GREAT FIRE IN THE CITY OF LONDON.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VII, Issue 10, 7 March 1891, Page 3

GREAT FIRE IN THE CITY OF LONDON.

At noon on Tuesday, December 30, a fire broke out in a block of warehouses on the south side of Queen Victoriastreet, in the City, in the paper warehouse of Messrs Davidson and Co., in an upper loom occupied by working gills. It quickly spread, with a north-easterly wind, to the adjacent premises of Messrs Adolph Frankau and Co., importers of tobacconists’ fancy wares, thence to the Victoria Luncheon Rooms of Mr T. Raze, and to Messrs Revillon’s wholesale fur warehouse. These premises, with much valuable stock, were destroyed, and the damage is estimated at £300,000. In spite of the efforts of the Fire Brigade, with twenty-three steam-engines, under Captain Shaw, the fire was not subdued till four o’clock in the afternoon. The woodwork of the tower of the Welsh Church, St. Benet’s, close to Messrs Davidson’s warehouse, soon caught fire, and it was much damaged. There were some fears of the conflagration extending down Benet - hill to Thames - stieet. Happily there was no loss of life, most of the workpeople being out at the dinner hour. The fire caused great alarm in that part of London. It was immediately followed by another, at Hackney-wick, destroying the chemical factory of Messrs Hope, with 100,000 gallons of oil.

We append to the above the description of an eye-witness of the conflagration, gathered from the premises of the London agency of the New Zealand Graphic, which lie in the same street, and had a narrow escape of being involved in the general catastrophe —‘ 1 saw it travelling down the street towards 147 with feaiful rapidity. The flames leaped out from the windows, and were carried from one window to another by the strong, biting, bitter wind, until it seemed the whole block from Frankau’s to Shaw’s building would be involved. We got our publications out from 147 as quickly as )>ossible, Messrs Story and Lingey’sand Nops affording a sheltei for mine, while the people below de posited many of theirs in a cabin Thames-street. The filemen were at one time in fear lest the tire would leach 143, wheie it was understood theie was a store of cartridges, and if so the result would havebeen—well, wedon t know. Fortunately, the wind shifted when the file had reached Kevillon Freies, which was of the greatest help to the firemen, whothen seemed to get the upper hand of the tire, which was thus stopped thiee doors from our place. You will see by the papers it was no child’s play for the firemen. One poor fellow was brought into our place who had been overcome with heat and smoke, and had a fall. They gave him some brandy, and he was i emoved in an ambulance. I have seen a few files here, but I never saw one spread with such rapidity. The men came off the esca|ies and ladders with beards anil clothes coveted with ice. One man came down, and could haidly move him self when he reached the giound. Yesteiday the ruins, laddeis, lamps, pavement, load way, etc., were coveiedwith ice, anti crowds of people have been to “ have a look,” the (sdice having to lequest the “ lookers ” to move on.'