From the Dover Express. February 1884.

Prince Arthur Public House Snargate Street.

Last evening about quarter past eight o’clock a fire broke out in the upper portion of the Prince Arthur public house in Snargate Street Dover. At first those who saw smoke issuing from the front second floor window of the public house thought that it would be checked before it got headway as the alarm had been given. Within a very short space of time the flames burst out in an alarming manner from the upper part of the house.

The warnings that had gone to the Police Station found the police as usual very prompt in answering the summons. Although the night men not having then come on duty, the number of men at the command of the superintendent was limited illustrating how useful an efficient volunteer fire brigade would be. In this case however no heavy apparatus was necessary. The hose reels were only needed as the mains fully charged close by the door contained an ample supply of water with an impetus to go over the highest houses in the street. The two hose reels were on the spot in a few minutes and the connection made with the hydrants.

At first the force of water was not strong as it might have been but very shortly the turncock had concentrated the whole force of the town on this spot and then the supply will be all that could be desired.

The two nozzles playing on the flames from the street soon checked the flames which were then finding their way into the upper part of Mr. Puttee’s house adjoining. Later the fire escape was brought down and mounting on this the firemen was able to apply jets of water with better advantage.

Before ten o’clock the fire was practically out having burst the whole of the interior of the public house and the roof and had done very considerable damage to Mr. Puttee’s premises, in the upper part by fire and the lower part by water.

The occupier of the Prince Arthur, Mr. Nelson has a young family and five children were in bed at the time of the outbreak. It is possible that some unobserved accident occurred in putting them to bed, which caused the fire, but on that point we had no positive information. As soon as the fire was discovered the safety of the children was the first thought and they were very quickly got out uninjured and taken to Mr. Briant’s at the Clarence Theatre. The premises of Mr. Artist photographer on the upper side of the Prince Arthur was considerably damaged by the water, but the fire did not seem to travel that way except a little in the back part.

Information kindly supplied by Joyce Banks.

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