GREAT FIRE IN LONDON.

West Coast Times, Issue 337, 22 October 1866, Page 1 (Supplement)

GREAT FIRE IN LONDON.

One of the most extensive and destructive conflagrations with which the metropolis has been visited for some years broke out yesterday morning, shortly before one o'clock, on the premises of Messrs Holland and Hannen, formerly Winaland and Hoiland, builders, of Duke street, New Oxford street, and which threatened to involve not only the whole of the adjacent distillery of Messrs Tanqueray and Co M and the houses forming the whole of the western side of. Museum street, but also those on the northern side of Broad street, St. Giles's. In addition to the immense workshops of Messrs Holland, the spacious timber yard, csntaining- stacks of timber piled in height to a level of the roofs of the adjoining houses, were one mass of flame, the fire shooting so high into the air as to completely overlap the houses forming the Museum street boundary, and almost reaching the frontages of those on the other side of the "street. Although nearly the whole of the fire brigade force, and hand, steam-engines were on the spot and in full operation, yet the difficulties of getting at the burning masses was very great. The flames ascended so high in the air that tho steeple of St. Giles Church, the summit of the Royal Italian Opera and Dury-lane Theatre, the steeples of St. Mary-le- Strand and St. Martin's Churches, were completely brought out by the illu initiation ; and the stupendous outline of the dome, cross, and upper portion of St. Paul's Cathedral, and, indeed, all the more lofty buildings, almost for miles round, might be seen from various posi : tions by the immense light produced by the conflagration. Great apprehensions were entertained lest there should be an explosion, as in close vicinity to the burning mass, in Museum street, there was an extensive naptha warehouse. So sudden and rapid was the progress of the flre after first breaking out that the inhabitant!) of the houses in Museum street had scarcely time" to escape before the fliinus came pouiiug against their back windows. Many engines attended, and the Ore, from want of food and application of water, began, in some measure, - to abate at about two o'clock. It was near eleven o'clock yesterday morning before the firemen were enabled to leave the place, the fire having consumed property to the amount of many thousand pounds ; and is is estimated that the loss experienced by the workmen in their tools will reach above L2OOO. Crowds of people visited the spot yesterday. It is believed that the fire originated in the enginehouse, but a minute inquiry will be made to-day. — "Evening Express," .August 27.