The Winslow mail., 1898-01-29
REMARKABLE FIRE IN ENGLAND.
Confiagration in B1ackpooI Tower
Makes a Strange Sight.

III IOAh@hP pun AO"SI
Makes Strange Sight.
Absolutely the most remarkable fire
England has ever known was at the top
of the Blackpool tower There can be
little doubt that it arose from some
fault in the electric light cables which
run to the top of the tower, 800 feet
high, and provide the brilliant lllum-
fnation which has hitherto been one OF
the spectacular features of the town by
night. Only a few weeks ago there was
a slight outbreak of fire about IL
o'clock at night, but then the flames
were got under control without diff
ficulty. The last fire was of a diff
ferent order altogether. 1t had got a
good hold before it was discovered,
and the bright red light from the ar
rival platform, 400 feet above the
ground, which was observed few min
utes past II, showed only too plainly
that something was wrong. Several
Of the employees at once ascended to
the platform by means of the iron
staircase, and for some time they were
seen to be endeavoring to beat down
the flames. By quarter past IL. how
ever, it was obvious that nothing could
save the arrival platform from being
burnt out. Commencing on the west
side the flames rapidly Travelled east
ward, the wooden casing and the dozen
or more bazaar stalls, laden with light
articles, proving irresistible food for
the fire. By II 80 the flames were
shooting out from every part of the
structure and the fairly strong wester-
ly breeze which was blowing showered
sparks in tremendous volume hun
dred yards or more away. Large pieces
of blazing wood dropped away from
the burning mass and flew through the
air like so many rockets.
AS the flames got better hold of the
woodwork the heat naturally in
creased considerably, and long before
midnight it was seen that the whole
of the ironwork on the east side of the
platform was red hot. what has be
come Of the men up thereY was now
the anxious query heard on all hands,
for escape from the platform was i'm
possible and the heat even on the west
side, with the wind blowing the flames
and smoke the other way, must have
been intense. Great relief was there
fore felt when it was discovered they
had descended the long iron ladder
just in the nick of time The most ter
rifying incidents in the course of the
fire were the falling Of the two i'm
menSe balance weights which steady
the two cars in connection with the by.
draulic apparatus. About twenty min
utes past eleven there was the sound
Of the two cars moving, but when it
was seen that the cables supporting
them were white hot, the wOrkmen
quickly abandoned them, and serious
catastrophe was averted, for a few
minutes afterward there was a whiz-
Zing sound, terrible whirr through
the air, and then a mighty crash, as the
weight dashed through the tower build
ing itself. This tremendous noise may
be said to have practically awakened
the whole town. Crowds had been
rapidly collecting in the streets sur
IOuuuluS Tic IOWoI UulluluSo anu Ou
the promenade prior to this, but after
that terrific crash residents and visitors
came pouring out in hundreds and thou
sands, and the streets in the neighbor-
hood were almost as congested as
though it were midday. The second
balance-weight dropped about quar-
ter of an hour before midnight, and the
blood-curdling whirr as it hurried
through the air was accompanied by
the shrieking Of terrified females and
involuntary exclamations Of the men.
Later there was further cause for serf-
Gus alarms, for portions of ironwork,
or may be the concrete flooring, gave
way and dropped on to the building be-
low, colliding as they came down with
intervening girders and increasing the
terrific din. At this there was a gen
eral clearance from the neighborhood
Of the Tower buildings.
About midnight the blaze was at it's
height, and a fearsome spectacle it
must have presented when seen from
distance. The news Of the fire in the
tower excited the utmost interest
throughout Lancashire and Yorkshire.
London Telegraph.
Disappeared.