STAFF WAITED FOR A LEAD

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 99, 6 February 1948, Page 4

STAFF WAITED FOR A LEAD

EVIDENCE AT FIRE INQUIRY

Valuable Time Lost (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 5. Two young women who jumped from the top floor of Pratt’s building when the fire at Ballantyne’s was at its height on the afternoon of November 18, gave accounts to the Royal Commission of Inquiry to-day on events from about 3.40 until they decided to jump to the veranda. A third woman who jumped died from her injuries.

Both. Miss Lois Ngaire Kennedy and Mrs Nancy Gladys Nash, bookkeeping machinists in the credit office', were •seated while they gave long evidence of their failure to escape from the office by the fire escape and a staircase. Earlier a floor walker, Mr Gaffney, had ordered staff at the main staircase on the first floor to “get back to their work.” They said that five or six minutes were spent on putting equipment and records away under orders before “everybody out” was ordered. Miss Kennedy said that there was nothing to prevent the credit office staff’s going down the stairs by which she had reached the office after tea. Mrs Nash’s evidence was that “nobody seemed to know what to do or where to go,” and the staff was waiting for a lead or order from Mr Kenneth Ballantyne or Mr Hudson, secretary of the company. The collapse of the roof of the credit office before they decided to jump and the contradictory advice from the crowd in the streets to jump and to wait were described by the young women.

(Girls on Top Floor

Having ordered his staff of 11 in the art department on the ground floor to leave, after smoke had increased in the furnishing department, he made efforts to reach the millinery department on the top floor of Goodman’s building, said John Cyril Frederick Phillpott, head of the art department. Mr Philpott said he had been an employee for. 11 years in the art department. When he was down in the china reserve basement in Pratt’s building on the afternoon of November 18 everything was all right. He was talking to a customer when he overheard Mr Boon say he was authorised by Mr Roger Ballantyne to ring and say there was a fire. Going to the furnishing department, he found stock being covered and the smoke fairly thick. It -was not easy to breathe after a while. He helped with the covering of stock and went into the ground floor window to cover a display. That took two minutes. Smoke had increased. He went through the fireproof doors and told his first assistant (Miss Simpson) to get the art department staff of 11 out. That was done.

Mr Thomas: Is it correct that the evacuation, when it started, was carried out by the heads of departments and of the firm? —Yes.

Without panic?—Definitely there was no panic.

Once it was realised that flame was present, the evacuation seemed to be carried out reasonably well? —Yes. Even when the fire brigade arrived did you think it was a serious fire? —No; otherwise I would not have allowed my girls to continue covering up stock. . V . Once the flames became evident, if all the extinguishers in the shop had been in operation, it would have been of no use? —Not at all.

To the chairman: He had no control duties in the E.P.S. J

The chairman: What grounds did vou have for believing the brigade would put out this fire? —It seemed like a cellar fire.

How did you form that conclusion? —On account of not seeing any flame. ; Was there any pre-concerted plan in the event of fire of which you had knowledge? —No. You had no definite duties to undertake or post to go to? —No. Did you receive instructions to look after your people?'—No. You considered them natural duties? —Yes.

Credit Office Events

Lois Ngaire Kennedy, a book-keeper machinist in the credit office, gave evidence of her experiences on the top floor of Pratt’s building before she jumped from a window on to the veranda in Colombo street. At 3.30 she went to afternoon tea with Mrs Nash, Mrs McLean, and Miss Serra, said Miss Kennedy. They went down the stairs near the mercery lift and walked along the floor to the narrow stairs on the western side of the lounge. That was the usual way. She did not notice anything unusual. While having' afternoon tea she saw drifting smoke in Cashel street. The lights were on. She heard no fire alarm. No one seemed concerned, and she did not know the fire was coming from Ballantyne’s. She did not even go to the window to look out. They went to the first floor near the main stairway and she saw smoke coming from the direction of the furnishing department. The fire doors were closed, and the smoke was coming past the edges. She decided to go to the foot of the main stairs to see what was happening. Mrs Nash went to the foot, and witness past the landing. She spoke to Miss Faber, ol the shoe department, and from her learned of the fire in the furnishing department. Miss Faber said she did not know if the fire was a bad one, bUt the stock in the shoe department had been covered against smoke. Miss Faber went up for her afternoon tea. Mrs Nash spoke to Mr Gaffney. On the way upstairs, she saw girls irom the dressmaking department m the landing of the tearoom lounge. T _y had their purses and coats. She asked what the matter was, and then reply was that they did not know. She went on up to the credit office. She still did not hear any fire alarm, and saw no smoke at all on the way

