Fears were entertained that the gable wall of the westernmost house would fall, and policemen were stationed at the spot to warn people of the danger. The wall, however, preserved its perpendicular until two days later, when it tottered under the force of a westerly gale, and at last the upper portion fell inwards with a loud crash, and carried away such of the flooring and joists as had been spared by the fire. The coast-guard men rendered good service, and several other helpers ran great risk by getting on to the roofs tor the purpose of pouring down water. The firemen also worked excessively, those from High Street having to drag their engines by hand over the heavy shingle in Robertson Street.
The Hastings Commissioners having held a monthly meeting on the evening of the same day, it was very natural for the fire here described to be a topic of discussion. The chairman (Mr. Dunk) remarked that it was evidenced by the conflagration that had occurred that afternoon that some more effective agency was required to defend the town against the hazard of fire. It was grievous to see the futile attempts of an engine to convey water even up to the first floor. Mr. Wrenn contended that the Castle engine — the only one belonging to the Commissioners — threw the water over the very top of the buildings. Nothing, we believe, was wrong with the men or the said engine, but the old engines were certainly defective. Mr. Vidler thought, however, a master-hand was wanted to make the staff more perfect. The Commissioners engine was first at the fire, but two or three pipes burst through the stopping up of the muzzle by the beach contained in the sea-water. The St. Leonards engine appeared to be a very good one for power, but the case of the inefficient ones rested with the Town Council. Mr. Wellerd, the superintendent of the Commissioners’ engine, having been called, stated that a party obtained the engine-house key of Mr. Vidler and took the engine to the fire before the brigade knew anything about it. The consequence was that as the party were unacquainted with it they soon put it out of order. All parties, however, concurred in praising the firemen for their energy and hard work, but the opinion was general that an efficient leader was required.
On the 20th of the same month in the same year, at about seven o'clock in the evening, a fire occurred at the West Marina in a shop occupied by Mr. Cope, stationer, tea-dealer, and tobacconist. Mrs. Cope received the first alarm, while descending the stairs from an upper floor, by her four-year-old son running to her from the shop, saying there was at fire. (The said son, when grown to manhood, was a violinist, also organist at St. Mary Magdalen Church, but since dead). On going to the shop Mrs. Cope saw flames rising over the counter. She immediately rushed out for assistance and obtained the help of Mr. Bray, a neighbouring baker, and two other persons. Water was thrown on the flames, and the fire was ultimately extinguished, but not till nearly the whole of the stock was destroyed or damaged. The shop windows were broken, and much of the plaster fell from the ceiling. The fire, which arose from the child playing with matches, resulted in a serious loss to his father.
0n the 9th of July in the same year, a fire was discovered at the house in London Road, St. Leonards, tenanted by Mr. Joseph Beck, a baker, and a relative of Councillor Beck above mentioned. A bond timber had got ignited in the chimney of the adjoining house (Mr. Stubberfield's) and had communicated with a bedroom in Mr. Beck’s house. Fortunately the smell of fire induced a search, which resulted in the discovery of some bandboxes being consumed. These were near to some curtains, and had not prompt measures been taken to extinguish the work of destruction thus commenced the result might have been serious.
Nine days later an alarm of fire was shouted by a female, the only inmate at the time of 11, Grand Parade. A violent thunderstorm was in progress, and the house having been struck by lightning, and the person in charge being enveloped by darkness, imagined, in her fright, that some part of the house was on fire, she hastened to alarm her neighbours. That her suspicion was natural may be learnt from the following abbreviated details. At about two o'clock in the afternoon the lightning struck the house with a terrific report, attracted apparently by a zinc chimney shaft raised high above the brickwork stack. The combined metal and masonry was shattered, the roof entered, the bell-wires twisted and separated, the bells made to ring, the wall-papers discoloured, some of the windows broken, the kitchen fire extinguished by falling materials, and the kitchen in darkness. No. 12, was also visited by the electric current, its chimney-stack damaged thereby, whilst a clock was stopped, a ceiling cracked, and an umbrella dashed out of a servant’s hands just as she was opening it. The concussion was most alarming, and was felt also in No. 10, where the cook lost her sense of hearing for fully two hours. The telegraph wires at the Bopeep railway station were affected and the bells set ringing.
