Primitive Methodist Chapel, Wallsend, Recently Des…

Rare, c.19th hand coloured engraving of the Primitive Church at Wallsend that was destoryed om August 1869

AUST NSW WALLSEND 1869 Considerable excitement was caused in the town yesterday by the circulation of a report that the Blue Bell Inn and the Primitive Methodist Church at Wallsend had been totally destroyed by fire early that morning. Upon proceeding to the scene of the disaster, it was learned with regret that the report was entirely accurate. The fire appears to have broken out between one and two o’clock in the morning, and for a short time raged with great fury, both the public house and the church being completely destroyed within about an hour of the flames first being observed.  A woman living opposite the inn gave the initial alarm by screaming loudly. Her cries attracted the attention of the landlord, Mr Thomas Scott, who had just retired to bed but had not yet undressed. Looking out from his bedroom window at the western end of the house, he was startled to see flames issuing from the roof. Mr Scott immediately attempted to descend the stairs, but the smoke was so dense that he had great difficulty making his way through it, and before he escaped the building he was considerably scorched. There were four other persons in the house; however, as they were sleeping on the ground floor, they were able to escape without difficulty.  Once all occupants were safely out, Mr Scott and the neighbours turned their attention to salvaging the furniture, though the rapid spread of the flames allowed very little to be saved. After burning fiercely for about twenty to thirty minutes, the roof of the house collapsed, effectively ending that phase of the fire. Between the public house and the church stood a small wooden building which, despite strenuous efforts to prevent it, was also consumed. Attempts were made to pull it down in the direction of the inn and away from the church, but these efforts failed and the structure was soon reduced to the ground.  The heat at this stage was intense, leaving little opportunity to save the church. A man named Edward McDonald, together with Messrs J. and W. Linsley and Alexander Ross, made determined efforts to extinguish the flames when they first appeared on the roof, but without success. The intensity of the heat soon forced them back, and attention was then directed to saving the pews and other internal fittings. The doors of the church were broken open, and within ten minutes most of the furniture had been removed.  The public house was a two-storey weatherboard building containing seven rooms. The church, which had brick walls and a shingled roof, was comparatively new. Shortly after the outbreak of the fire, messengers were sent throughout the town to raise the alarm, and within three-quarters of an hour a large crowd had gathered in front of the burning buildings. Among the first to arrive were the resident church trustees and other prominent members of the Primitive Methodist community, all of whom exerted themselves to the utmost in an effort to save the church.  The public house was insured in the Victoria Office for £400, and the church in the Sydney Insurance Office for £500—£300 on the building and £200 on the pews and other internal fittings. The local agents of both companies were promptly notified, as were the resident ministers of the Primitive Methodist body, the Revs E. O. Pritchard and J. Studds, both of whom proceeded immediately to Wallsend upon receiving the news.  The origin of the fire remains uncertain. Mr Scott believes it began in the sitting room behind the bar, possibly caused by a spark from the fire igniting some material in the room. Others in the neighbourhood, however, maintain that it must have originated in one of the upper rooms. It was reported late last night that the Police Magistrate had been requested to hold an inquiry into the cause of the fire, and given the differing opinions on the matter, it is likely that such an investigation will take place.

From the original edition of the Illustrated Australian News. 

Collections:
University Queensland: Identifier 991000982479703131
State Library Victoria: PCINF IAN 04-09-76 P.133
National Library Australia: Bib ID 2495305
State Library New South Wales: CALL NUMBERS F079/55, TN380
Royal Geographic Society SA: RGS Special Coll. 079.94 I29d

References:

Syme, E. & D, Illustrated Australian News. ISSN 2208-5386..