Fires and Floods.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 262, 6 October 1874, Page 7

Fires and Floods.

An epidemic of fires is raging in various countries, large towns being the chief sufferers. Simultaneously with the Chicago fire a great fire occurred at Oshkosh, in Wisconsin, entailing loss of property valued at a million dollars. On the folio wiug day, July 15, a conflagration at Constantinople commenced, lasting six hours, and destroying 200 houses, 20 being of stone. The losses are estimated at £400,000. On July 16, the Chatham Barracks were set on fire by the workmen preparing gasfittings for a grand ball to be given by the officers of the Royal Engineers. The libraries and messrootns were entirely destroyed. On the same day a fire broke out in the telegraph store-room of the General Post-office, but the exertions of* the firemen confined it to that room. Fifteen fires happened in the Metropolis on the same day. The most destructive was at a large timber yard at Rotherhithe, fronting the Thames, belonging to Gabriel and Sons. A few days later immense destruction to property occurred by fire iu Southwark-street, Blackfriars, originating in the premises of Messrs Hunt and Co., playing-card manufacturers, involving the loss of £100,000; and on 28th July, the premises of Messrs Wright, Sellers, and Layman, wholesale druggists, Southwarkstreet, were utterly consumed. On the same day Liverpool was the scene of an appalling conflagration. The magnificent landing-stages, just united into one structure 700 yards in length, and- costing £250,000, took fire through an explosion caused by plumbers, and all efforts failed to arrest the fury of the flames till the vast platform and buildings had been destroyed. The shipping escaped. Several other fires have occurred during the month in Liverpool. Similar disasters are reported from Leeds, Edinburgh, Northampton, and other towns. In Shropshire, the Ercall, a large timbered hill, near the Wrenkin, has been on fire several days; and owing to the long drought, the moors, commons, and railway embankments are continually blazing. Water has produced as many calamities as fire. Terrible loss of life and property has been caused by floods in Pennysyl vania. Upwards of 200 persons have perished in the neighbourhood of Pittsburg. The country was inundated for a distance of 25 miles, spreading ruin everywhere. The flood extended also through Ohio and Kentucky, committing great damage through those states. Inundations on the borders of Moravia have swept away 200 houses. By the bursting of a canal near Blochairn Ironworks, Glasgow, £40,000 worth of property has been destroyed.