3-071-149 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The late fire at the corner of Bread-Street, Cheapside, [London], 1881. 'The lower floors were occupied by Messrs. T. Foster and Co., wine, spirit, and tea merchants; the upper part by the London Glove Manufactory...The cause of the fire is stated to be an explosion of gas, arising, it is supposed, from a man examining the meter on the second floor...In a few minutes the fire had seized the whole building from top to bottom, burning upwards and downwards at the same time. The flames gathered strength from below in the stores of spirits, and bursting across Bread-street to the house occupied by Messrs. Cow, Hill, and Co., india-rubber manufacturers, set that place on fire from the outside...The Fire Brigade worked energetically...to prevent the conflagration spreading...In this, happily, they succeeded; but the more inflammable stock of Messrs. Cow, Hill, and Co. so attracted the flames that no efforts could prevent the material from lighting up. The three combustibles, gas, spirits, and india-rubber, defied all efforts to overcome them...The four upper floors of Messrs. Cow's premises were almost burnt out, and the houses in Bread-street occupied by Messrs. James and Co., pianoforte dealers, Mr. Townend, and Messrs. Bowdage and Co., hatters'. From "Illustrated London News", 1881.