The same storm also set fire to a stack of wheat in the Kiln Field, St. Leonards Green, belonging to Mr. Robert Deudney. A column of smoke ascended from the centre of the stack as if from a funnel, and, notwithstanding a copious fall of rain and hail, the flames of fire quickly followed the smoke, and the entire destruction of eighty or ninety pounds worth of grain appeared to be imminent. The present writer, with a crowd of other persons, witnessed the great exertions which were made to remove as many sheaves as possible from the burning mass, whilst a number of rats hied them to safer quarters. The fire was not finally subdued till after midnight, and only a comparatively small portion of the stack was saved. Mr. Deudney had, however, prudently insured it.
Another fire in 1851 was a very destructive one, which occurred near Bexhill and which was plainly visible on the high ground at St. Leonards. At about nine o'clock on the evening of September 19th an immense glare was observed from St. Leonards Green which proved to be that which was caused by large fire at the Lower Barnhorn Farm between Bexhill and Hooe, occupied by Mr. Thomas Christmas. The conflagration — which was believed to be the work of an incendiary — broke out in a barn; and, owing to a scarcity of water, consumed a stack of thrashed pea-haulm, a stack containing 20 tons of hay, a barn, a lodge, a granary, 30 loads of peas in haulm, five loads of wheat-sheaves, a quantity of potatoes, some threshed tares, and several fowls. The entire loss was estimated at £500. In this case had it been possible for the Hastings and St. Leonards firemen, with their engines, to be present in ever so short a time, the want of water would have made their energies of little avail.
A fire also occurred at St. Leonards, on the 3lst of August, but it turned out to be only a bonfire on the beach. Being, however, on a Sunday evening, a great crowd of people proceeded to the spot from both towns, those, from Hastings imagining that at house or houses at the South Colonnade had caught fire, and those from westward of the St. Leonards Archway supposing it to be one of the new houses which now form a portion of Eversfield Place. A party of boys had managed to get a large quantity of shavings together, with small pieces of wood, close to the wall in front of “Lossenham,” which they kindled and raised an immense bonfire. The whole place was lit up by the flames, thus causing a consternation and the hastening of people to the spot. Such a foolish freak on a Sunday evening was very reprehensible, but it was understood, even by juveniles, that the police had no authority to interfere with anything that took place on the beach.
Though not strictly coming within the limits first contemplated by the writer under this heading, yet, as the effects of Nature’s fireworks have sometimes invoked the aid of firemen to arrest the progress of destruction, there can be no incongruity in associating with the present theme some of the cases of local damage caused by electrical storms. The lightning-struck houses at Grand Parade have been already referred to, and I will now add that a thunderstorm occurred on the 27th of September, during which two sheep belonging to Mr. Edward Farncomb, at Filsham Farm, were killed by lightning.
On the 4th of the following October, not by storm, but by the dangerous practice of letting off fireworks in the public roads, a valuable animal of a team of horses was so affrighted as to rear and to fracture a thigh bone, thus necessitating his being deprived of life by shooting.
Natural and other Phenomena
During squally weather on the 19th of November (1850), a very clearly defined lunar rainbow appeared in the south-west. Rather more than a quadrate of prismatic hues stood out vividly on a dark cloud, the lower extremities of the bow dipping into the sea.
On the 17th of April, a large shoal of porpoises passed St. Leonards, unusually close to the shore. On the following morning a solar halo, with brilliant prismatic colours, was observed, and on the evening of the same day nightingale notes were heard in the neighbourhood. On the 23rd, vivid light was seen in the north.
A beautifully marked turtle, with lively motion was seen at the Marine Hotel in the month of July; and a turtle, weighing 84 pounds, was the creature which terrified a man in the sea at Bulverhithe on the 13th of August. On closer acquaintance the nature of the strange visitor was discovered, and, after a hard struggle was captured and sold to two men who were fishing for prawns, for the sum of 10 shilling[1]s.
Three white spoonbills were shot on the Pevensey Levels on the 2nd of October, out of a flight of six. Such birds are so rare in this locality as not to be seen -
- ↑ An explanation of old currency and coinage may be found at the following website Pre-decimal currency, accessdate: 16 June 2022
