OIL STORE BLAZE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 79, 3 April 1928, Page 10

OIL STORE BLAZE.

CITY FIREMAN'S DEATH. FLAMES DYING SLOWLY. disintegration of walls.

The engine-driver of the City Fire Brigade, Mr. Hholda George Beuth, who was horribly burned when a tremendous explosiqa occurred in the benzine store of Messrs. Winstone, Ltd., just before 4 o'clock on Sunday afternoon, died in the Auckland Hospital early last evening. Tomorrow, at 2 p.m., the funeral w ill leave the Central Station, when representatives of city and suburban reWitt attend in full .. 'SMjfr'' *■ " UlU^or»^f^K:•' , '■

a year passes in Auckland withoukV]jbis of life us a result of fire, and it isfjtfngularly unfortunate that a young member of the brigade should succumb to injuries on the secc<nd day of the n«w firo year. The late Mr. Beuth in the teaching profession before joining the brigade in October, 1926. He was appointed engine-driver, and held that post till Sunday, when he drov# a machine to the blazing oil store, later taking charge of the hoee which was being played on the southern wall. An unmarried man, aged 22, deceased was popular with his associates, and was one of the most eflh-ient members of the brigade." When off duty he lived with hi 3 mother at 491, New North Boad.

Thousands of people witnessed the ter ribln expT&sion in which the late Mi Beuth received ..fatal, injuries. Bed-hoi drums spilling blazing oil and tins dripping with flaming benzine were shot over the wall from the roaring inferno. There had been' frequent explosions of a less seriods natutrf«;and Beutli appeared to be disinclined to- leave his post, despite warning cries., Showers of flaming fragments enveloped him. rind before his comrades could lend assistance hi* uniform jyaa a mass, of, flames. Two were\burned less serfwuen the explosion occurred, are reported to be comfortable and out of all danger. •' , 4 ; "iy Thousands of Spectators.

All, day yesterday, and right through thq njght, the benzine blazed within tho confines of the four crumbling walls. Thousands of Aucklanders went to sec tho tiro agfciii'Tast night, the concrete terraces wall, on the Larhour front"formed a natural grandstand, people sat * or hours, smoking, nfffittftig asfd .enjoying the spectacle, *th<Hra Wiste no «xplosions, and although glazed brightly it was obvious that' the Worst Was over. Only thq east frooting Beaumont Street. I remained, standing, and to-day it is slowly disintegrating. Half of the north wajj still stflod.-last.aight. and the other twfe walls were, intact to"'a height sufficient to ke«p of bsfnMgdrum. Irdit rolling ofit. fi Mjitod of firemen waiched th* east wall all lastiilglit, with a mlan off. action ready in ease the buckled briik structure should suddenly topple into" the road. To-day the black column of Smoke, now an accepted feature of th| city's »k*liiw. was greatly diminished Jn volumft \lf th 4« the tile Willi not buf'nltself dead out till the week-end.- r '< PetrolTaxQfifcstion. I {4 is of the motor spirit destroyed in the fire will ask the fiaVernment to refund the petrol tax of foffpence » galjpn, which had been paid j cm* a. large.,/ q )#ens tyi ,© p the stock. The ta£Jis Je«i?d. tor the specific purpose of. miintafnftjj good roads, on the principle thftf the' user' of the mad should pay. Shpuld the Government decline a refund representations will be made to allow an equal quantity of benzine to come into Auckland free of tax. In view o>f the loss suffered by the owners it Is anticipated that Cabinet will be sympathetic in the matter. About, half a mPliofri galloitf of Stool? v.-as destroyed neMy 0.11 iff itjjtciftg motor fuel, j East Wall Collapses.

During the forenoon, part of the top of tho east fronting Beaumont Street, crashed down into the roadway. No 0110 was injured, as the collapse of the brickwork had been expected for houfrs and onlookers were kept at a safe distance by firemen and police. The wall fronting Beaumont Street, which was bulging at 10 a.m. to-day, is ' now r the other three YroW tfme bricks are facing Into the roadway. Fortunately Street -is suflidently wide to allbW a margin between - tie piles of fallen brtcks. which'are too hot to touch, and the buildings on the opposite side of 1' tha\ thoroughfare. The Victory Ei£ineeTO»2 Company's premiss 3 are in noj flangert?;. ; ; ' " jt is anti&ipifctw the remainder ofjthe east wall will 'disintegrate during thijafternoon, or since it is supporting a ttefaendous weight' of charred oil drum 3.

Power Board's Petrol. Although tlio Auckland Electric Power Board had 375 ctfses of motor spirit stofed in the \yimstone, Lad., oil Btorc nonmonetary loss will be Buffered, as the suppliers have agreed to make good the damage. A rppflrC!jO', ) .this effect was tabled at veiierday's irißisting of the board by the gepiral-nianagei'^lllji^iL,.]tj. Bartley), vlto said that the peltol just prior the 'adding of the additional duty. . ; v <".

the power suppl*;,tO!-J^TO 9 adjacent ■waia interrupted bytha ffr j£fr.nd arrangements have by the board to kefcp them going by. running a temporary laarrprensure line at a safe distance from threat of the blaze. •'