THE WAIHI FIRE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 273, 17 November 1899, Page 8

THE WAIHI FIRE.

(To ,the Editor.?

Sir.-^As some1 sneering and unjust remarks are being made i/i reference to the Fire Brigade, on the occasion of the late fire, will you allow me (b state that our efforts were thwarted by /the. unwarrantable interference of the/public.' A very few •minutes after the outbreak I, as foreman in charge (owing to tie absence of the captain), had ■tartii ;hydrai& affixed 'to -the -plug opposite Flett's H<*el, and had eoinnienced playing on the fl«?» when a mad rush was made by a crowd more or less under the inllueuee of "jiquor, seized the hose and actually, pulled £he hydrant clean out of the plug, "breaking the lugs of the plug and damaging the ft'drant. This'necessitated a delay of 20 tfinutes, as the next fire plug was too ' ' dee^ in tne Si'onnd, causing great il'liflculty infixing the hydrant, and by the time we /JWd, got the water playing again the whole fcfock was in flames. I have no' hesitation' /it saying that, had we not been interfered with Tv thill's Buildings would have been /saved.' I may say in /conclusion that tlie / water supply is iuadeciuate to deal with a large fire; and; that the appliances at our command are quite insufficient: but these are matters which we trust' will be rectified.—l am, etc., THQS WELLS.

Foreman W.V.F.B