A photograph taken from the Custom House Quay looking north along Dunlop Street, following a fire on 25 April 1898.
The blaze began at about 10pm in the building on the north-east corner of Dunlop Street and Howard Street, which had apparently been lined with wood as it was built during a plasterers' strike. Within five minutes, the roof had fallen in. As crowds gathered to witness the spectacle, Captain William Paterson brought two steam fire engines from the Central Fire Station in College Street and called for four more from other divisions around the city. Three of these engines drew water from the River Clyde as the fire spread across Dunlop Street and engulfed buildings as far as Ropework Lane to the east. The damage was estimated at £175,000.
St Andrew's Cathedral is visible at the left edge of the photograph. Statuary was hurriedly removed from the Cathedral as the fire threatened to spread west.
Reference: TD 338/22/4
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
Custom House Quay, fires, Glasgow Fire Brigade, Glasgow Fire Service, plasterers' strike, River Clyde, St Andrew's Cathedral, St Andrews Roman Catholic Cathedral