Centenary of Parliament Conflagration This Week:
Heroic Fight Which Saved Westminster Hall On the afternoon of Thursday, October 16, 1834, Mrs. Wright, the housekeeper of the House of Lords, complained to one of her staff about the extreme heat in her apartments. Inquiry was made and it was found that some workmen were burning old Exchequer tallies—wooden sticks with notches in them—in the furnace of the house down below. Just after o'clock that day flames suddenly shot up and by 7 o'clock the entire Parliament. building was burning fiercely. Thus began the disastrous conflagration which was fated to destroy the historic home for centuries of the British Parliament and fire which—apart from the Great Fire in 1666—was the most spectacular blaze ever seen in London before or since.
Had it not been for the fire, the noble edifice now standing at Westminster might never have been erected, and the Commons to-day might either have bees sitting in its ancient but cramped St. Stephen's [Chapel or housed in more palatial pre~ mises away from Westminster altogether. Ttis only a few years ago that the last man who witnessed the old Parliament House burning passed away but for years afterwards it was fan event which remained vividly in Public memory.
As soon as the flames broke out; thousands of people from all parts of London flocked to the scene and all available police and military were at once called out to preserve order 1d_prevent looting. Barriers were erected at all points, but the multitude were hard to "control. Inside the blazing building, while firemen, and later, marines, were pouring 2,000 tons of water a minute' im an attempt to subdue the flames. members of the Government, peers and officials were making desperate efforts to save all the books, docu ments and historic relics that were stored in various parts of the building.
"Dante's Inferno In Reality"
Firemen, soldiers and policemen, were seen by the huge crowds of spectators staggering out loaded with goods of all descriptions, which were piled in front of St. Margaret's Church and strongly guarded all night by picked soldiers. The scene as the fire continued with unabated flerceress, was awe-inspiring. At midnight the "Thames looked like a river of blood, and the flames were leaping. toa tremendous. height. With the immense throng of spectators on both ides of the river the whole spectacle tu the words of an eye witness "was Dante's Inferno in reality at last."
'Many of the onlookers and a number of soldiers and firemen thought the occasion a fit one to celebrate with a drink. Hundreds' foverdid the celebrations and lay on the ground hopelessly drunk and unable to moval Meanwhile there: was tense drama behind the cracking walls.
The whole anxiety of everyone Ithere was to save Westminster Hall from destruction, and the fact that the historic Hall is still intact is! entirely due to the heroism and coolness of men ike Lord Althorp, Lord Munster, Lord Duncannon and the Marquis of Worcester who stayed Inside and superintended the preservation efforts of the firemen and the workmen engaged near the Hall.
Ying Ching ware, and many, expect-Zigt Goose' of human figures, show onsidereble artistic merit and por-{fay men end women of all ages and Halions of life. Some are standing Sihers ae reclining om couches: while sMhumber are of men ridding horses. than of these miniature pecos We Invail probability intended for burial with the dead, and some Years 880 T'saw similar pieces dug up from 8 fravegard In. Chengchow.
Students of Sung porcelain, now: ever, would be interested. most
Tamely pieces of the What re vhacen onager, which have been put into the heated lone in order to fest is quality. The Pieces are numbered and show that Lord Althorp who wax Chancellor jot the Exchequer at the time, had hurried to Westminster ox soon as he heard of the fire, An enlightened and advanced statesman, Lord Althorp.
never forgiven afterwards" by. many stern democrats for shouting} out in the midst of the blaze "Damn the House of Commons, let it blaze away but, save, oh save, the Balli"
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.