The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-11-20
L0NDONVS GREAT FIRE.
Biggest Oonaagration in Centuries
For Europe's Metropolis.
A PROBABLE LOSS OF s25, 100000.

Nearly q Hundred Warehouses De.
stroyed, With Their Valuable Com
tents-Though There Was Mad Rush
For Life, No Fatalities Are Reported.
London. Nov. 2O.-One of the most
disastrous fires In London's history
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 / o'clock yesterday
afternoon. The flames were famed by
strong wind and We're fed by highly
infiammable stocks of Christmas fancy
| goods and flimSy dress materials Of all
| descriptions that crowded every floor
of the six story buildings in the old
street. Consequently the conflagration
gained headway with surprising rapid
ity, and was soon far beyond any pos
sibility of being checked by the few
engines which were hrly on the spot.
For four hours and half the flames
had their own way, and it was only
after more than hundred engines had
worked an hour that the chief of the
| fire brigade sent out the signal that the
iHS Nto uiiuSi CoHlipl. Al IllluHlSHl
| the fire was still the scene of great ex
| cltement. Fifty engines We're playing
upon the ruins. wagons were hurrying
up coal, and tons of water were pouring
INTO the fiery debris. Thousands of
people were trying to penetrate the
Gordon maintained by thousand po-
licemen.
The scene must occupy the fire bri-
gade for several days, especially in
view OF the grave danger Of the col
lapse OF the shells of buildings, which
fall now and again with loud report.
The latest accounts indicate that near
ly hundred warehouses have been de-
stroyed, While the loss will probably
be about i5G0U,OG0 sterling ($25 600 OO0).
The historic church Of st. Giles nas
been much damaged, the principal
damages being to the roof, the old
windows. the baptismal font and Mil
tons statue.
.Hamsell street was the scene of the
outbreak of the fire, which was due to
an explosion in connection with a gas
engine on the premises of Waller,
Brown q Co., mantle manufacturers,
at No. 30 on that thoroughfare. Their
large factory was crowded with girls
when the fire broke cut and it was in
stantly the scene of a sfuli-Danic. the
frightened operatives rushing to the
roof of the building and thence crossing
to other buildings, and so effecting
their escape, while the flames were
pouring out OF the basement. Tn less
than a quarter Of an hour the flames
had envclopcl the adjoining warehouse
and thence they leaned across the
street TO an enormous naper warebouso
which was fully aljght in less tban ten
minutes.
The excitement among the onlookers
who crowded every pnssibln uaint Of
view was very great as may he iuaged
from the fact that tiremrn had ia ba
repeatedly rescued bv thnir comrades
from buildings wbich had caught fire
after thn. .tiren1en had mounted ia their
roofs to fight the flames in adio;ninr
structures.
The rescue of operatiyes nv the fire.
men, the hurrying of hosts of clerks
who were irving to save books and
valuable pauers from the fire and the
rushing here end there of MANY en-.
ployes who were attempting to carry