The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-20


since the great fire of 1866 broke out
in large block of buildings lying
eastward of Aldersgate street and be-
tween that thoroughfare and Red Cross
street, just after l o'clock this after
noon. The flames were famed by a
strong wind and were fed by highly
inflammable stocks of Christmas fancy
goods and fiimsy dress materials of
all descriptions that filed every floor Of
the siX-story buildings in the old street.
Consequently the confagration gained
headway with surprising rapidity and
was soon far beyond the possibility of
being checked by the few engines
which were early on the spot. For
four hours and a half the flames had
their own way, and it was only after
more than a hundred engines had
worked an hour that the chief of the
fire brigade sent out the signal that
the fire was under control.
At II o'clock tonight the fire is still
the scene of great excitement. Fifty
engines are playing upon the ruins,
wagons are hurrying up coal, and tons
of water are pouring into the fiery
debris Thousands of people are try
by a thousand policemen, reinforce
ments for whom were hurried up when,
soon after o'clock, an increase in the
outbreak led Commander Wells to
make a requisltion for more engines
upon the outlying stations. The scene
must occupy the fire brigade for sew
eral days, especially in view of the
grave danger of the collapse of shells
Of buildings, which fall now and again
with a loud report.
1t is officially reported that $50 ware
houses have been gutted. The latest
estimate of the damage places the
amount at nearly f5,OOO,OOO ($25 900, ,000).
Nearly all the British fire insurance
companies are involved, and fire
insurance shares were practically
ursalable on the stock exchange
yesterday afternoon G'riday), after
the fire was we'll under way.
Nearly 800 telephone wires have been
cut, thus interrupting communication
with many of the big provincial towns.
The fire will cause an enormous ad-
vance in the price of ostrich feathers,
which rose 80 per cent last evening
Friday). Two feather firms alone have
lost $4,000 ($75, ,0O0).
The historic church of st. Giles has
been much damaged, the principal dam
age being to the roof, the old windows,
the baptismal font and Milton's statue.
DUE TO AN EXPLOSION.
Hamsell street was the scene of the
outbreak of the fire, which was due to
an explosion in connection with gas
engine on the premises of Walter
Brown & Co., mantel manufacturers at
No. 80 on that thOroughfare. Their
third factory was crowded with girls
when the fire broke out and it was
instantly the scene of a semi-panic,
the frightened operatives rushing to
the roof of the building and thence
crossing to other buildings and so ef-
fecting their escape while the flames
were pouring out Of the basement. In
less than a quarter of an hour the
flames had enveloped the adjoining
warehouses, and thence they leaped
across the street to an enormous paper
warehouse, which was fully alght in
less than ten minutes.
By this time it was evident to the
firemen that they were face to face
with a great disaster and a general
alarm was sent out. Then, from all
the fire stations, even those quite five
miles from the scene OF the disaster,
engines were hurried to the spot and
the police gathered about the neighbor-
hood in great force. This display of
strength on the part of the police was
required, as the crowd, swelling in size
every moment, soon amounted to tens
of thousands of people and the firemen
required every possible freedom of ac-
ton, as their fight was one Of the
greatest difficulty, owing to the mar
rowness of the Old crooked streets
which are the feature of that part of
London. combined with the height Of
the warehouses which cut off the fire
men from all fair chance of confining
the outbreak.
The excitement among the onlookers
who crowded every possible point OF
view was very great, as may be judged
from the fact that firemen had to be
repeatedly rescued by their comrades,
by the aid of the fire escapes from
buildings which had caught fire after
the firemen had mounted to their roofs
to fight the flames in adjoining struc-
lures The rescue of operatives by the
firemen; the hurrying of hosts of clerks
who were trying to save books and
valuable papers from the fire and the
rushing here and there or many en-
plcyes, who were attempting to carry
to places of safety costly merchandise
or other valuables, added to the con-
fusion. The heat was so intense that
several firemen were obliged to direct
their operations under showers Of water
poured upon them.
In spite of the exertions of the fire
men the fire crept on very steadily un-
til Nicholl square, which is situated at
the far end Of Hamsell street, was
reached At little after o'clock
dozen hose pipes, each with twelve
foot spread, poured water into the blaze
from an opposite roof, from the street
below and from the burning premises
themselves, but it did not seem TO have
any effect The water rushed out of
the windows and from the ground floor
like a waterfall, while the flames leap
ed higher and higher, and as the floors