From the Dover Express. August 1882.

Destructive Fire at the Pier.

The Pier District was disturbed on Wednesday night by a fire, which broke out at the Railway Bell, Seven Star Street about half past ten o’clock. The Railway Bell is in Beach Street but it has a large clubroom that abuts on Seven Star Street. This room at the time above named was seen to be burning and a warning was given in the street and about the same time the next door neighbours found the party wall on fire the smoke coming in from the public house. They had four children in bed and got them out as quickly as possible. Meantime the husband whose name is Goodson went into the street and knocked on the door of the public house that was closed. On it being opened he found only the landlord in and he rushed upstairs and saw fire issuing from a sort of cupboard. The landlord of the public house at once gave the alarm in the street and soon the warning had reached the Fire Station in Queen Street.

The fire soon got hold of the old property and burnt in good fiery. The fire cart and hose was brought down but it was then found that no one had been sent to warn the turncock’s to turn on the water or to concentrate it on the district. The supply in fact was so week that when the London Chatham and Dover Railway fire engine was brought up and a bucket of water was required to prime the pump it took several minutes to get the bucket full from the tap. During the delay the fire made no parley, it took complete hold of the rear building of the public house and found its way into three adjoining houses driving the inhabitants into the streets. The worst of it was one house had three families in it and another two. Their bits of furniture uninsured were burnt or destroyed and the poor people left homeless.

Soon after eleven o’clock the water was on effectively and began to make an impression on the fire. Presently the building where the fire started fell into the street smashing the doors and shutters of the houses on the other side of the street. Threatening to demolish that celebrated tenement of which so much has from time to time been said in connection with certain not over popular Acts of Parliament.

In addition to the turncock not being warned to concentrate the water, no message seems to have been sent from Queen Street up to the Town Hall Police Station and the superintendent had not heard of the fire until full an hour after the alarm was given at the Pier.

Yesterday morning large numbers were on the spot looking at the wrecked houses from which the smoke was still issuing and the water from the mains being reported to be too weak to reach the smoking roof of the adjoining houses. The curate of the Holy Trinity Church was doing his best to prevent a further outbreak with a garden squirt.

We suppose the houses are insured, but the poor people’s furniture was not. In the house adjoining the Railway Bell, which is now a mere wreck lived three families namely Axford, Goodson and Babage. In the next house to that had the windows broken by people without authority tried to remove furniture. On the upper side of the fire the house of Mr Taylor engineer on the Granville seemed to have suffered severely and one end of the wall is entirely gone. The houses of Mr. Uden and Mr. Strong opposite are also much damaged.

The origin of the fire unknown.

Damage :–

No. 45, Back of Railway Bell and 44 Seven Star Street entirely destroyed.

No. 46, Portion of wall destroyed and house damaged by fire and water.

No. 2 and 3 Seven Star Street. windows and sashes broken by falling wall.

No. 17 Beach Street being front of the Railway Bell much damaged by water and smoke.

No. 44, 45, 46, Seven Star Street all insured.

Contents of No. 44 not insured.

Contents of Railway Bell insured and also No. 46.

Brigade in attendance, superintendent and 14 firemen.

Information kindly supplied by Joyce Banks.

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