The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1871-10-26
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The Great Fire I'm LOndOn-FrOm the
Diary OF John Evelyn.

The Great Fire in LOndOn-FrOm the |
Diary OF John Evelyn.
1866, I'd Sept. This fatal night about |
ten began the deplorable fire near Fish |
street, London.
Sd. The fire continuing, after dinner 1 |
took coach with my wife and son and went |
to the Bank side in Southwark, where we |
beheld that dismal spectacle, the whole |
city in dreadful flames near ye water side;
all the houses from the bridge, all Thames |
street. and upwards towards Cheapside, /
downe to the Three Cranes, were now con-
sumed. The fire having continued all
this night-if may call that night which |
was light as day-for 10 miles round
about after dreadful manner-when con-
spring with a fierce Eastern wind in
very drie season, I went on foote to the
same place, and saw the whole south part
Of ye city burning from Cheapside to
Thames, and all along Cornehlll-for a
kindled back against ye wind as well as
forward = Tower streete - Fenehurch
streete, Gracious streete, and so along
Bainard's Castle, and was now taking hold
of st. Paule's Church, to which the scat
folding contributed exceedingly. Thecon-
hagration was so universal, and the peo-
pie so astonished, that, from the beginning,
l know not by what dependency OF fate,
they hard stirr'd to quench it, so that there
was nothing heard or scene but crying eut
and lamentation, running about like dis
tracted creatures, without at all attempt
ing to save even their goods, such strange
CONSERVATION there was upon them, so as
it burned both in breadth and length, the
churches, public halls, exchange, hospitals,
monuments, and ornaments, leaping after
prodigious mourner from house to house
and streete to streete, at create distances
one from ye other, for ye heate with
| falre and warm weather had even ignited
the air, and prepar'd the materials to con-
| ceive the fire, which devour'd, after an in
credible manner, houses, furniture and
everything. Here we saw the Thames,
covered with goods, floating all the barges
and boats laden with what some had time
and courage to save, as, on ye other, ye
carts, &c, carrying out to the fields, which
for many strew'd with moveables of all
sorts, and tents erecting to shelter both
people and what goods they could get
away. Oh the miserable and calamitous
spectacle, such as haply the world had not
scene the like since the foundation of it,
nor be outdone till the universal conhag-
ration.
All the skie was of fiery aspect, like
top of burning oven, the light scene
above 40 miles round about for many
nights God grant my eyes may never
behold the like, now seeing above 10000
houses all in one flame; the noise and
cracking, and thunder of the impetuous
flames, ye shrieking of women and chill
dren, the hurry of people, the fall of tow
ers, houses, and churches, was like an
hideous storme, and the aire all about so
hot and infam'd, that at last one was not
able to approach it, SO that they were
fore'd to stand still and let ye flames burn
on, w'ch they did for neer'd two miles IN
length, and one in breadth. The clouds
| of smoke were dismall, and reac'd upon
| computation neer 5omiles in length. Thus
/ left it this afternoon burning, a resem-
blance to Sodom or the last day London
| was, but Is no more
4th. The burning still RACES, and it
was now gotten as far as the inner Tenn
| pie, all Fleete streets, the Old Bailey,
Ludgate Hill, Warwick Lane, Newgate,
/ PauPs Chain, Watling's streete, now fam
ing, most Of it reduced to ashes; the stones
of Pauies few ike granados, ye melting
lead running downthe streetes in a stream,
and the very pavements glowing with red
nesse, so as no horse or man was able to
tread on them, ana demolition had stopp'd
all passages, so that no help could be ap-
piled. The Eastern wind still more i'm
petuously drove the flames forward.
Nothing but ye Almighty power of God
was able to stop them, for Vaine was tie
help of man.
5th. It crossed towards Whitehall : Oh
the confusion there was then at that Court
1t pleased his M'ty to commend me among
ye rest to locke after the quenching OF
LakAa -, IL
that part OF Holborn, whilst the rest OF
ye gentlemen took their several posts
for now they begun to bestir themselves,
and not till now, who hitherto had stood
as men intoxicated, with their hands ac-
cross-and began to consider that nothing
was likely to put stop but the blowing
up Of so many houses, as might make a
wider gap than any had yet been made by
the ordinary method of pulling them down
with engines; this some stout seaman
proposal early enough to have sav'd near
ye whole city, but this some tenacious
and avaricious men, aldermen, &C., would
not permit, because their houses must
have been of the first.
1t was therefore now commanded to be
practis'd, and my concern being particu-
larly for the hospital of st. Bartholomew.
neere Smithfeld, where l had many
wounded and sick men, made me the more
dIllgent to promote it nor was my care for
the Savoy lesse. 1t now pleas'd God, by
batting the wind, and by the industrie o.
ye people, infusing a new spirit into them
that the fury of it begin sensibly to abate
about noone so as 1t came no farther than
We Temple westward, nor than We entrance
OF Smithfeld north But continu'd al
this day and night so impetuous towards
Cripplegate and the Tower, as made US all
despaire it also broke out againe in the
Temple but the courage of the multitude
presisting, and many houses being blown
up, such gaps and desolatIons were soone
made, as with the former three DAVIS con
sumption, the backfre did not so vehe.
mently urge upon the rest as formerly
There was yet no standing neere the burn.
ing and glowing ruines by neere furlone
space. The coale and wood wharfs anc
magazines of oyle, rosin, &C., did infinite
mischiefe, SO as the invective which little
before 1 had dedicated to his ma'ty, anC
publishd, giving warning what NIGH
probable be the issue Of suffering thost
shops to be in the city, was look'd on a.
3 prophesy.
The poor inhabitants were dispersed
, about st Georges Fields, and Moorefelds
as far as Higbgate, and several miles II
4
! cradle hutts and hovells, many without
: rag or any necessary utensils, bed or board
, who, from delicateness, riches, and easy
. accommodations in stately and well fur
nIsh'd houses; were now REDUCED to ex
treamest misery and poverty.
In this calamitous condition, return
with ssd heart to my house, blessing ant
; Adoring the mercy of God to me and mine
who in the midst of ali this RUNE was lk
Lot, in my little Zoar, safe and sound.
7th. went this morning on foote Il
Whitehall as far as London Bridge, thro
: the late Fleete streete, Ludgate Hill, By
4 st. Paules, Cheapside Exchange, Bishop
gate, Aldersgate, and out to Moorefelds
thence thro Cornehill, &c, with extraor
dinary difficulty, clambering over heap
OF yet smoking rubbish, and frequentl!
mistaking where was The ground un
4 der my feete was SO hot, that it even burn
. the soles of my shoes. In the meantime
his ma'ty got 70 the Tower by water, t.
demolish ye houses about the graf. whicl