DESTRUCTIVE FIRES AND LOSS OF LIFE.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 51, 5 May 1863, Page 2 (Supplement)

DESTRUCTIVE FIRES AND LOSS OF LIFE.

On Sunday morning, shortly before eicht o'clock, a destructive fire broke out in some premises immediately facing Messrs. Burnett's distillerv, in High-street, Vauxhall. The building in which the disaster occurred was let in tenements to sundry poor families, as were several others adjoining. These premises were built principally of wood, as long since as 1666. The houses on either side were built in a similar man-, ner, there being nothing more than lath and plaster partitions between each, and, unfortunately, it was attended with fatal results to a female bordering upon* ninety years of age. It appears that a police constable noticed smoke issuing from one of the upper rooms. An alarm was given by the officer, and messengers were despatched for the engines and fire-escapes. In the meantime an effort was made to enter the room in whieh the fire had occurred. The flames, however, spread with such rapidity that no one could get up to the apartment to render assistance. The escape and the engine from Burnett's distillery promptly attended, as well as those of the parish, Messrs. Hodges' distillery, and Beaufoy's vinegar works at South Lambeth, and three of the London brigade. The inhabitants of the surroundiug houses removed their goods, and the mob begun to pull out j the front windows, which caused the j inhabitants to rush into the streets in a state of nudity. Mr. Burnett, the distiller, seeing the pitiable state of the poor creatures, nearly naked, and exposed to the water flowing down the street and the cold, gave orders that that they should be removed to his premises, and he not only kindly sheltered them, but provided a breakfast for them. Fortunately, .the mains yielded a good supply of water, from which the -engines were set to work, but the fire . could not be subdued until the pre- , mises in which it began were nearly destroyed, and other houses, also let out • to poor families, severely damaged by fire and water, and the furniture broken by hasty removal. As soon as the fire was Y got under a search was made for the . unfortunate female missing, and she fS. - Y

was found by the firemen in one of the upper roomsburned in a shocking manner and quite dead. Another fire happened on Sunday morning at an early hour, on the premises of Mr. J. Sladen, a boot and shoemaker, -of No. 84 Powis-street, Woolwich. The fire was discovered by a' police-constable. Mr. Inspector Saunders quickly attended with an engine from the arsenal, and other engines followed. Unfortunately, for tbe space of twenty-five minutes the mains yielded no water, and the flames being unrestrained made great progress, and in a brief period the whole buildin«r was in flames, and the fire was attacking the premises of Mr. Baker, linendraper, No. 85, in the same street, as well as those of Mr. W. Gurner, a butcher, No. 83. The local firemen sent off for assistance, and the engines of the London brigade promptly started to the spot. Fortunately the mains at length yielded a good supply of water, when the firemen went to work, and managed, by dint of great perseverance, to cut off the further spread of the flames. At last the fire was extinguished, but not until Mr. Sladen's premises were burned out, and the premises of Mr. Baker, the linendraper, and those of Mr. Gurner, the butcher, considerably damaged by fire, water, and removal. The whole of the buildings were insured. Mr. Baker wes insured in the Guardian fire-office, but Mr. Gurner was uninsured. The official report describes the premises sf Mi*. Sladen as being burnt down from want of water. Lloyd's Weekly News.