Mr Young: When you got into the credit office did you see ™ er^ er of the Ballantyne family?—Mr Kenneth was in the office. Did he have anything m his hands. He had a white handkerchief. Was anything said there about, coats being obtained? —Yes. Mrs Nash anc I walked to the fire door. Ail the girls were standing round, and had their coats on the floor. We asked if our coats were there, and they told

us they were not sure, and we would have t 6 look. Did Mrs Nash say anything about that—.—l don’t remember. Evidence that the girls and men in the credit and accountancy offices were waiting for an order from Mr Kenneth Ballantyne or Mr Hudson (secretary) after they had been ordered to put away bins., typewriters, and records was given,by Mrs Nancy Gladys Nash, a bookkeeping machinist, who also made a jump from Pratt’s building, The first suggestion that , anything might be amiss in the neighbourhood on the afternoon of the fire was the noise of the fire engine while she was having afternoon tea. She left the cafeteria no later than 3.45. She said to Miss Faber: “What’s going on downstairs?” Miss Faber replied something about a small fire in a cellar. Witness went to the main stairAvay and saw smoke coming from over tiie top and underneath the fire door to the furnishing department. She spoke to Mr Gaffney, a floor walker. Apparently others were coming down the staffs behind her. Mr Gaffney came over and said : “Get back to your work. It is all right. They are getting it out.” He may not have used those words to the staff gathering, but that was their effect. Witness turned round and went up the stairs in the direction of her work.

Mr Watson: Would you have gone back if you had not received that order? No.. I would have stayed to watch. She heard Mr Hudson or Mr Ballantyne say: “Everybody out.” She went to her machine to get her bag. She heard Miss Kennedy sing out to leave her bag. As she went towards Mr. Ballantyne and Mr Hudson, Missi Ford said the girls in the millinery workroom were singing out for help. No reply was made. Miss Ford went towards the fire doors and witness followed her. They went up a few steps towards the exchange, and Miss Ford threw her hands over her head and said: “Oh! It’s awful. You can’t go in there.” The smoke and heat drove them back to the credit office.

Mr Watson: Who appeared to be in charge—Mr Ballantyne, Mr Hudson, or Mr Stewart ?—.Everybody of the staff was more or less waiting for Mr Hudson or Mr , Ballantyne to say something, as they were the seniors of the firm there. In.other words, a lead from them? —Yes. The credit manager was not there.

Was any definite lead given to the staff by those two ?—Only that Mr Ken Ballantyne told ust to get out. “Nobody seemed to know what to do or where to go,” said Mrs Nash. “Nobody that I heard gave any instructions. I saw someone trying to jump from the accountancy window. Somebody in the crowd called out : ‘Don’t jump yet. There will be somebody here.’ It was Miss Blair who was trying to jump. She came back into the room.

LAW CLERK’S EVIDENCE

CALL TO GIRLS TO JUMP The inquiry into Ballantyne’s fire by the Royal Commission entered the last day of the second week this morning.

.. At the conclusion of to-day’s evidences the inquiry will adjourn until Februai*y 17.

Paul Loxton Molineaux, law clerk, led by Mr R. A. Young for the Crown, said he saw smoke coming from the building opposite Beath’s; in Colombo Street about 3.45. Molineaux said he walked along Colombo Street and saw that the smoke was coming from the ceiling of the first floor of Ballantyne’s.

Firemen appeared to be dismantling gear from the engine. Five or 10 minutes after witness arrived on the scene he saw the first signs of flame. There was one burst about the middle of Goodman’s building from the roof. It was about this time that girls were first seen at the windows on the top floor of Goodman’s buildings. The knowledge that there were people in the building seemed to sweep through the spectators in a wave of horror. Molineaux continued: “At this time the flames were coming from several parts of the building. Girls were seen at windows in Pratt’s building. They sat oh a ledge but did not jump -when called to.” Witness climbed up a ladder on to the veranda, and held out his arms and called to the girls to jump. One of them did so, and fell heavily on the veranda. She was lowered by witness and another man into a net held by people on the ground. Almost immediately another girl jumped and landed on the veranda. She screamed, but appeared to be. all right. She was also lowered into the net.

Molineaux said he descended the ladder and shortly afterwards saw another figure at a window where the girls had been seen. It was Mr Ken Ballantyne, and he sat on the parapet taking no notice of calls to jump. Firemen began manoeuvring ladders until one reached him. At this time hoses were being played about Mr Ballantyne and firemen. Mr Ballantynq was brought down the ladder and dropped into the net. Witness followed the hose up the stairway to the tearooms where there were several people.