THE LONDON FIRE

Taranaki Daily News, 23 January 1917, Page 5

THE LONDON FIRE

tUE CASUALTIES. ' HOUSIXG THE HOMELESS. A GRIM PROCESSION. HEARTIIKSDIXO STCinTS. SPECTACULAR IXCIDENTS Aijslralian X.Z. Cable Association 'lieicived Jan. '22, 8.00 p.m . London, Jan. 2-2. In connection with the explosion casualties, lip to Sunday night between •iO and 40 bodies had been recovered, '24 (lied in hospital, 123 were seriously injured, and 453 were slightly injured. The list is still incomplete. I 1 or the purpose of housing the homeless, the authorities have adopted a billeting system, and have also housed numbers in public buildings. Fully .ii'meil troops with fixed bayonets guarded the ruins 011 Sunday. It appears that Dr. Angel], who was on the top floor, where the fire started, ordered the workers out, gave the alarm to the fire brigade, and then returned to search for -stragglers,, and was not seen again. When the first eases began to arrive at the hospital, the matron asked the manger of a large firm in the vicinity, 'For Clod's sake, telephone all the hospitals in London to fend .<ll the lielp possible!'-' but the explosions had cut oil most of the telephone communications. The police came to the rescue. There were several false alarms, as the flames, caught by the stiff breeze, threatened fresh destruction, there was a erv that explosives were stored th<|ro, causing several stampedes, until attention was distracted by the grim procession of lorries, motors, ajul ambulance, with their burdens of (lead and dying. Not the least terrifying sights were the dead on doors and shutters, placed 011 t'nc footways, awaiting removal. London, Jan. •'! A peculiar feature of the explosion was tii.it places on cither side of the river suffered most Beverly, the concussion seemingly travelling further over the | water than over the hind. Buildings several miles down the river wore more ('.■ imaged than those much closer to the scour. In a few eases in the heart of London windows were smashed. Much damage was done to glass at Ttrixton, Jiloekley and (Jrccnwicli. '-the shock was most severe at Lewiskara and C.i 1 ford. An eye-witness who saw the removal of women and gills from th<! demolished l uildings, describes the scenes ;;r lieai iieiiding. The women -;re. uneonseiou* nd manv were evidently stunned by Hie shock. Tn some cases their clothing w.':s almost stripped; others were to'iibly burned and charred. Tugs conveyed inanv suifcrers to nospit.ils across the river. , 'J'ho lilacs roof of the Poplar Hospital was badly damaged by falling de'orß. Sixteen motor pomps, two river float.*, numberless firemen and eighty ambulances were busy all night long. A spectacular incident was the ignition of the gasometer, which flared up, illuminating the whole of London. The men at the gasworks were unharmed. The Thames, with its teeming shipping, was lit like a stream of ino(t»n gold and the. crowds were spell-bound end silent bqfore the spectacle, which was appallingly magnificent, glowin,; sullenly through clouds of. dense .lid; smoke.