Fire at Whitechapel

Fire at Whitechapel. - The patrol, when he saw the smoke issuing from the windows of Mr. Aaron Oram, sprang his rattle for assistance, but before any one arrived the lower part of the house was enveloped in flames. The most distressing scene that can possibly be conceived now presented itself; the family, consisting of Mr. Oram, his wife, eleven children and three servants, were shrieking for aid from the upper windows of the house. There was no possibility of their escaping but through the windows, and no ladders were near, nor was there any communication to the adjoining house.

Mr. Oram, Mrs. Oram and their son (a youth of 17 years of age), threw themselves out of a two pair of stairs window. Mrs. Oram was caught by the watchman and received but trifling injury: Mr. Oram escaped most miraculously, without any fracture of his limbs; the son unfortunately had his leg broken, and sustained other serious injury.

As soon as Mr. and Mrs. Oram recovered themselves, they called out for their children in the greatest agony. The youth was carried to a neighbouring, surgeon. By this time ladders had been brought to the premises, and the two adjoining houses (occupied by Mrs. Ross, a miliner and a Mr. Lazarus) were on fire. The ladders were placed against the house of Mr. Oram, and the servants and seven of the children were taken out of the windows of the upper stories.

When the seventh child was taken from the window, the flame and smoke rushed in volumes from the upper part of the premises, and the servant-man, who was on the ladder for the purpose of assisting the three remaining children from the burning pile, was compelled, to save his own life, to slide down the ladder, leaving the little unfortunate creatures at the window crying for relief, which no human power could render them. The agonizing feelings of the parents it is impossible to describe: they saw their infants stretching forth their little hands, until the furious element hid them from their view.

The mother was taken into a neighbour's, in a state bordering pn madness. The father, in a state of frenzy, Called for his children; but, alas! the poor children, consisting of one boy six years, one boy seven years, and a third nine years of age, perished in the flames.

While the neighbours were rendering assistance to Mr. and Mrs. Oram, a gang of thieves stole property to a considerable amount. The engines did not arrive until the premises were nearly destroyed.

Lazarus's house was occupied chiefly by lodgers; they rushed out in a state of nudity, and were received into the neighbours' houses and supplied with covering. They unfortunately did not save a single article of their apparel, or any other property.

The house of Mrs. Ross was also destroyed, and no property saved.

The body of one of Mr. Oram's children (the eldest that was burnt) was dug out of the ruins, burnt to a cinder.