St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-31
The Holiday Season Illumin-
ated by a Two Million
Dollar Fire.
One-Quapter Of This Estimat-
ed Loss Is Comprised in
SealSkinS.
The Fire Brigade Accom-
plishes Good Work and
Saves the City.
Parnell and 0'Brien Consult
in Boulogne on the Situ-
alton.

LONDON, Dec. 30.-ThiS city was to
day the scene of a conhagratiOn destined
to become historical. A careful exam
ination OF the scene of the battle fought
between the London fire brigade and
the fire tiend shows that parts of st.
Benets church were not destroyed, so
the old Welsh worshiping place has not
suffered so severely as at first stated. In
justice to the London firemen, it may
be said that they had hard tussle with
the weather as well as with the flames.
AS previously noted, a high wind
materially assisted the fire in its
work of destruction, and the weather
was so cold that the water froze almost
in the air,and formed ice all over the fire
apparatus and over the tiremen. The
cold weather also hindered the engines,
the firemen say, from working smoothly,
and when the firemen fastened two lad
ders together, for instance, in order to
climb to a point of vantage, their fin
gers and hands were SO numbed with
cold that hey were unable to grasp the
rungS OF the extended ladders. There
was no loss of life, and but few acci-i
dents among the firemen. One man, it
is true, was taken to Charing Cross hos
pital i'll
Partially SufFocated Conditions,
but he is SAID to be in no danger of los
ing his life. The cause of the fire is un-
known and the amount of damage done
is now estimated to be $4,000 or.
s2,0Oo,CO0. Revlllon Freres, for in
stance, recently received 100000 $780,
000 worth of sealskins, which have.
been almost entirely consumed by the
flames. The scene OF the fire is in
Queen Victoria and Thames streets,
near Blackfriar's bridge. Numerous
warehouses were blazing and Lon
don seemed destined to suf-
fer one of the largest and
most destructive fires in its history of
recent years. Fourteen fire engines
were soon upon the spot, and the fire.
men did their utmost, but with little
success, to check the course of the
flames. A high wind was blowing, and
it materially added to the fury of the1
flames, while hindering the 1iremen in
their efforts to save property. Terrible.
sheets OF flame and clouds of hot smoke
were frequently whirled dangerously
near the struggling firemen. who
met with little or no success
IN their battle with the fiery
element. The large wholesale
fur manufactory of Revillon Freres, ex
tending from No. 127 to 141 Queen Vic
toria street. was said to be doomel
shortly after the fire gained StrOug head
way. Following this news was the ill
formation that large paper warehouse,
a number of fancy goods stores and the
Guleher Electric Light and Power COM
pany's building were also complete
prey to the flames. The flames spread
as rapidly on all sides as if there were
no firemen OF fire engines present. I'M
mense crowds of people
Gathered on the Bridges
over the Thames and in the streets run
ming down TO the river where a good
view OF the conflagration could be had.
Many people expressed the hope that
this disaster would at last bring about
reform in the London fire brigade, and
its lOng-needed remodeling upon the
plan OF the New York fire department.
1t seems strange to many people, in
view of the terrible fire of week or SO
ago, when nearly dozen buildings
were destroyed on Praed street, that
Old-fashoned manual fire engines should
still be in use in the London
fire brigade, while the steamers
or steam fire engines in use seem to be.
utterly behind the times. As the fire
progressed it spread to the headquarters
OF the Salvation Army, Illuminating
that red painted ''blood and fire'' build;
ing in most ominouS manner. The
SalvationiStS worked like beavers in
their efforts to place the records and
other property of the army in place of
safety before it was too late. All
the buildings from the corner
of Bennet's hill to No. 1S5
Queen Victoria street were either
blazing fiercely or else Quilted, smould-
ering, red ruins, with scorched black
ened shells aroundithem. And all this
ruin was done, and much more to all ap-
pearanceS unchecked, in spite of the
presence of twenty steam fire engines,
two fire escapes and large number of
cid manual fire engines upon the
scene. The latter. however, might Just
as well be in the British museum as
operating upon such conflagration as
this. Upon the authority of the
London Fire Brigade 81
chiefs upon the scene of the disaster.
is announced that the fire originated
the building occupied by q. Davidson
& Sons, paper and paper felt manufact-
urers and paper bag makers, at 1l9
Queen Victoria street. This building
extended back into Upper Thames
street. IL was large structure, and
was completely gutted. as was also that
of Adolph Frankan & Co., manutact-
urers of pipes and importers of tobacco.
at No. 121 Queen Victoria street. Old
st. Benet's church, Paul's wharf. be-
tween No. 225 and No. 226 Upper
Thames street. famous Welch church.
also caught fire, its blazing steeple
forming one of the most striking feat
ures of the grandly terrible scene. The
firemen at one time managed to obtain
control OF the flames at this point, and
the confiagration, so far as st. Benet's
was concerned, was for time arrested.
What would be termed in New York
four large 'blocks" of buildings were
in flames and burning steadily.
A rough estimate of the dam
age done places the amount
at e300,00 or S1,500,000, but this esti-
mate is thought to be under the real
amount. Two million dollars, it is said,
may eventually prove to be the cost of
the fire. The entire value of ReviIlon
Freres' stock of furs was ESQ, 900. One
half of this amount was entirely de-
strOyed and the other half was damaged.