3-065-685 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The Burning of the Pantechnicon: the fire, seen from the roof of Rice's Stables, 1874. 'A fire took place yesterday week, in the fashionable quarter of Belgravia, which destroyed a vast amount of costly property...In less than a quarter of an hour several steam and manual engines, with a number of firemen under Captain Shaw, were on the spot. The fire at that time was not very large, but the place was very difficult of access, the smoke was overpowering, and the water supply, at first, was extremely short...The horses, and those in an adjoining livery-stable, belonging to Mr. Rice - about 150 in all - were also rescued in time, and taken to a place of safety...The Pantechnicon was the largest, and esteemed the safest, "fireproof" warehouse for miscellaneous articles in London...As regards the insurance of the articles, the understanding with customers was that the firm were only responsible for safe custody, and that the insurance must be made apart from them. They fear, however, that the customers had such faith in the building being fireproof, that many of them would feel it unnecessary to insure their goods. There can be no doubt, notwithstanding, that the insurance companies will be heavy losers by the disaster'. From "Illustrated London News", 1874.