1893

"Two Hundred Pianos Burned. - A cable from London, England, gives news of a large fire in which the pianoforte factory of B. Squire & Sons, at 3 and 5 Stanhope street, Euston road, was burned to the ground and 200 finished pianos in the warerooms totally destroyed. The loss is heavy. B. Squire & Sons' specialty was metal frame pianos." Watson's Weekly Art Journal, Volume 61, 02/09/1893, p. 493

"Euston Road - Packing Case and Pianoforte Works Burnt Out. - A VERY large fire broke out in North-West London, at half-past three o'clock on Wednesday morning, and caused great destruction to property.

The scene of this disaster was the block of important business premises near Euston Station, bounded by Euston Road, Stanhope Street, Seaton Street, and Fitzroy Place.

This block consists of a large number of workshops, ranging three, four and five floors Floated Timber high, and all filled with material of an inflammable nature.

The fire was first discovered at 5, Stanhope Street, in a two-storeyed building used by Messrs. G. York and Sons, packing-case makers, as workshops. A constable noticed dense volumes of smoke pouring from the place, followed instantly by a great burst of flames. The officer at once despatched messengers to ring the Euston Road and Albany Street fire alarms, and, seeing the rapidity with which the flames spread, proceeded without delay to arouse the occupants of the nearest tenements.

The conflagration soon extented to the lofty pianoforte factory of Messrs. Squire and Son, and passed on to other premises. On the receipt of the aerliest alarms half-a-dozen steamers were despatched, and soon followed by numerous engines and appliances from many districts. Indeed, twenty-five steamers and some 150 men were gathered on the scene. The premises in Fitzroy Place of Messrs. [...]

Messrs. York's premises and the five-floor piano factory of Messrs. Squire and Son were doomed from the first to total destruction.

The other premises which were considerable damaged were the extensive buildings of Messrs. Harrison and Son, japanners; and Messrs. Meroch and Staub, cabinet makers and fret cutters. By half-past five the authorities of the brigade considered that they had the fire sufficiently in hand to despatch the official stop message." Timber and Wood-working Machinery, Volume 18, 02/09/1893, p. 56