Exciting Fire Rescues.
The Misfortunes of a Wandsworth Family.
A series of misfortunes in the shape of inexplicable outbreaks of fire has befallen Messrs. G A Harvey and Sons, a firm of picture-frame dealers, on whose premises at 356, York road, Wandsworth, another outbreak ocurred yesterday and was attended by exciting rescues. Mr and Mrs Harvey stated yesterday that the family had only moved into the shop a week ago from temporary premises near by which they were forced to open in consequence of a number of outbreaks of fire having occurred at No. 356, York Road, between the 1st and the 9th of May last. These Mr and Mrs Harvey are unable to account for, although Mr Harvey are unable to account for, although Mr Harvey is under the impression that they were probably due to spontaneous combustion.
A remakable feature of yesterday’s fire is that the official report states that it was the result of four separate outbreaks in the building. The report adds that the occupant of the premises is not insured.
Mr and Mrs Harvey, with their two sons, had a narrow escape. They had gone to bed soon after midnight, and on waking found themselves cut off by the flames. They were rescued by firemen with ladders from a window 30 ft. above the street. Their favourite dog and some pet birds perished in the flames, and a fireman was overcome by the dense smoke.
Leicester Evening Mail, 6th July 1911.
Early yesterday morning a fire broke out at 356, York road, Wandsworth, at a picture frame dealer’s shop. A Mr and Mrs Harvey and their two sons were awakened by cries from the street, and rushing to the staircase, were met by volumes of smoke, which barred all possibility of exit by that means. Returning to their rooms, some 30 feet from the pavement, they were about to jump from the windows, but in response to the appeals from the crowd, the terrified inmates maintained their perilous position until rescued by the fire brigade.
According to the official report, the fire was the result of four separate outbreaks in the building. The occupant of the premises is not insured.
Sheffield Daily Telegraph, 6th July 1911.
House on Fire Six Times in a Day.
Outbreak during Salvage Corps’ investigations.
Firemen Baffled.
Officials of the London Fire Brigade and the London Salvage Corps are engaged with the police to-day in investigating the causes of six different outbreaks of fire which occurred yesterday at 356, York-road, Wandsworth, occupied by a picture-frame maker. Since the early part of May no fewer than sixteen outbreaks have occurred on the same premises, and diligent search has failed completely to trace the cause.
Yesterday morning, as was reported in The Evening News, four separate fires broke out on the premises – one in the basement, one in the shop, amongst the stock, and two in a back room used as a store on the first floor. The tenant, his wife, and their two sons were rescued from upper windows in scanty attire.
The cause of the fires are officially described as “doubtful.”
On May 1, May 8, and May 9 last several fires occurred on the same premises, in some cases breaking out simultaneously in different parts of the building, and on the last occasion bursting out in the basement while the fire assessors and London Salvage Corps officers were actually in the upper rooms investigating the causes of previous fires.
It is said that the insurance companies have cancelled the fire policy, so that the premises are not now insured.
Last night two more fires broke out on the same premises, within an hour after each other, making six outbreaks in the day. One at 7.20 p.m. occurred amongst the stock in the back room on the first floor, and it had no sooner been extinguished than the fire brigade was again called, the fire being this time on the first floor landing, amongst some stock there. Again the origin of the fires was a mystery.
Evening News (London), 6th July 1911.
17 Fires in One House.
More mysterious outbreaks on Wandsworth premises.
Three more fires broke out last night at 356, York-road, Wandsworth, occupied by a picture-frame maker, whose premises have been the scene of seventeen outbreaks in the last two months. As stated in The Evening News, no fewer than six fires occurred in the same house on Thursday this week, in one instance the tenant, his wife, and two sons being rescued from an upper window by fire-escape. Last night some stock on a first floor landing, some bedding in a back room on the second floor, and some waste paper in the basement were burned.
On May 9, while the fire assessors were in the building, on an upper floor, investigating the circumstances of previous outbreaks, another fire broke out in the basement. In each case the cause appears to be a mystery, and investigations which were begun last Thursday are being continued today.
Evening News (London), 8th July 1911.
Bewitched House.
Fifteen separate conflagrations in one house.
Strange yet nevertheless true is the statement that since May 1 last no fewer than fifteen separate fires have occurred at 356, York-road, Wandsworth. The cause of all the outbreaks remains mysterious in spite of the utmost efforts of the fire brigade and the Criminal Investigation Department of Scotland Yard. The premises are in the occupation of Mr G.A. Harvey, who is a picture frame-maker. There are eight rooms and a cellar in the house, besides the shop, and a considerable quantity of stock is stored in different parts of the premises.
Briefly the diary of the outbreaks is as follows: May 1. – First outbreak, serious damage caused. May 8. – Four small outbreaks. May 9. – Fire in the basement. July 5. – Four fires in different parts of the building. The damage was severe, and the occupants had to be rescued by a fire escape from the second floor windows, the outbreaks being early in the morning. Later in the day two more outbreaks of fire occurred within an hour, the brigade having to be called out on each occasion. July 6. – Three more small fires, one among the stock on the first floor, one in some bedding in the back room on the second floor, and one among some waste paper in the basement. These occurred at different times during the day.
