Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 November 1897 — SWEPT BY FIRE. [ARTICLE]

SWEPT BY FIRE.

London Scourged by a Visitation es Flames. One of the most disastrous fires in London’s history since the great fire of 1606 broke out in a large block of buildings lying eastward of Aldersgate street and between that thoroughfare and Red Cross street, just after 1 o’clock Friday afternoon. Over 100 warehouses were destroyed and the loss will probably exceed £3,000,000. The flames were fanned by a strong wind and were fed by highly inflammable stocks of Christmas fancy goods and flimsy dress materials of all descriptions that filled every floor of the six-story buildings in the old street. Consequently the conflagration gained headway 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 it was only after more than a hundred engines had worked for an hour that the chief of the fire brigade sent out the signal that the fire was under control. At 11 o’clock at night the fire was still the scene of great excitement. Fifty engines were playing upon the ruins, and tons of water were pouring into the fiery debris. Thousands of people tried to penetrate the cordon maintained by a thousand policemen, re-enforcements for whom were hurried up when, soon after 6 o’clock, an increase in the outbreak led Commander Wells to make a requisition for more engines upon the outlying stations. Ths scene will occupy the fire brigade for several days, especially in view of the grave danger of the collapse of shells of buildings which fall now and again with a loud report. 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 No. 30 on that thoroughfare. Their third factory was

crowded with girls when the fire broke out and it was instantly the scene of a semi-panic, the frightened operatives rushing 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 basement. In less than a quarter of an hour the flamed 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 minutes. It is officially reported that 150 warehouses have been gutted, and an of the damage done places the amount ar nearly £5,000,000. Curiously enough, the territory covered by this fire is in part the same as that burned over in 1666. The place of beginning is within 100 yards in both in* stances. The direction is the same, and the same public buildings—now vastly more magnificent than then —were imperiled while the fire burned what were destroyed then. Since 1666 no fire of so great destructiveness has visited the English capital.