The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1897-11-24
HOT Time At LONDON
Fire Warns Up the Old Town to
the Tune of Twenty-Five
Million Dollars.
NOTHING LIKE IT FOR 200 YEARS.
Humid eds Of Thousands of People See
One Hundred and Fifty Big
Warehouses Burn.


Burn as Though the Water Was In-
hammable- -Firemen in Constant Danger
from Falling Walls i'm the Narrow Streets
Man Risks His Life for His Hat and
Cane-Other Narrow Escapes.
London, Nov. 20-One Of the most dis
astrous fires in London's history since
the great fire Of 1866 broke out in a large
block of buildings lying eastward of AL
dersgate street and between that thor
oughfare and Red Cross street just after
l o'clock yesterday afternoon. The
flames were famed by strong wind and
were fed by highly infiammable stocks Of
Christmas fancy goods and flimsy dSess
materials Of all descriptions that filled
every floor of the six-story buildings in
the old street. Consequently the confia-
grafton gained Roadway with surprising
rapdity, and was soon far beyond the
possibility of being checked by the few
engines which were early on the spot.
For four hours and half the flames had
their own way and IL was only after
more than 100 engines had worked an
hour that the chief of the fire brigade
sent out the signal that the fire was un-
der control. At IL o'clock last night the
fire was still the scene Of great excite
ment Fifty engines were playing on the
ruins, wagons were hurrying up coal,
and tons of water were pouring into the
fiery debris
Loss Will Reach $25 100000.
Thousands Of people were trying to
penetrate the Gordon maintained by 1000
policemen, reinforcements for whom
were hurried up when soon after s
o'clock an increase in the outbreak led
Commander Wells TO make a requisition
for more engines upon the outlying sta
tons. The scene must occupy the fire
brigade for several days, especially in
view of the grave danger of the col
lapse Of shells Of buildings, which fall
now and again with a loud report. The
latest accounts indicate that nearly $50
warehouses have been destroyed. while
the loss will probably reach $4,000 000
The historic church of St. Giles has been
much injured. the principal damage be-
ing to the roof, the old windows, the bap-
tismal font and Millions statue.
Girls Escape Over the Adjoining Roofs.
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 Walter Brown
& Co., mantel manufacturers at 30 on
that thoroughfare. Their third floor was
crowded with girls when the fire broke out
and ii was instantly the scene of a semi
! panic, the frightened operatives rushing
! to the roof Of the building ard thence
] crossing to other buildings and so effect
! ing their escape, while the flames were
! pouring out of the basement. In less
J than a quarter of an hour the flames
had enveloped the adjoining warehouse
and thence they leaped across the street
to an enormous paper warehouse which
was fully alight in less than ten min
utes. BY this time IL was evident TO the
! firemen that they were face to face with
a great disaster and a general alarm
was sent out.
Great Force of Firemen and Police.
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
neighborhood in great force. This dis
play of strength on the part Of the po-
lice 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 action. as their fight was one Of the
greatest difficulty owing to the narrow
ness Of the old, crooked streets which are
the feature Of that part Of London. COM
bined with the height Of the warehouses.
which cut off the firemen from all fair
chance Of combining the outbreak.