It is a notable fact that the city of London, which is perhaps the
most densely inhabited spot the world has ever seen, has long been
exempt from conflagrations involving a considerable number of houses.
"The devouring element," it is true, has made many meals from time to
time of huge warehouses and public buildings; but since the great fire
of 1666 it has ceased to gorge upon whole quarters of the town. We
have never had, since that memorable occasion, to record the
destruction of a thousand houses at a time, a matter of frequent
occurrence in the United States and Canada--indeed in all parts of
Continental Europe. The fires which have proved fatal to large plots
of buildings in the metropolis, have in every instance taken place
without the sound of Bow bells. A comparison between the number of
fires which occurred between the years 1838 and 1843, in 20,000 houses
situated on either side of the Thames, shows at once the superior
safety of its northern bank, the annual average of fires on the latter
being only 20 against 36 on the southern side.
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