September 2 through September 5, 1666.London Burns. It is said that more than 85 per cent of the residents lost their homes. Death toll unknown. While there were only six deaths listed officially, possibly there were many poor who lost their lives and were not noted.
For the history buff, there are numerous websites that discuss this event. The vantage point of the above painting is from the River Thames, the Tower visible on the right of the picture, artist unknown.
2 comments:
Oh goodness, was it truly in 1666?? I'll have to look it up a bit more. How awful it was for those poor folks!
I just wrote an essay about asphalt shingles, which were developed in the late 1800s and early 1900s. They revolutionized the roofing industry and houses-- before asphalt, many houses still had thatch or wooden shakes for roofs, a fire hazard!
Rebecca, asphalt is a "home-saver." Though cedar shakes are beautiful on a roof, some communities have outlawed them.
And it is hard to even imagine thatch. We still have a few houses in the neighborhood with slate roofs, but repair of same is cost-prohibitive. Losing one now and then to, you guessed it, asphalt!
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