The history of London’s industrial development is very eventful. The city has always remained one of the most important world centres, which pioneered in many spheres. However, in addition to the incredible progress and scientific achievements, difficulties have repeatedly arisen here as well. Sometimes, they occurred in the industrial sector. One of them took place in the 19th century. What exactly was the situation connected with? What consequences did it cause? What did the entrepreneurs of that time manage to do to prevent it from happening again? Learn more at londonname.
Prerequisites of the accident
In fact, the accident was related to the activity of Henry Meux & Co. Brewery, created at the beginning of the 19th century. For a long time, the brewery remained one of the most popular in the city. In 1809, its founders purchased the Horse Shoe Brewery. In general, brewing was their family business and the technology was inherited. The same is true for most of their equipment. In particular, a huge wooden vat was passed down from father to son. Its height was 6.7 metres. The wood would hardly be able to withstand the huge amount of beer (about 18,000 barrels). Therefore, it was strengthened and fastened with iron elements. That vat played an important role in the development of the brewery. The successful business brewed porter. This type of dark beer was one of the most popular drinks and even became a kind of symbol of the city. It was the prehistory of the accident that shook a large part of the city.
Funny and at the same time terrible event
The accident occurred on October 17, 1814. One of the brewery employees saw that one of the iron rings was damaged. However, nobody paid attention to it because such a situation happened several times a year and shouldn’t have led to serious consequences. So, the workers decided to call the repair specialist later. However, soon, the ring burst and beer began to pour out of the wooden vat very quickly. Nobody could stop the flow. The story may seem somewhat comical. Many people on the streets happily filled their own containers with beer. However, the consequences turned out to be catastrophic.
Results
Photo source: Wikipedia
The results were truly disastrous. The main danger was from the powerful burst created as a result of the drink fermentation. Therefore, the beer flow caused serious damage all around, as it also destroyed nearby containers. In no time, 320,000 gallons of beer were spilling down the street. This area of London was densely populated. Local apartment buildings were inhabited by representatives of different social classes (prostitutes, criminals, the poor and others). As a result of the industrial accident, local basements and first floors were flooded. The flow spread very quickly to George Street and New Street, causing the collapse of several buildings. However, the worst thing was that the flood led to the death of at least eight people, including children. In addition, many got drunk. In fact, it was very dangerous to drink it, as beer mixed with garbage and street sewage. So, there were those who died later from alcohol intoxication. The event shook the whole city and brought considerable financial problems to the owners of the brewery. After the accident, wooden vats were replaced with concrete ones. A little later, the brewery changed its location and in 1921, the enterprise was closed. Nowadays, the Dominion Theatre is located on this site.