The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-06-02
4 $l5,0O0,000 FIRE.
Famous Buildings in London Al
mort Totally Destroyed.
Thirteen Large Warehouses Con.
sumed-London'S Great Fires

A fire which broke out ut 5 O'Clock the other
morning in the Charter House buildings, 6
row of thirteen eight-story warehouses in AL
dersgate street, London, spread with such
rapidity that in a few hours all the s,ruc
lures, including their contents, We're de-
stroyed. The origin Of the fire is unknown.
The houses Were occupied by fancy gools
dealers, furriers, toy stores and printing Off
ces. One bank was also in the buildings
This was tho only concern that escaped total
loss. 1t was badly damaged, but not de-
stroyed. The aremen had great difficulty in
getting the streams from the engines to play
on the upper stories of the buildings Many
narrow escapes were recorded owing to the
desperate attempts Of the lremen to get at
the flames. The damage is estimated ut SIS,
UU0,OC0.
Previous to the great fire Of London, two
serious confagrations occurred in that city
and many blocks of buildings, and one i'll
l2l2, by which 5000 lives were lost at Lon
don bridge and considerable portion of the
city burned From September to 6, 1866,
the great fire ragged, devastating 400 streets,
covering 4S6 acres with ruins, and
destroying eighty-nine churches, many gov
ernment buildings, and Is, 200 houses. In
March, 174S. 200 houses were burned in Corn
hill Ward. In April, 1850, there was great
fire in the docks and shipping at Horsley
Down, and in June of tine same year New
gate prison and many other buildings were
DESTROYED by the Gordon mobs. November
5, 1888, saw $5O0,000 lost by fire in
Aldersgate street, and on July 81, 1911,
fire at Wapping destroyed $50 houses,
and an East India warehouse con-
tanning 81, 600 bags Of saltpetre; the loss was
s5,ooo,oOo. Three West India oNa warehouses
were burned with loss of Sl,500,0n0, in Feb
ruary $500, and in 1902 and 1905 great fires
occurred in Tottenham Court road and Soho.
Rotherhithe, Mile-end and Smithfeld were
devastated in 1920. 1921 and 1922, respectively,
With 100000, Sl,00O0OO and 5O0,OO0
losses Parliament houses won't in 1884,
and two years later fire at London bridge
made loss of Sl,25O,00O. In 1S41 the Tower
armory was burned with 2S0,O00 stand of
worth 1000, burned, and three fires OF
S5OO,OOO loss each, occurred in 1858. The
Etna Steam battery fire, May, 1855, made
loss of 5000, 900, and there was lost $500,
OOO in the Shad Thames flour mill fire
of July, 1856. Fire and explosion at London
docks in 1858 destroyed property worth
s75O,0O0, and at West Kent and New Hi
Dernla WnarVeS OH august IL, !ooo, peSal u
fire which lasted nearly month, with loss of
Sl,OO0,0O0. Another months fire began June
22, 1861, OF Cotton's wharf, near Tooley
street, and made loss of Sl0,OO0,000. The
Grant warehouses, worth S500,0O0, were
burned in April. 1868; st. Katherine's docks,
january, 1866; Nicholson's warehouses,
October, 1871; Grants printing house,
loss S500,0O0. August, 1876; the Man.
chester warehouses, loss s, COO, 900. jan
uary 1878. In February, 1881, the Victoria
docks were burned with S2,20O,0 900 loss. In
burned, with S75O,0OO loss, and few hours
later two acres of silk and other stores in
Wood street were destroyed, the losses ag-
gregating about sl5, 900. The next
notable fire occurred in Paternoster Row.
April 2, 1884, in which st. Paul's cathedral
escaped only by favorable turn of tho
wind. Loss, $250, 900.