The silver lance., 1897-11-26
GREAT LONDON FIRE.
Esr.MArsDLosso ors2s. .ooo. 600


A Hundred Engines worked - the F1anss
for rrftsen Hours- one mun1rsa wers-
houses Destroyed.
London. Nov. 2O.-One Of the most
disastrous fires in London's history
since the great fire OF 1865 broke out
In a large block OF buildings lying
eastward OF Aldersgate street and be-
tween that thOroughfare and Red
Cross street. just after o'clock yester-
day afternoon. The flames were
famed by a strong wind and were fed
by highly infiammable stocks Of
Christmas fancy goods and himsy
dress materials Of all descriptions. that
filed every floor Of the six-st0ry build
ing in the old street. Consequently
the conf1agmtion gained headwHy 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 q
half the flames had their own way,
and 1t was only after more than q
hundred engines had worked an hour
that the chief of the fire brigade sent
out the signal that the fire was under
control.
The historic Church of st. Giles has
been much damaged, the principal
damage being to the roof. the old win
dows, the baptislnal fount and Milton's
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 Walter
Brown 4 Co., mantle manufacturers,
at No. 80 on that thoroughfare Their
tthree-story factory was crowded with
girls when the fire broke out, and 1t
was instantly the scene Of semi
panic the frightened operatives rush
ing 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 base
ment. In less than a quarter OF an
hour the flames had envelOped the ad-
joining warehouse, and thence they
leaped across the street to an enor-
nous paper warehouse. which was
fully alight 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 free
dom Of action, as their figlt was one
OF the greatest difficulty, owing to the
narrownees Of the old, crooked streets.
which are the feature Of that part Of
London, combined with the height OF
the warehouses. which curt OF the fire
men from all fair chance of c0nfining
the outbreak.
The confusion in the streets increased
as the fire spread. Suddenly there
was an explosion OF gas meters. sound
ing like the reports OF field guns. fol
lowed by momentary hush. After
that the wild rushing here and there
was resumed with increased energy.
Men risked their lives in desperate ef-
forts to save day books. ledgers, feath-
ers, jewelry. valuable chinaware. etc.
One man actually hazartled his life to
fetch his hat and cane. 200 feet OF
stonewofk and glass falling at his
heels as he emerged from the building.
Several flremen were almost buried
in the burning ruins, as front after
front OF the flaming warehouses fell
in, hurling tons Of bricks and masonry
into the streets. bursting and cutting
the fire hose i'm all directions, while
tons OF fiery matter were falling In ev-
cry direction. making it impossible to
fcresee where the connagration would
stop. as roof after roof caught fire and
window frames all about the scene be-
gan to smoke.
The constable who first detected the
flames blew his whistle loudly for as
s;stance. but several minutes elapsed
before the alarm was heard by any OF
his comrades. So soon as assistance
reached him the officer was dispatched
to summon the fire brigade. But here
again there was an unaceountable de
lay Of twenty minutes before the first
engine appeared. Then the fearful di-
mensions Of the fire was apparent and
1t was decided to circulate a call
throughout the whole metropolitan dis
trict
A very large force of firemen and
about twenty engines have been work
ing at a high pressure all night The
district ravaged includes part of Aus
tra1ian avenue Paul's alley. Cripple
Gate churchyard. Wood street square.
MOnkwell street. Nicholl square and
Fore street, and is bounded by Alders-
gate street. Red Cross. Maidenhead
court and Bradford avenue.
1t is officially reported that $50 ware
houses have been gutted. A later esti-
mate Of the damage done places the
amount at nearly f5,OOO,OOO. Nearly
all the British fire insurance companies
are involved and fire insurance stocks
were practically unsaleable on the
stock exchange yesterday afternoon
friday after the fire was wen under
why.
Floods In Russia.
st. Petersburg, Nov. 20.-It Is esti-
mated that about SOD Deraons wpre