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64
May I ask you to bring this letter to the notice of the Council with the least possible
delay.
Thanking you in anticipation,
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
JAMES J. STOKES,
The Clerk, Clerk to the Vestry.
London County Council.
Town Hall,
Rotherhithe,
17th September, 1898.
Sir,
In further reference to my letter to you of the 7th inst., I am directed to point out as an
important reason for reinstating the Fire Escape, that the neighbourhood is practically an
island, to approach which from the north side two bridges have to be crossed, and from
the south side one.
These bridges can remain open for 20 minutes at a time when vessels or barges are passing
through the looks, and it is obvious that this might be the means of detaining the
horsed escape from arriving at a fire in the neighbourhood in time to save life.
I am also to state that the neighbourhood is surrounded by large stacks of timber in
the docks, and by wharves and works of an inflammable nature, among which latter may be
mentioned the Timber Pickling Works.
Some of these wharves, I understand, are stored with large quantities of inflammable
goods, and if a fire were to break out at any time at one or more of them, great danger
would ensue to life in the locality ( as it is a thickly-populated one and the streets are
very narrow) if an escape were not promptly on the spot.
I am therefore to urge the Council to lose no time in having the escape placed in
Trinity Church yard.
I am, Sir, yours obediently,
JAMES J. STOKES,
The Clerk, Clerk to the Yestry.
London County Council.
Spring Gardens, S.W.,
12th September, 1898.
Sir,
I will lay before the Fire Brigade Committee at its next meeting your letter of the