Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-20
BIG FIRE In LONDON.
One Of the Largest Sincs the Great
Fire Of 1855.
4 DISASTROUS CONFEDERATION.
Il Destroys Many Warehouses In the
Heart Of the City.
Loss ESTIMATED At S26,OOO,OOOl
Loss ESTIMATED At S25,OOo,OO
II Mil Take the Rlremen Several Days
10 Put The Flames Out Fully.
CHURCH OF ST. GILES DAMAGED.
The Old Windows and MiIton's
statue Injured-Hundrcds of Thou
sands of Spectators ut the Fire
Great Excitement.

most disastrous uTeS III 1SOnuOH > nlstOry,
since the great fire of 1866 broke out in
o large block Of buildings lying eastward
OF Aldersgate street, and beyond that
thoroughfare and Red Cross street, just
after ] o'clock this afternoon. The
flames were famed by a strong wind.
and were fed by highly innammable
stocks OF Christmas fancy goods and
nimsy dress materials of all descriptions,
that filled every floor OF the six-story
buildings in the old streets. Conse-
quently, the confiagration gained head
way 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
II 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.
The scene must occupy the fire brigade
for several days, especially in view of
the grave danger Of the collapse of the
shehs Of buildings. which fall now and
again with a loud report.
The later accounts say that nearly
hundred warehouses have been destroyed,
while the loss will probably exceed
100000. The historic Church of st.
Giles has been badly damaged, the prin-
cipal damage being TO the roof. the old
windows the baptismal font, and Mil
toms statue.
Hamsell street was the scene OF the
outbreak of the fire, which was started
10y the explosion of a gas engine on the
premises OF Walter Brown & Co.. mantel
manufacturers, No. 80, in that street
FACTORY GIRLS IN PERIL.
Their third factory was crowded with
girls when the fire broke out The
frightened operatives rushed to the roof
of the building, and thence crossed to
other buildings, and so effected 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 ware
house. and thence they leaped across
the street to an enormous paper ware
house. which was fully alight in less
than ten minutes.
BY this time it was evident to the fire.
men that they were face TO face with
great disaster and general alarm was
sent out Policemen also gathered
about the neighborhood in great numbers.
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,
while the firemen required every possi-
BILE freedom OF action. as their fight was
one OF the greatest difficulty, owing TO
the narrowness 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 1remen from all fair chance of con-
inning the outbreak.
The excitement among the spectators.
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,
with the aid OF the fire escapes, from
buildings which had caught fire after the
firenen had mounted 10 their roofs. TO
light the flames in adjoining buildings
The rescue of operatives by the fire.
men, the hurrying of hosts of clerks,
Who were trying TO save books and valu-
able papers from the fire. and the rush
Ing here and there of many employees
who were attempting to carry TO places
Of safety costly merchandise or other
valuables. added to the confusion.
Then again, the heat was so intense
that several flremen were obliged 10 di-
rect their operations under showers of
water poured upon them. But in spite
OF the exertions of the firemen, the fire
crept on very steadily, until Nicholl
Square, which is situated at the far end
Of Hamseil street, was reached.
WATER ALMOST WITHOUT EFFECT.
A little after O'Clock a dozen hosepipes,
each with a tweve-foot spread. poured
water into the blaze Of an opposite roof
from the street below, and from the burn
ing premises themselves, but IL did not
seem 10 have any effect. The water
rushed out of the windows on the ground
floor like a waterfall, while the flames
leaped higher and higher, and as the
ioors fell in. the place still blazed. a
gigantic display OF fire and smoke. till
the building was completely gutted and
the walls keeled over.
The confusion I'm the streets increased
as the FIRE spread. Suddenly there was
m explosion of gas-meters, sounding like
the reports of feld-guns, followed by
mOmentdry rush. After that the Nllu
rushing here and there was resumed, with
Increasing energy. Men risked their lives
In desperate efforts TO save day-books,
iedgers feathers. jewelry. valuable china
ware, etc one man actually hazarded his
life TO fetch his hat and cane, two hum
dred feet of stone-work and glass fall
Ing al his heels as he emerged from the
building
Several hremen were almost buried In
burning ruins as front after front of the
flaming warehouses fell in, hurting tons Of
bricks and masonry into the streets,
bursting and cutting the fre-hose in all
directions while tons OF fiery matter was
falling In every direction. making II inn
possible 10 foresee where the confagration
would stop as roof after roof caught fire.
and window frames all about the scene
began 10 smoke.
As the afternoon wore on the dense
crowds were stil further enlarged, until
II was estimated that many hundreds
Of thousands OF people surrounded the
big fire. This excited mass Of humanity
bad 10 be constantly pressed back by the
police as the fire increased I'm size. an
operation which became more and more
difncult as the owners and employees OF
the warehouses adjacent TO the scene
began the work of saving the most yalu-
able portions Of their portable belongings. |
BRILLIANT PICTURE
BY dusk the picture presented was ex-
trensly brilliant -Four streets were
blazing on both sides, and there was
plenty TO interest the gambling spirit |
of the onlookers, IN betting as 10 whether |
M ffa va rot \ Ia Af a