Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-27
A General COnaagrafiOn Avoided by
the Use Of American Inventions.
Dom the London STANDARD.


the Use Of American Inventions.
from the London Standard
A fire Of enormous magnitude, which, for ra-
pidity in its extension and the amount of pro-
perty il destroyed, can only be compared in
late years to the disaster in Wood street, took
place yesterday October 81 in London, and was
not got under until seventeen buildings (princi-
paIy large warehouses; had been completely
Quilted. while some thirty other houses received
damage of more or less serious character. The
scene of the outbreak block of ware
houses known as Charterhouse buildings, and
situate just at the junction of Aldersgate street
with C!erkenwell road. All these houses were
five or six stories high, and had depth of 50
feet by about 80 in width. As q rule, the firms
occupying them carried on businesses in which
the stock in trade was of a light character, and
TO this i'm a measure is doubtless owing the rs-
pidity with which the flames spread when they
had once taken hold.
The fire discovered by sergeant of police
at little after halfpast 3 O'Clock, when he
found that the adjoining premises of Messrs.
Bates, Wade & Co.. the upper part being tenant
ed by Mr.. Flint. embroiderer, Is Charterhouse
buildings, and IL, occupied by Messrs. Barnes
SpTenger. were in a blaze. These warehouses
fourteen iarye bmidiOas Wi IN 4eIaV he
gave an alarm, and in a few minutes steamer
and hose cart were on the spot, these being fol-
lowed Immediately by three or four other en-
gines, summoned by telegraph from the Clerk
enwell station.
The firemen found that the warehouses were
well alight and got to work instantly; but
rapidly did the flames spread that the engineer
in charge telegraphed tor more assistance from
the headquarters of the fire brigade in South
wark. This was responded to- by Capt. Shaw
ordering on nine more steamers from the West
minister. Whitechapel and South London dis
tricts, while he proceeded TO the fire himself,
In company with his second officer, MIR. Sim
monds, taking with them thousand feet Of
hose When they reached the spot although
only half an hour had elapsed from the first
alarm, the fire had extended TO three or tour
other warehouses, all of which were burning
fiercely. A strong northeast wind WIS blowing
and famed the flames, which leaped from house
to house in q manner that showed the confia-
grafton was likely To be one OF the most serious
with which the fire brigade ever had to cope.
Nearly every available engine in London was
ordered up, together with the American extern
sion ladders and telescope fire escapes, to en-
able the firemen to play upon the flames from
a wonderful struggle ensued, in which for
nearly three hours the firemen waged a stern
fight with the flames. The heat tremen-
dous. and rendered the work of the firemen
most difficult The fire spread to the backs of
the warehouses which formed the semicircular
sweep around the corner of Clerkenwen road,
and quickly burned through them to the fronts
Fortunately there was an ample supply of
water; which was poured in tons upon the blaz-
ing piles from no fewer than thirty steamers
in addition to standpipes. The difficulty was
Tor the men engaged in the work 10 find posi-
tions where it possible to pursue their ar
duous duties. BY ) o'clock tAre were nearly
thirty warehouses alight, and the flames pre-
sented the appearance of huge furnace some
$50 feet in one direction by nearly a hundred
yards in another.
sparks flying from the burning mass dropped
all round, and the premises OF MeSsrs. Halden-
stein & Son, shoe manufacturers Aldcrsga:e
street. were found To be alight in the upper
floors. This is quite $50 yards from the spot
where the first outbreak occurred, and it was
fortunately got under before ii had time to do
any large amount OF damage. About this time
the front walls of the warehouses in Clerken-
well road were seen TO rock in a dangerous
manner, and Capt. Shaw gave orders ;or the
men To- clear away from them. Hardly was this
done when tour OF the walls, with "A frontage of
hmm radt tool toll,
crash, covering the roadway with bricks and
masonry. but, owing to the precautions taken,
no one was injured. The heat from this part
was so great that several houses on the OppO-
site eide of Clerkenwell road caught fire. All
OF these are shops, and hsA persons living on
the premises The inmates, however, had been
removed SOME time earlier by the police when
the first danger OF the houses becoming ignited
was apparent. Directly the walls had fallen
the nremen resumed their work, which in this
direction had necessarily been suspended, with
reuOubied vlgOr.
Between haifpast 5 and 6 the fire was at its
height, but had practically been surrounded
though there was still danger OF its spreading
10 other dwellings in the vicinity. 1t was now
bounded on the south by the wall OF the Mef-
chant Taylors' play ground, on the north by the
Cierhenweli road, east by Charterhouse build
1ngs on the Aldersgate street side, and west by
Foresters hall. An immense crowd of spec
tators had assembled, but were kept from APP
prOacnlnS dangerous spots or hampering the
movements OF the freInen by "a large force OF
police under Superintendent Heating, G d.
Vision, the latter also assisting the members of
the salvage corps in rescuing goods from those
houses which appeared likely to become in
volveu.
The scene was one of terrific grandeur as the
huge sheets of flames rOared upward sending
their myriads of sparks to be blown away in
bright showers by the wind. The smoke in
which the men worked was binding but they
nevertheless proceeded in their task with in
domitable energy and apparent recklessness of
danger, climbing over roofs and standing on
ladders at immense attitudes with a calmness
that brought cheers time after time from the
excited spectators. SO matters went on for a
long time, the firemen StubbOrnly holding
their posts, until about halfpast seven there
were signs that the immense mass of water
which had for hours been poured upon the
blazing mass was at last producing an
effect Most of the roofs and floors
IN the Charterhouse buildings block had
fallen in, and walls in every direction were tot
terlng 10 destruction, now and again coming
down with terrific crashes. The fire seemed in
most cases 10 communicate from house to house
by the roofs and burn downs ward, as several of
the warehouses not entirely DESTROYED have
two or three of the top floors and roofs burned
out. All the engines were kept at work until 9
O'CLOCK when a certain number were allowed
TO return to their stations, while several re-
manned to play upon the still burning pile BY
That time the greater part of the block in Char
terhou>e buildings had been burned through
from end To end, and an enormous gap showed
the later observer what devastation had Oc-
c9rred among such valuable property. The
loss Is estimated at between ESQ, 900 and
t3OO,OO0.