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Illustrated London News and Sketch Ltd. Saturday, March 8, 1845.
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT EAST GREENWICH.
"About 8 o'clock on Sunday evening, the extensive premises
belonging to Messrs. Charles, Henry and George Enderby, patent rope,
twine and canvas manufacturers, at East Greenwich, were discovered
to be on fire. The flames were first observed from without, in the
rope-walk at the rear of the factory, which was a strong brick
building of about 140 feet long by 40 feet deep. It was not till
daybreak on Monday morning that the firemen could extinguish the
flames, when a scene of the utmost desolation presented itself. Of
the main factory, which faced the Thames, and was the most prominent
object on that bank of the river between Greenwich Hospital and
Woolwich, nothing remained but its lofty. walls, which in the
course of the day were blown down with tremendous force by the wind.
The machinery it contained was most extensive, and its immense value
can be better judged from the fact that its completion has occupied
a space of ten years. The whole of it was destroyed. It is proved
that flames were first seen raging in the store-room in the rope
manufactory, which was detached from the main building, where there
had not been a light for several weeks.
"There was a considerable quantity of manufactured goods deposited
there, which were seen perfectly safe a few hours before the
outbreak. The supposition is, therefore, that the fire either arose
from spontaneous combustion, or was wilfully caused by some
incendiary.
"The factory, or waterside premises, containing joiners' workshops,
spinning, card and loom rooms, is totally destroyed. The hemp and
spinning rooms over the engine and boiler house are burned out, and
the roof has fallen in. The engine room beneath is considerably
damaged. The weaving workshops, fronting the factory, are greatly
damaged; the roof has been partly demolished by the falling of the
opposite walls. They contained twelve weaving looms, worked by
machinery, which are all damaged. The dwelling-house of Mr. Enderby,
on the north side of the factory, is much damaged by fire, and most
of the furniture and its contents destroyed, as also are the stores
at the back, and part of the rope manufactory. The rope gallery,
adjoining the manufactory, is a quarter of a mile in length; about
100 feet is gone, and but for the firemen cutting off the
communication, the whole would have been levelled to the ground.
Unhappily, upwards of 250 workmen are thrown out of employment by
this calamitous event.
"The exertions made by the military, parochial and other
authorities, as well as by the neighbours and work-people, during
the conflagration, were very efficient in saving much valuable
property. The loss to the worthy proprietors, we are happy to add,
is well covered by insurances." |
