Locations of dock fires

[Joshua Rogan]

On the night of Polly's murder, two fires broke out at the docks; one in a warehouse at London Docks and the other in an engineering workshop at Ratcliffe Dry Dock. Does anyone know the exact locations?

I'm reasonably sure from the descriptions that the first fire was in the South Quay warehouse of the Western Docks;

http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=18&lat=51.5057&lon=-0.0652&layers=163&b=1

The Goad map even shows it to contain brandy and gin as reported

http://britishlibrary.georeferencer.com/map/ze27NUkKR1oGapt34Uuzzb/201401242349-C9L45b/visualize

I think this could be the site of the second fire second fire;

http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17.982615843423794&lat=51.5100&lon=-0.0477&layers=163&b=1

The fire was said to have started in an engineering building surrounded by tenements and spread to engulf 800 tons of coal nearby. The only trouble is, it also set light to a sailing ship moored nearby, but there doesn't seem to be any sign of a dock near the workshop. Am I off target here, or did the dock disappear between 1888 and 1894?

[Joshua Rogan]

It's probably useful to post the newspaper reports too....

First fire, East London Advertiser 1st Sept

http://www.casebook.org/press_reports/east_london_advertiser/ela880901.html

Here's the report of the second fire from the Irish Times;

http://www.casebook.org/press_reports/irish_times/18880901.html

If you know of any others, feel free to post them.

[Robert]

Joshua I've sent you a PM.

[Harry D]

Was the exact cause of the fires ever determined? Was arson suspected?

Were any officers from Whitechapel called to deal with this emergency?

[Joshua Rogan]

Ok, as a result of information received (many thanks Robert!), I've now managed to locate Ratcliffe Dry Dock (marked as Ratcliffe Cross Wharf on the OS map, which is why I couldn't find it) slightly further east than my previous guess.
Handily, the Goad insurance map shows the area in great detail;

http://britishlibrary.georeferencer.com/map/Db4bUrfolafZTVQp2QnD7z/201401221122-fywreM/visualize

It seems the fire started in a building used as an engineering workshop (presumably the one marked as Shipwright's Shop), quickly spreading to the coal bins next door in Keepier Wharf and damaging the Working Men's club and pub (the Ship) beyond that, as well as several properties in Broad Street. It also ignited the sails and rigging of the sailing ship Cornovia, which was in the dock at the time.

[Joshua Rogan]

Was the exact cause of the fires ever determined? Was arson suspected?

Were any officers from Whitechapel called to deal with this emergency?

Good questions, Harry. Both fires were recorded as "Cause unknown" in the initial official reports, make of that what you will. No idea if that changed subsequently, but an engineering workshop doesn't sound too suspicious a place for a fire to have started.

[Robert]

From what I can make out, "Dibble & Co" were actually Sly, Dibble &Co. Here's some info (footnote#8) :

http://www.stgitehistory.org.uk/media/cablestreetdirectory1921.html#8

[Joshua Rogan]

From what I can make out, "Dibble & Co" were actually Sly, Dibble &Co. Here's some info (footnote#8) :

http://www.stgitehistory.org.uk/medi...ory1921.html#8

Good stuff! I had assumed that was a garbled version of Gibbs & Co, the owners of the Dry Dock, but you could well be right.

That's a handy site, too....have you seen who was living at 35 Cable Street?

[Robert]

Ha, yes. Well, who knows...?

[Joshua Rogan]

Cable Street North side: No. 35, Israel Schwartz, watch maker

Has anyone looked into this?

[Robert]

In 1911 there was a Daniel Schwartz living off Cable St, watch maker :

http://jtrforums.com/showthread.php?t=2774&page=11

[Joshua Rogan]

Hmmm, yes, son of Israel. An Israel. Not necessarily the Israel, but who knows?
Daniel would be too young to have a son who also became a watchmaker by 1921, so perhaps dad followed in juniors footsteps?
Anyway, I'm glad someone has looked into him.

[Joshua Rogan]

Anyway, back to the warehouse fires....

It seems that the warehouses damaged in the first fire were no.s 37, 33 and 38. Which are, according to Goad, somewhere near the middle of the South Quay Warehouse block, just as I suspected.
Result.