“Naturally we are nervous about sleeping in the house,” said Mr Harvey to a Press representative, “and have been staying with a neighbour; but we are going back again. I shan’t get much sleep though. I am beginning to think that the house must be bewitched.”
Reynold’s Newspaper, 9th July 1911.
Mysterious fires.
Series of outbreaks at a Wandsworth house.
The Criminal Investigation Department, in conjunction with the officials of the London Fire Brigade and the London Salvage Corps, are endeavouring to solve the mystery of a strange series of fires which have occurred at 356, York-road, Wandsworth, on the premises of Mr G A Harvey, a picture-frame maker.
Last Wednesday the family, consisting of four persons, were rescued from the burning building by the fire brigade, and it was found that four separate fires had broken out in the lower part of the building. On the same night two fresh outbreaks occurred on the premises within an hour, and the chief officer of the London Fire Brigade, Lieut. Sladen, R.N., states in his official report that three more outbreaks, all separate, occurred on the same premises on Friday last, at different times. According to the same authority, seven different outbreaks occurred on the same premises on May 1st, May 8th, and May 9th last.
The contents of the premises were insured on the occasion of the first outbreak, but not since, and Mr Harvey’s loss is therefore considerable. Several times fires have broken out while an officer of the London Salvage Corps was actually on the premises when outbreaks occurred. “He would be sitting down here in the parlour,” said Mr Harvey, “when suddenly he would smell something, rush upstairs, and call me up to help him put the fire out.” One of the fires occurred in the cellar, which on the previous day was flooded with seven feet of water. “I am beginning to think that the house must be bewitched,” added the occupant.
Daily News (London), 10th July 1911.
25 Fires in 11 Weeks.
An outbreak of fire occurred shortly before ten o’clock last night on the premises of Harvey and Sons, picture frame makers of York road, Wandsworth. The shop occupied by Mr Harvey has been the scene of twenty-five outbreaks during the past eleven weeks. Several fire-engines were summoned and the fire was quickly extinguished.
Evening News (London), 18th July 1911.
Fire Mystery. Twenty-five outbreaks at Wandsworth shop.
A further mysterious outbreak of fire occurred last night on the premises of Harvey and Sons, picture-frame makers, York-road, Wandsworth. The shop occupied by Mr Harvey has been the scene of twenty-five outbreaks during the past eleven weeks. The fire on this occasion broke out in the workshop while Mr Harvey and family were at supper. Several fire engines were summoned, and the fire was quickly extinguished. As on the other occasion, the cause of the outbreak is unknown.
From May 1 to 9, thirteen fires occurred on the premises, and further outbreaks have occurred periodically, even while men of the Salvage Corps have been in charge of the shop. For the past ten days the family have been staying in a neighbouring house, but last night they returned to their own shop.
Pall Mall Gazette, 18th July 1911.
Mysterious Fires. Government inquiry asked for at Wandsworth.
The mystery surrounding the continual outbreaks of fire at No. 356, York-road, Wandsworth has not been dispelled. During the last eleven weeks there have been no fewer than twenty-six conflagrations which the fire brigade have been called to extinguish. In addition there have been minor outbreaks which the proprietor, Mr Harvey, has extinguished himself. Following on a serious fire on Monday night, yesterday afternoon there was a slight outbreak which Mr Harvey succeeded in subduing with the help of his men.
A petition has been sent to the Borough Council asking for an inquiry into the cause of the fires, but it is feared some time may elapse before anything is done. A neighbouring tradesman yesterday expressed the opinion that the fires were being caused by defects in the electric mains. “Nothing except an immediate and independent inquiry by the Home Office will do any good,” he said. “The other authorities have all got to protect themselves, and the Borough Council has delayed paying some of the frontagers for their forecourts, though they took them seven years ago. They put the pavement back two feet to widen the roadway and left the gas, electric, and tram cable mains where they were. Now heavy motors run over them with 10-ton lorries behind. I should not be surprised if they were smashed to atoms.”
Daily News (London), 19th July 1911.
Fire-haunted.
Yet another fire broke out in the premises at York-road, Wandsworth, which have now come locally to be regarded as “fire-haunted.” About six o’clock in the evening the proprietor, his wife and family were sitting at tea when an explosion was heard, and before it could be located there were two others. The staircase was found to be alight, so the fire brigade was summoned and the flames were soon extinguished. Neither the police nor the brigade, however, could ascertain the cause of the outbreak, which was the tenth to which the firemen had been called within the month. In May last fire after fire broke out on the premises even whilst the salvage corps were in charge of them.
The greatest excitement prevailed in the locality all night, many of the tenants in the surrounding houses fearing to go to sleep. The local Traders’ Association has called a meeting to protest against the inaction of the Wandsworth Borough Council, to whom a petition has been sent, and both the Home Office and the Local Government Board will be asked to intervene.
Daily News (London), 26th July 1911.