Fire at Cross House - 23rd December 1919

From the Illustrated Chronicle of December 24th 1919

A photograph of Cross House today.

Since 1911 Cross House, a 7-storey office block, has proudly occupied the wedge-shaped site ar the junction of Westgate Road and Fenkle Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Although constructed of concrete, the attractive Portland stone cladding ensures that this building is very much in keeping with its location oppposite the Assembly Rooms of 1778 and facing the statue of Joseph Cowen (1831-1900), newspaper proprietor and social reformer. But in 1919, Cross House was the scene off one of the city's worst disasters.

On 23rd December 1919 a fire broke out in some large stocks of celluloid film in the basement premises of the "Famous Laskey Film Services". The fire took hold very quickly and shot up the lift shaft, thus spreading the fire to the upper floors and trapping many office workers.

Many were saved thanks to the heroic efforts of the fire brigade, but sadly eleven people died. The heroism of 16 firemen, police and civilians was recognised with bravery awards - most notable was the award of the Albert Medal to Fireman Thomas Brown, who was also promoted and had his name added to the Roll of Heroes of the Carnegie Trust Fund.

As a direct result of this fire, the Celluloid and Cinematograph Film Act was passed in Parliament to control how and where this extremely dangerous material was stored and used.

Eye-Witness Account of the Rescue Efforts

I was attracted to the scene, with many hundreds of gay Christmas shoppers, by the clouds of thick, throat irritating smoke, which rolled down into Grainger Street. It was pungent and smelt of celluloid. Overhead were faint cries, such as birds of passage make sometimes when winging their way through the night; but as Westgate Road was neared the cries developed into high-pitched screams of distress and terror. They were the screams of girls -and faces blanched.

Westgate Road seethed with excited people whose faces were upturned towards the heights of the 'flat-iron' shaped building. I pushed my way forward as far as I possibly could.

The Fire Brigade had just arrived and men and women were commencing to moan and sob. Two typists had jumped from high storeys onto the pavement, one being killed instantly and the other succumbing shortly afterwards; and now the firemen's escape ladder thrust upwards against the Fenkle Street side of the building was yards short of the top floor, where were many girls and men.

Jump Jump

At almost every window of the upper storeys there were men, girls and youths crying for help and the situation looked desperate. Some of the horrified spectators lost their heads and cried 'Jump, jump!' and others made megaphones of their hands and yelled 'Sit still!' and 'Stay there!'.

Two women beside me fainted; a man somewhere was moaning like a stricken beast; there were screams of terror and cries of rage from men nearby. One at my elbow kept saying thickly 'Oh! God, Oh! God!'. It was the only prayer he could think of and yet another swore hysterically.

Giant Torch

Away up yonder, 80 feet from the pavement they said it was, the cluster of girls and men looked as though they were standing on the rim of a giant torch. We prayed that they would have patience; that they would not fling themselves headlong to the pavement rather than be consumed by the devouring flames which were now within a few yards of them.

'The firemen are getting sheets', someone shouted near the base of the building and we all cheered; yet how long it seemed before there were significant movements on the parapet. Suddenly a man shot earth- wards towards the extended sheet manned by firemen, police and volunteers. There was a dull 'whup' as his body struck the sheet and the crowd cheered and small boys put their fingers to their mouths and whistled shrilly. Hats and handkerchiefs were waved to encourage the girls and when one boldly took the plunge the cheering was intense.

Furnace Door

The last girl and a man were brought down by ladder, thanks to the heroism of a fireman named Brown. Whilst inmates of the burning building were jumping from side windows into blankets, Brown ascended the escape with a hook ladder. He entered an office window which resembled a furnace door and, amid the cheers of the crowds emerged shortly afterwards upon the parapet.

The flames were about him when he ran along the parapet, hooked the ladder onto the edge and went in pursuit of the man and girl who had scrambled to the Westgate Road side of the building. He brought them back and was so successful in reassuring the girl that she bravely swung off the parapet onto the ladder and commenced to descend. From below a fireman on the escape grasped the bottom of the ladder, which had been swinging in the wind, and guided the girl and man to safety.

The delight of the crowd knew no bounds and rousing cheers were given the firemen who now devoted their energies to quelling the fire

From the Newcastle Journal of 24th December 1919