A Disastrous Fire!
Thirteen Cottages Destroyed
Damages Over £1000
Yesterday (Thursday) morning a disastrous fire occurred in what is known as St James's road, leading from Netherbury to Slape, by which 18[sic] cottages were destroyed, four of which belonged to Mr. R. Symes (Whitecross), two to Miss Hallett (Waytown), two to the executors of the late David Lane, three to Mr. Charles Watts, and two to Mr. Stone (Milton). There were nine tenementRented dwelling
or lands occupied and four untenanted, but all the property was thatched, and to this, no doubt, may be attributed the destruction which ensued after the first outbreak. The houses formed an irregular group on each side of the road, and were all thatched. These were occupied by Frederick Norris, tailor; George Watts, labourer; Thomas Travers, labourer; James Budden, an invalid; John Hawker, painter; George Hodder, master baker; William Tolley, shoemaker; and Charles Watts, one of the owners, all of whom were burnt out, and rendered homeless for the time being. It appears the fire was discovered by Mr. Wallbridge, postmaster, about ten minutes to eleven when he saw a chimney on fire in the end house of one row, occupied by George Watts. He went up, and advised them to close the doors and windows and through salt on the fire, which they did, but soon a piece of burning soot fell from the chimney upon the thatch, and the roof was quickly in a blaze. Mr W. Read owns three slated cottages which stand between this row and the two houses occupied by Mr. Hodder as a dwelling and bakery, and there is no doubt the slated roof saved them. The wind was blowing north-east at the time, and the sparks were carried across the gardens and over Mr. Read's house, on to the thatched roof of Mr. Hodder's premises, and these were soon ablaze. From here the sparks were blown across the road to the roof of Mr. Charles Watts' cottage, and the adjoining one occupied by Mr. Tolley. The fire then carried by means of sparks to two unoccupied houses on the other side of a narrow lane, and strange to say, it crossed the road again, caught the end house of the first row, and burnt itself back again to its starting point, having travelled an incomplete square, as it were, leaving Mr. Read's houses standing uninjured in the centre. Dr. Webb happened to be near when the fire was first discovered, and he carried a message to the Beaminster police station. The fire brigade with a small manual engine, under the command of Mr. J Poole, captain, quickly turned out, and were on the scene by 12.15 but the fire at that time had got such a hold it was useless playing upon it except with a view to protecting adjoining property. In this they did good service by playing on Mr. Read's houses in the centre, and on the Netherbury side of the first row, but in doing this they were considerably hampered for want of water. The supply was got from three pumps and a well but these did not last out long. Fortunately, however, both properties named were saved, and the fire burnt itself out. Within an hour from the outbreak most of the roofs had fallen in, and it was with no little difficulty that the tenants were enabled to save part of their furniture. Chairs, tables, crockery, and bedding were thrown out into the gardens, and it was a sad spectacle to see the belongings of these poor, hardworking people being either destroyed by the devouring element or damaged or broken up entirely in the haste with which it was pitched out of the burning mass. Mr. Read rushed into the house of Mr. Charles Watts, and on going upstairs found the old man trying to take down a bedstead. The room was filled with smoke, and but for Mr. Read's assistance the probability is that Mr. Watts would have been stifled. News reached Bridport of the conflagration about two o'clock and soon afterwards the brigade left at a gallop with their engine, the whole under the charge of Mr. F. Cooper, but when they reached the premises it was too late to render assistance. Sergeant Hann (Marshalsea) P.C. Gould (Netherbury), P.C. Clarke (Beaminster), and Sergt. Burden (Bridport) were on the scene rendering what assistance was possible. The villagers, too, turned out and did everything that could be done in helping to save the furniture. All the property is insured, but, with the exception of Mr. Hodder's, the furniture of the tenants was not, so that the loss of them will in some cases be considerable. Many have large families, and much kindness has been shown to them by neighbours in providing them with temporary lodgings. Much sympathy is extended to these unfortunate people, and it is expected a subscription will be got up on their behalf. This was one of the largest fires that has occurred in the district for many years, the total damage to property and furniture being estimated at considerably over £1000, but had the fire broken out in the night-time the result must have been appalling, as the conflagration was so fierce the people would not have had time to get out of their homes before the burning roofs had fallen upon them.
