England’s Disasters

Every country suffers disasters. Most recent to us was 911, but through its long history England had suffered the most with tragic accidents they are: the Plague of 1665, the Great London Fire, and the sinking of the Titanic. So despite the devastation of the disasters that occurred in England such as the Plague of 1665, the Great London Fire, and the sinking of the Titanic, many positive outcomes emerged from these, the fire helped the plague, but also ruined England.

The London Plague also known as the Bubonic Plague. It's a germ carried by fleas that live on rats. The flea deposits bacilli into the bodies lymphatic system. First case of it was found it April 1665, brought horrible deaths. By the end of May many people were infected with the disease. In July there were a thousand deaths per week ( Ross 2). People who had the plague were locked in their houses with windows and doors nailed shut, and marked with a red cross to let people know that they were infected. Nurses were hired to go in the house to take food and water. Guards were placed outside the houses to make sure no one escaped. Many people tried to protect themselves:

" The nobility left the city for their estates in the country, they were followed by merchants, and the lawyers. The Inns Court were deserted. Most of the clergy suddenly decided they could best minister to theirs flocks from far, far away. The College of Surgeons fled to the country, which did not stop several of its members from writing learned papers about the disease they had been at such pains to avoid" ( Ross 1-2 )

Forty thousand dogs and 80,000 cats were killed ( Ross 2). By August their were 6,000 deaths per week (Ross 3). In September 1665, traveling tailors got infected with the plague. One by one villagers came down the disease. By October 1665 three- quarters of villagers were killed, 259 people and 76 families. The plague killed 17,400 people in the city of London out of 93,000. The Bill of Mortality list that 68,576 victims were in the capital. In 1992 World Health Organization reported 108 deaths to 1,768 cases of the Bubonic Plague worldwide ( Bell 2). When the weather turned colder the rate of infection dramatically decreased. There is a vaccine for it but it takes serval weeks to kick in.

" In 1992, with a sulphonamide drugs, there was finally an effective treatment for the plague. Yet, within 50 years, there were reports - persistent, though unconfirmed - that a strain of plague bacillus resistant to all medicinal and control measures had been developed for bacteriological warfare by the US Army."( Channel 4 2 ).

William Momponson convinced villagers not to leave so they wouldn't spread the disease to other people through out England. The Plague was still going on during the Great London Fire, but the fire killed most of the rats that carried the plague.

The London Fire of 1666, was such a huge fire, that 436 acres were destroyed ( Campus 2). It started in the home of the King's Baker's Shop on Pudding Lane. The fire burned for four days and went as long as 40 miles. 13,000 homes were gone, along with 49 churches, and 52 companies ( Express 2). Most of London was ruined. The Fire burned on Fleet street, Old Bailey, Ludgate Hill, Newgate and many more. Sparks from burning houses fell on hay and straw in yards of the Star Inn at Fish Street Hill. Building caught fire very easily and quickly. Seven hours after the fire had started it was half way across the London Bridge. Most of the cities people were moved to St. George's Felid and Moorfields. On the other hand there were some positive outcomes, this fire put the whole world in new changes for firefighting in the future. Replaced wooden houses with brick and stone, and owners started to insure their companies against fire damage. The insurance companies