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The Great Fire in Southwark: the ruins of Cotton's Wharf as seen from Tooley-Street, 1861. Creator: Unknown. The Great Fire in Southwark: the ruins of Cotton's Wharf as seen from Tooley-Street, 1861. 'Last Saturday evening the flames and smoke burst forth with great force, and at ten o'clock an explosion took place, causing considerable alarm. The wind having shifted, the smoke was blown direct over the houses in Tooley-street causing great annoyance to the inhabitants. At eleven o'clock on Sunday morning an immense body of flame forced its way upwards from the vaults, rising high above the surrounding walls, and created much alarm, owing to the high wind prevailing and the direction in which it was blown. The steam-float was brought to bear upon the body of fire, and after about an hour succeeded in reducing it within its former limit...About 17,000 bales of Surat cotton, and 6000 Tinnevelly, are entirely destroyed; while the large quantity of bacon, about 2000 bales, either consumed or consuming in the burning ruins, has augmented the price and placed dealers in a very awkward position, not a bale of fine bacon being left in the market. 300 tons of olive oil, 80,000 packages of tea, 900 tons of sugar, 427 cases of castor oil, and 8800 casks of tallow, form but a few amongst many of the goods consumed, or now at the mercy of the devouring element'. From "Illustrated London News", 1861. (KEYSTONE/HERITAGE IMAGES/THE PRINT COLLECTOR)