THE WAPPING FIRE

Evening Star, Issue 22145, 27 September 1935, Page 11

THE WAPPING FIRE

RAGED FOR TWELVE HOURS MOST SPECTACULAR OUTBREAK FOR YEARS Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, September 26. Four hundred firemen fought the Wapping fire. Most of them wore gas. masks. It was London’s most spectacular fire for many years, and raged for 12 hours, completely gutting a sevenstory building, destroying stores of 'u liber, tea, and spirits valued at £1,000,000. Two hundred policemen were needed to control the watching crowds. West End diners in evening dress hastened to tKe in taxis. Pleasure steamers crowded with people cruised as near to the blaze as the heat .would allow. Flames from burning rubber shot 100 ft in the air, bathing the city and river in a great red glow. Within five hours the whole building was a rearing furnace., There was a terrifying scene ’ when the great riverside wall crashed. Th* firemen scrambled to safety just in time, but blazing debris fell on four barges, destroying theni. Streams of molten rubber rap down the streets and blocked the'drains, while a film of burning rubber spread over Thames. 1

FIREMEN STILL BUSY

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, September 33. (Received September 27, at 1,15 p.m.l Twenty-four hours after the outbreak of fire at the colonial wharf at Wapping firemen were still'at-work seeking ro subdue the flames, which though under control continue to burn fiercely through the lower floors, with occasional explosions. V River floats continue at the back of the burning; building, and firemen are perched precariously on cranes on the adjacent wharves. ,