When The Lights Of London Shine Again

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 86, 12 April 1941, Page 1 (Supplement)

When The Lights Of London Shine Again

|T is sad to think that through the perils of war a great city, lit by the modern magic cf electricity, must L»e plunged again into the darkness which thousands of year? ago hung over the Thames ar.d the water meadows where London now stand?. It is as though civilisation, which brought light to savagery, has been swept away in the space cf a night.

But dark London, hub cf the world, still stands. Seen fitfully by the sudden flare of fire and explosion is her steepled skyline, new broken and unfamiliar, but with the battered dome of St. Paul's still lording it over all. The lights of London shall shine again, there is no doubt, on a broken but unconquered city.

Til thi> ia>t of 11ilr >crie« .in London. let ii- look liack H little through those yi-iir- which ii;i\<■ i-1«i|I -inri' 1 -«■ 11« 1•■ 11 was a tiny village liv :i riverside. Then it was lit l»y ton-lav. drippin j. re.-inoiis, m.-i I■k! • ■]-< >n - i inny- \\ ii i < -11 nm»t icivc liccii the dcspa ir ol the liritmi hoM-cwife. Then rami' the leatliert lad, '>ra/.en-«:rca\ ed -i \\ l:n had harried tierce <iaiil. -'vot'iiin.u away tin- liiile ij\ r~ id Imt-. and nlaiitinjr in their stead a fort, which later pi'-.w into .1 town. l\oad«t which ran straight t."> their ohji-i.-tiv<>. drainage schemes which tnrnc 1 the marsh into <joud land, new methods of military trninin;.. a n.ew ianvniajre . . . all the>e tilings the Roman stranuoi•« hrunjrht with them. They ;iI-ii taught tin- wundr ii;* Briton the n>o of lamp-. ]> i»■ <-«■ - of which an- turned nj< every day dnrintr oxca\at ions in Koman-occupied Kniiland. The commonest. sort of domestic lamp was <yt terra-eotta. and of the shape \wnally depicted a- Aladdin- lamp. It had a spout in \vliieh the wick huViu'd. a mini.! hole on the top thronjili wliici (lie oil wa.s ponred. ami a handle with which to carry ii. < omille-s -crap- ol led S.mii.m pullery have heen rea—cnildcd int.. the lamp-- which lit llnnian villa- lonn

\\ lien tin- legion* were wit lid ru wii. a tier several relit mic" and many ucuerat iim~. tin- little city wa< undefended. ami nliro more ( lit* wild lriiie> -.u,'|it d' iw 11 mii her, lillinj; her .-treelw itli I nri hiiulii miii i lie li;Jn nf burning building*-.

Then c.iiue ,i l.m- period of lamplight. tnrelilijjht and C\ cut nallx eanl. I'.ven in Tnd"r time-. and <|ueons rlnneed and :.te i.v ;■ n.l 1 i-in . The eial't nl the randlemnker was, ilnwe\ei. ci.miii; n| •. lie w;i- railed tl.e eatldlewrielit. er chandler. and t'roia tie latter word we have a modern surname. A niiidlr then wa< not the simply lit and -nulled thin;_' it i- tn-dav. Ii had in lie e.irei'ully lil liv means of i Hint, and <ju i' i * an ariay ni little lools-. «ueh n< snuffer* and trimmer!-, went witn i'. J-'rnni I llti riti/.elts were olilified to ban? oi;t randies lietween e.riaiti hours nil dark nights to illuminate the street.-.

Ladies and gentlemen i-.-i mll ifrom ovening festivities rode in unlit. rriage-;. am! Inter eoaehe>. often led liy :i nervine mull with a frrli ur crude lantern who rude in front. Pedestrians fiuild hire link-hoys. wlm would take one homo through tli;' dark -tr«-«*t — wit li a lantern. Later tlic lantern, wliieh was supposed to h.ne hcen in\i-ntol in early <-reek day-, was much ininrn\e.l. At one time it -vcu had )>lates of hum to protect tlie- tlanie.

So London wa< nlnn>-i entirely unlit for many a eentiiry. Consequently the street- Were very dangerous al night. in spile of the stringent, law- ngaiiisi footpads and the Inter invention, liy Edward Iteming. of oil lamps. Then en me (the greatest innovation of all—the introdnet ion of gas lighting. It came as a new and gloriou.- wonder in the later vears of the reign of (ieorge. 111., und tinder (Seorge IV. and William IV. spread as an etTenive street light. anil a great assist a nee to Sir Robert Peei's new poliee. In IM." it wa- In-ing used to light t lie Bank of England. The lamp and candlestick now fade, thoiigu

-lii"l.v. ma lift 111- litem lure ..f tiemiddle and «-l:i —. of Kiitsbnvl. Tlt.-ii ilyinc day* are uaeed in t':ie Liter 111 ><lk ~ 111 lVli'kfll*. A IH*W I'la— .>T \\ nrkii--II! anir ti}>. a yreat impetus \va- ;;i\eii to tin- coalmining industry. fur -J: I - w.idepemleilt. for it< i'\i-iriiiv »h<output of coal. I ilLifii veai> In-fore \ ielorin's aore>-iori. tin- i.<-m!<>n and I'oke Company had )'2<i mil*-— oi ua- mains. The li-_'lit »a< poor. llaiinu ami roaring. -utijeet to all «<»rt< of miw»rtnintu-«. hut it \va< -ueh an imim-n— improvement ovi'i ill.- faulty oM oil lamp* that it lasted tor »ome time altei elefirie 1i j> 111 v\ a - really in wot kin«: ordei. Karly in thi- uai it was tJiivalened to raze I.midoii io the mound. Tli- hilory of l!ii-< eitv ha- alway- U-eu .i -tornn one: ima-ion. lire. piiac\. pla-jii.-have I lee 11 it- .Inrj. Vet the -piril ..i |in- on. tiled t.\ ad\el-it\. >t lOlljM helled liv -niruw. In darktie-- *1 r London, heart .'l liie world, will •■o on li\ iiifi.