The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-20
LURID DAY IN OLD LONDON.
$50 WAREHOUSES BURNED AT A
Loss OF f5,OOO,OOO.


Famed by a Strong Wind and Un-
comfortable by the Fire Depart-
ment for Four and a Half Hours.
More Than 100 Fire Engines En-
gagged in the Battle.
London, Nov. 19.-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
o'clock this afternoon.
The flames were famed by strong
wind. and were fed by highly infiamma,
BILE stocks of Christmas fancy goods and
fllmsy dress materials of all descriptions,
that filed every floor of the six-story
building in the old street. Consequently,
the confiagration gained headway with
surprising rapidity, and was soon far be-
yond 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 un-
der control At II o'clock tonight the fire
is still the scene of great excitement.
Fifty engines are playing upon the ruins
wagons are hurryng up coal, and tons
of water are pouring into the fiery de-
bris.
The scene must occupy the fire brigade
for several days, especially in view OF the
grave danger of the collapse of shells OF
III eoI md a
a loud report.
The latest accounts indicate that nearly
100 warehouses have been destroyed,
while the loss will probably exceed tS'OoO'-
900 sterling.
The historic church of st. Giles has been
badly damaged, the principal damage be-
ing to the roof, the windows, the pap
tismal font and Milton's statue.
Hamsell street was the scene of the out
break of the fire, which was started by an
explosion in connection with a gas en-
CINE on the premises of Walter Brown q
Co. mantel manufacturers, at No. 80, on
that thoroughfare. Their third story was
crowded with girls when the fire broke
out. The frightened operatives rushed 10
4he roof of the building, thence crossing
to other buildings and so effecting their
escape, while the flames were pouring out
of the basement
In less than quarter OF an hour lne
flames had enveloped the adjoining ware
house, ana thence tney i0dpeu dchOSS TIC
street to an enormous paper warehouse,
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 a 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,
and the firemen required every possible
freedom of action, as their fight was on
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 hight of the ware
houses which cut off the firemen from all
fair chance of confining the outbreak. The
excitement among the on-lookers, 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 mount
ed to their roofs to fight the flames in ad-
joining buildings.
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 of many employees who were at
tempting to carry to places of safety cost
ly merchandise or other valuables, added
to the confusion. Then, again, the heat
was so intense that several firemen were
obliged to direct their operations under
showers of water poured upon them.
But, in spite of the exertions of the fire.
men, the fire crept on very steadily until
Ncholl square, which is situated at the
far end of Hansell street, was reached.
At a little after o'clock dozen hose
pipes, each with a l2-foot spread poured
water into the blaze from the opposite
roofs from the street below and from the
burning premises themselves, but 1t dld
not seem to have any effect The water
rushed out of the windows and from the
ground like a waterfall, while the flames
leaped higher and higher as the floors fell
in. The place still blazed, "a gigantic uls-
play of fire and smoke, until the build
ing was completely gutted and the walls
keeed over.
The confusion in the streets increased as
the fire spread. Suddenly there was an
explosion of gas meters, sounding IKE the
reports of field guns, followed by mo-
mentary rush. After that the Wild rush
ing here and there was continued with in
creaslng energy. Men risked their lives
in desperate efforts to save day books,
ledgers. feathers, jewelry, valuable china
ware. etc. One man actually hazared ms
life to fetch his hat and cane, 200 feet OF
stonework and glass falling at his heels
as he emerged from the building.
Several firemen were almost buried in
the burning ruins, as front after front of
flaming warehouses fell in, hurling tons of
bricks and masonry into the streets, burst
ing and cutting the fire hose in all direc-
tons, while tons of fiery matter were fall
ing everywhere, making 1t impossible to
foresee where the confagration would STOP
as roof after roof caught fire and window
frames all about the scene began to smoke.
As the afternoon wore ON the dense
crowds were still further enlarged until
1t was estimated that many hundreds of
thousands of people surrounded the big
fire These excited masses of humanity
had to be constantly pressed back by the
police as the area of the fire-swept spot in
creased in size, an operation which became
more and more difficulty as the owners
and employees of the warehouse adjacent
TO the scene began the work of saving the
most valuable portions of their portable
belongings.
By dusk the picture presented was ex-
pemely brilliant Four streets were blaz-
ing on both Sides and there was nIantv