Damage caused by a fire in the warehouse of Willis, Nelson & Co on the east side of Miller Street, 8 June 1891. The blaze started at 9.55am, forcing thirty young women workers to flee from the northern section of the building to escape the smoke and flames.
Firemen were instructed to concentrate on preventing the spread of the fire to neighbouring buildings such as the Mitchell Library (the two-storey building at the far end of the row, to the left of the photograph) which had been built less than a year before. Small fires which did catch light on the roof of the library, started by embers blown from the warehouse blaze, were extinguished by joiners and painters who had been working there.
It was estimated that the damage caused by this fire amounted to nearly £40,000.
Reference: TD 338/23/22
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
fire fighters, firemen, fires, Glasgow Fire Brigade, Glasgow Fire Service, joiners, Mitchell Library, painters, warehouses, Willis, Nelson & Co