OF ham''
which wen, drifting up the river. All The
vigilance and seti,i,y OF the Thames police
wa. necessary to beat and scatter 'he-o out
IS they aoa,ed through the bridge. Ba'all
these eIer'ions would have oeeh 10 VAN !"
check the devastation which must have oocn
caused by these floating masses II the re-
main. OF the ships burnt earlier IN the even
ing had not acted asa kind OF brcakwa'er
to their movements. Thesreat mas', there
fore of this Iiauid fire gathered round the