In case of fire, these time-saving lanes and alleys are most dangerous
to the welfare of the city, for they are very narrow, with houses on
either side, and flames can easily reach from one side of the street to
the other.
This is precisely what happened at the recent fire. It sprang from side
to side of these narrow ways, until much of the business portion of
London was in flames.
There has been a good deal of talk about this fire, because the first
engine did not reach the scene of the disaster until fifteen minutes
after the call had been sent, and it has been said that the English
firemen are not nearly so expert as the American.
It seems hardly fair to criticise the English firemen without knowing
the difficulties they had to contend with. Some of the streets through
which they had to drive are hardly wide enough for two vehicles to
pass, and the fire occurring at midday, all these ways were blocked with
carts.
The English firemen cannot drive as rapidly and recklessly as our
firemen do on our wide avenues, for any attempt at such driving would
mean certain destruction to engine and apparatus.
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