Gill Bottom Mill Fire – November 1870
Below is an account from the Keighley News of December 3rd 1870.
About a quarter to five on Wednesday morning Gill Bottom Mill, Cowling, belonging to Mr. W. Gott, and occupied by Messrs J. Laycock & Co., manufacturers, was discovered to be on fire.
The news quickly spread through the scattered neighbourhood, and soon there were a large number of willing hands labouring with buckets of water to extinguish the flames. All their efforts proved of no avail.
This being so, a mounted messenger was despatched at about six o’clock to go to go to Keighley for the fire engines. When he started, a portion of the roof had just gone down; and at half-past six the whole of the roof went in with a tremendous crash. The flames rose up, and the heat resulting was intense, the floors of the mill (which were three storeys high) and being saturated with oil and grease collapsed.
Gill Bottom Mill
The messenger arrived at Keighley at five minutes to seven the steam fire engine and one of the hand engines were despatched with the brigade at ten minutes past seven, and the drivers exerted themselves in a praiseworthy manner to get the engines in place.
When the brigade had arrived both the floors had gone down with all the machinery. The men had to direct their attention to the saving of adjacent property, and they were successful in doing so, and great praise was given to them for the energies they displayed.
The engines were kept at work till a little after ten o’clock. The mill was completely destroyed. The low room was used as a storing-room, and the upper room was filled with machinery.
It is supposed that the fire originated in a small room in front of the boiler used for storing of waste etc. from which room it made rapid progress. The damage is estimated at upwards of £4000, which is we are informed, covered by insurance.
Researcher D Harker, Word processed from original by N Binns.
