Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-11-20
FIREPROVESA SHOW
Excursion Trains Garry Crowds Of People to
London 10 See the Ruins.
LOSS HEAVY ON AMERICAN COMPANIES.


London, Nov. 20.--A number Of fire
engines are still playing upon the
smoulderlng ruins which mark the
scene Of the great connagration near
the general postodlce yesterday. The
last flames disappeared at II o'clock
this morning. The official report says
the cause is unknown.
large number of warehouses from
hve to six stories high, have been
burned and have partly fallen. the
whole covering an area of 200 by 100
yards, bounded by Nichols square, Ed
mund Palace, Jewln Crescent. Aus
tralion avenue. Pauls alley and Red
Cross street.
The burned district is surrounded by
enormous crowds, and the railroads are
running excursion trains from the
country.
In spite Of the magnitude of the dis
aster only two fremen were slightly
injured during the work of extinguish-
ing the flames.
About 300 firms are seeking for new
offices. The estimates of the amount
or damage range from 100000 900 to
$6O,OOOOOo, but according to the best
opinion the loss is about $4,000 900.
Console and India three per cents
have fallen heavily, on the belief that
the losses VIII be heavy. Sales by IN
surance companies and most of the in
surahce companies shares have dropped
10 to 90 shillngs.
The Standard. in its financial article
this afternoon says 1t is believed that
the bulk of the fire losses viii fail upon
American Insurance companies.
The insurance agents take an opti-
mistic view Of the losses. the estimates
ranging from 81 500 900 to $4,000, OOO II
Is fact that dozens of the burned
out firms were not insured, IN some
cases because they We're considered to
I've undesirable customers and in others
because the locality has long been
considered dangerous by insurance
companies. The latter. assert that tn.
sensational rumors regarding the losses
nave been promoted on the stock ex-
change In order TO influence stocks.
All the historic treasures of Cripple
gate church were removed. including
the records of Oliver Cromwelrs mar
rage, Millions burial and the deaths
OF the plague in 1866
New York, Nov "a dispatch to
the World from London says:
In Fridays fire streets quarter of n
mile In length were involved lGO ware
houses were destroyed, 800 important
hrms and hundreds of minor ones were
burned out and damaged at n loss es-
umated close upon s2i 900 900 At mid
night the scene was appalling. The
tlames had been extinguished but vast
blocks of warehouses;, as far as the
ey could reach right and left were
one huge furnace filled with a mass
OF smouldering ashes on which streams
from numcrous hydrants seemed 10
make no sensible impression. The
streets ran like rivers. Twenty steamers
were pumping water through gaping
windows of burned-out buildings while
the sky overhead for miles around re-
elected the lurid glare of stln glow
Ing cmhers, Every avenue leading 70
the scene of the fire was blocked nv
police. Tho reason why the fire assumed
such Gigantic Dimensions was first.
because Of the highly infiammable
character Of the contents of the dry
goods ana tobacconist warehouses
whore " originated; second, because
of the extreme difficulty of handling
II effectively owing to the exceptional
natroWncse Of the surrounding
streets. Few of these streets permit
two vehicles To pass abreast and the
fire brigade had therefore great dim
Guilty In manipulating the engines and
getting them into position. The delay
thus caused gave the fire tremendous
Roadway.
In the early stages Of the fire the
flames tore up through the elevator
shafts Of the warehouses and spread
over each successive floor with in
credible rnpidity: then bursting out
through tho windows they reached the
front NJ the houses on the opposite
side which smoked and craClSled until
their woodwork broke into fire.
u VIII be several days before the fire
is completely eNtinguished and the
ruins thoroughly explored. The convIc-
tion Is general that the London fire
brigade Is cntirelv too small 70 deal
with great emergency But the en-
ergy and courage Of the men nre ruIIv
rrppr -S