Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-11-19
HUGE BLOCKS BURN FIERCELY
Sixty Warehouses In The Heart Of the City
Consumed Already.
CHURCH AND OTHER BUILDINGS GO UP.
Many Narrow Escapes-over s1O.Oo0,ooO
Damage Greatest Fire London
Has Had for Years.

london. Nov. 19.-The most disas-
trous fire in years is raging here. In
esveral strcets adjacent to the general
postoncc, huge blocks of buildings are
blazing flercely Many houses have
coliapsed and fifteen warehouses al
ready have been destroyed.
buildings are ablaze on the side
streets, thus preventing the hremen
from reaching the burning buildings.
wall street is involved from end to
end.
The flames which had worked their
WAY from levin street into cross
street. where an entire block of houses
on the west side of the street was
threatened
over forty engines are at work at
this time.
1t is impossible 20 make an estimate
Of the damage IT present.
Various newspapers publish sensa-
tlonal estimates of the loss. Many of
the buildings burned or threatened con-
tanned large numbers of girls employed
in various capacities. Very many OF
them escaped with difficulty.
The area of the fire Is at least lOO,-
ODj square yards. sixty warehouses
have already been destroyed and the
fire extends from Wood street to Al
cersgate street.
The damage is estimated at 100000
pounds (S10,OOO000)
The vicarage of st Joels, Cripple
L gate is doomed and the church is on
ire.
The fire originated in the store of
manufacturer on Hamsell street at
o'clock this afternoon and the great
loss Of property seems TO be due to the
delay in summonnig the fire depart
ment. one published report says the
police officer who first detected the
flames blew his whistle loudly for as
siatance, but several minutes elapsed
before the alarm was heard by any of
his comrades. As soon as assistance
reached him an officer was dispatched
to call the fire brigade.
But here again there was an unac-
c0untable delay of 20 minutes, before
the first engine appeared. Then the
fearful dimensions of the fire were ap-
parent and it was decided to circulate
a call through the whole metropolitan
district At 6 o'clock the fire was re-
ported to he under control. Cripple
gate church is saved, but is badly
damaged,
The general postohice is on st. Mar
tins lie Grand, ON both sides of the
street, the new building being a mag
nitcent structure that cost over ST.
100000.
On the east side of the street is the
general pustotiice East, built in the
Ionic style in 1925. This building is $50
ieet In length.
Opposite the general postofIlee East
IA the general postofiice which was
built in 1892. The large telegraph gal
IFles measure 800 feet by 80 feet and
contain 800 instruments, the number OF
EtGfams conveyed in the year is
lOout lOOOOOOO. This building cost
over S2OOO,OOO, In November, 1890, the
foundation of the general office North
was aid. 1t was finished In 1898. 1t
contains the offices of the postmaster
general and cost over $3.0000O0.
| me church of st. Giles was built in
is'' 1t Is approached by an archway
~ Red Crosstreet, also within the
syehe or the contagration and con-
ans me tomhs of John Milton, who
EI m 1914, Fox, the martyrologist.
",her, the voyager, who died I'm 1884.
,lG Speeir the typographer, who died
ulyer Cromwell was married in the
tb bu' yh OF ST. Giles August %, 1920 and
V patlSh register contains an entry
IN. burial OF Daniel de Foe author
Hnhlnson Crusoe who died in 1861.
'H'toh Is concentrated by a bust
" Bacon and the late George w.
mics OF Philadelphia erected
NNatt, El..,.s L.. 1.
We POETS memory.
an mis- ohurch-yard is an old bas-
Go4 OF the London wall and close by
rb," mon Wall is small part of the
s no. hyard of state Phago. containing
Ti,,, Htr large fragment Of the old wall
'u,l' by the Romans.
Adersgate and Crlpplegate are
aul,l after two of the gates in Roman
me iire broke out I'm Hamsell street
~ worked through houses to Wall
~ a narrow thoroughfare. There
tos,. names leaned and seized the on
Il Gle houses, From that time the CON
II 5latioh extended rapidly both up aud
Ia WI me street The flames are rapid
| ,,r tearing, Nicholas square, which is
''uhued by tall warehouses
FIREMEN GIVE UP.
n, ng IRE brigade has given up hopes
IN, 'uoauing the the fire, and is dovot-
| oipo,, h'Ns ~ prevent lts spread. OC-
bsE.nIntS OF threatened buildings are
"E moving books and business
'1r reported.
iii 80 this afternoon thirty fire en-
G' ngs We're engaged in fighting the
ns-l's, and others are arriving mo-
p sg..hllly. From all parts of London
er15 thousands of people have gath
~ 10 see the fire.
,,cile end of levin street Is now at
,,HNeu ny the flames. 1t presents the
atl bi'9Iunce of a huge furnace. Sew
isr large buildings have already fall
,oo1, ana debris completely blocks the
4ha damage is enormous. Most of