DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN CHAPEL AND ALBERT-STREETS.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 58, 13 December 1871, Page 3

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN CHAPEL AND ALBERT-STREETS.

EIGHT BUILDINGS DESTROYED : SEVERAL DAMAGED. The disastrous fire of Sunday morning was succeeded by one last night of much larger extent, and bringing in its train very serious losses to the occupants and owners of a large number of small dwellings, as .also the total destruction of Mr Hawkeswood’s extensive foundry and workshops, containing a large amount of very valuable property, including engines, boilers, castings, patterns, mouldings, machinery, and very much that it would be impossible at this time to particularise. It was a few minutes before ten o’clock that the firebell rung out an alarm, which was quickly succeeded by others, and in a short time flames were seen ascending from a block of buildings in the direction of Victoria-street. Crowds of persons issuing forth from all parts of the city and its suburbs were speedily concentrated in Chapel, Albert, and Victoria-streets, and all that could be ascertained in the early stage of the fire was that Hawkeswood’s foundry had become ignited, and that the flames were rapidly extending to a number of small buildings at the rear, and larger ones at the side it. Fortunately during the progress of the fire the wind was very light, and not of more force than carried the smoke slowly across to the opposite side of Victoria-street. When the flames had caught the roof of the foundry, and previous to its falling in, a general consternation prevailed among the residents living in the block - bounded by Victoria-street, Chapel-street, and Albertstreet. Furniture, bedding, the contents of shops and stores, goods easily damaged by rough usage, were thrown into the street, from lower and upper storeys, in the wildest, most reckless, and indiscriminate manner it is impossible for people in their sober thoughts to conceive. It would have been infinitely better that owners, in most cases, had allowed their property to run the chance of escaping the fire than to have them broken end smashed in fragments, as happened in many instances last night. People were warned by the police and by those who did not share in the general alarm, that there would be sufficient time to remove goods and wares when there was a probability of the fire igniting their buildings, but the panic raged, and the destruction of property went on almost after the fire was subdued. Shortly after two cottages in Alberthad been caught by the flames, and at a time that an immense crowd of men, and many women, were assembled in the thoroughfares opposite, in detached masses, protecting their goods, which were stacked up in huge heaps, a cry was raised of “ The boiler—the boiler in the foundry will burst.” This cry created considerable alarm among the crowd, and for a few seconds there was a general stampede in the direction of Quecn-strcct. The alarm was a needless one ; for it was subsequently ascertained that Mr Hawkcswood had removed the weights from the valves, so that no danger could possibly have occurred by any such explosion as was dreaded. it was very little more than ten minutes from the time the first alarm was rung out that two fire-engines, with their hosereels, were on the ground, and a very short space of time was lost before both got into full swing with the pumps, the volunteers working well and with a good will. The members of the brigade rendered on this occasion very effective service. The whole of them worked steadily, and did not waste their energies by uselessly endeavouring to attempt anything which it was seen would be out of their power to accomplish. When it waa found that no amount of water was at their command to throw on the flames which were consuming the foundry, their efforts were directed to keeping wet and pulling down those tenements which would, if allowed to stand, have acted as conductors for the flames to spread along and extend themselves over a wide area of valuable property. It was breaking the connection of the line of cottages in Chapel-street that was the salvation of the row of business premises in Victoria-street; for. bad not the cottage owned by Mr Hill, and the double dwelling in the occupation of Mr Rowley and Mr Cartwright, been pulled down, the fire must have extended to the corner building, when it would be difficult to estimate where the fire had ceased, or the amount of losses which would have been sustained. At a time when the brigade were making the most strenuous efforts to pi event the flames from the foundry communicating with the cottage adjoining, and when they had almost succeeded in their object, the supply of water to tho engine suddenly ceased ; and all the efforts made, and no inconsiderable danger incurred, proved unavailing. One female narrowly escaped being burned to death. This was a Mrs Pope, residing in a small cottage off Albert-street, who, having retired to her bed for the night before the alarm of fire had been given, had fallen into a sound sleep, and it was only owing to tho circumstance of a neighbour remembering to arouse the sleeper that she became conscious of her danger—for at this time one end of the cottage was in flames. Sergeant Carrigan whilst rendering good service in fastening the fire hooks previous to the pulling down of a cottage, fell from the roof of the building and received a severe shock and slight injury to his head. The crowd gathered at all parts behaved in a very orderly manner, and, as a rule, showed every disposition to render ready assistance wherever it appeared to be wanted, or was asked for. The origin of the fire, or the precise spot where it first broke out lias not been clearly ascertained. The general opinion appears to he that some sparks had, during tho latter part of the afternoon, fallen from the foundry on to a stable occupied by Mr Maxwell, or on to a pigstye closely adjoining it, and that aftei smouldering for a time Haines broke out, leading to the destruction of a large amount of property, of which the subjoined will be found to be as correct a statement as under the ciicumstances could be obtained :

Chapel-street. Small cottage owned by Mr T. B. Hill, occupied by two females ; pulled down. Double cottage owned by Mr Butler, occupied by Mrs Sherwood aud Mr Rowley ; partly burned and pulled down. Insured for £l5O in the Royal. Cottage occupied as an office and store by Mr Hawkeswood ; burned down. Foundry and buildings used as workshops, owned by Mr Hawkeswood : burned down. Insured for £3OO in the Victoria, and £2OO in the Royal. Workshop occupied by Mr Blood, cabinet maker : burned down ; furniture and goods saved. Uninsured. Front shop and dwelling, belonging to same ; completely gutted. Cottage occupied by Mrs Beck, gutted. Cottage occupied by Evans, gutted. Both of these cottages were owned by Mr Andrew Scott of Shelly Beach and formerly of the Criterion Hotel. Believed not to be insured.

Cottage occupied by Mr Munday,slightly injured. Not insured. Between Albert and Ciiapel-streets. Cottage occupied by Mr Moran, and owned by Mr Monday; burned down. Uninsured. Cottage occupied by Mrs Page (who narrowly escaped being burnt to death) ; burned down. Uninsured. Cottage occupied by Mrs Moore, burned down ; owner not ascertained. Cottage unoccupied, burned down. Cottage occupied by Mrs Allen, gutted. Victoria-street. Mendelsohn, draper, damage sustained by removal of goods. Henderson, grocer, gutted. Hill and Hudson, chemists, gutted. Maxwell, butcher, gutted. Henderson, painter, gutted. Brown, ironmonger, gutted. Lloyd, grocer, gutted. J. Carey, boarding-house, gutted. Moore, grocer, corner of Albert and Vic-toria-streets, much gutted. The elchris of the fire continued to smoulder up to the hour of our going to press, but a careful watch was being maintained to prevent any possibility of its extending or doing further damage.