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Ruins of the Great Fire at Gravesend - looking West, 1850. Creator: Unknown
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Ruins of the Great Fire at Gravesend - looking West, 1850. Creator: Unknown
Ruins of the Great Fire at Gravesend - looking West, 1850. The High-street...from the Town-hall downwards, to within a short distance of the Town Pier, was at four o'clock completely enveloped in flames, which, when they involved the premises of Mr. Troughton, tallow-chandler, and an oil-shop...contiguous to it, formed an awful conflagration...all hope of preserving a single house between the Town-hall and the pier was abandoned...notwithstanding that the Hartford and Rochester engines had arrived, and a prodigious volume of water was discharged on the whole line of burning houses on both sides of the street. There was, fortunately, sufficient time to save the cash-boxes...of the County and Savings Banks, which were taken to the Customhouse, all the officers of which were actively engaged, with the townspeople, in working the engines'. From "Illustrated London News", 1850
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Media ID 36214059
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Accident Burning Emergency Services Fire Brigade Firefighter Firefighters Gravesend Kent England Hose Hoses Incident On Fire
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative print captures the aftermath of the Great Fire of Gravesend, which broke out in the High-street of this historic Kent town in 1850. The image, looking west, shows the extent of the devastation, with the Town-hall and numerous buildings in the vicinity engulfed in flames. The premises of Mr. Troughton, a tallow-chandler, and an oil-shop next to it, had become an 'awful conflagration' that left all hope of preserving any building between the Town-hall and the pier abandoned. Despite the arrival of the Hartford and Rochester engines, the situation seemed dire, and a 'prodigious volume of water' was discharged in a desperate attempt to contain the blaze. However, it was fortunately possible to save the cash-boxes of the County and Savings Banks, which were taken to the Customhouse, where all officers were actively engaged in the rescue efforts, alongside the townspeople. This print, published in the Illustrated London News in 1850, offers a glimpse into the chaos and destruction caused by the Great Fire of Gravesend, a significant incident in the town's history. The print, which is engraved, is a poignant reminder of the bravery and resilience of the emergency services and the community in the face of adversity. The Victorian era, known for its advancements in firefighting technology, is depicted in this image through the hoses and hoses carried by the firefighters, who worked tirelessly to save what they could. The print, from the collection of The Print Collector, is a valuable historical record of a pivotal moment in the history of Gravesend, Kent, and Britain as a whole. Its haunting image of the ruins of the Great Fire continues to capture the imagination and evoke a sense of awe and wonder, reminding us of the power of fire and the indomitable spirit of those who fought to contain it.
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