SPECTACULAR FIRE.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 246, 17 October 1929, Page 9

SPECTACULAR FIRE.

s6ap works' destroyed. casks of tallow saved. worker escapes ; death. ()[sy Tclegraph.-Press Association.) " ;:; : CHRISTCHURCH, this day. /Considerable damage was done last aight-by a fire which destroyed the soap owned by Mr. J. Patrick in Sockburn., It was the most spectacular blaze since the big oil store fire. There were frequent explosions as iron drums burst into'huge masses of flame. While attempting to salvage goods Mr. J. -Potter bad a narrow escape, being dragged out of a well of boiling tallow in the ; nick of time.. One of his legs was BcaHed.; , Thp building was outside the fire brigade area and the fire was not attended by "a brigade. The blaze was so fierce that-any attempt to fight it had little effect. Nevertheless a band of about dozen factory employees toiled stubbornly vitlaa bucket and chain, drawing water from a small creek nearby. Their efforts confined the blaze to the main structure, and"' saved the casks of tallow which were lying close to the burning building. The great heat made it impossible to approach the main part of the blaze, and when the flames reached the vats m which was stored soap in course of manufacture the heat became terrific, and'the crowd were forced to fall back S ome f distance. Tallow fat and resin formed.the main fuel for the fire and within a very few minutes, of the-out-break 1 the building was a mass of flame. In a. short while the roof collapsed, sending "up-.showers "of sparks. .. Yellow tongues of flame were leaping high oveihead, and dense clouds of black smoke and', vapour added to the impressiveneEs of, the scene. The low easterly clouds were tuigecl "glare, and attracted sfctatoi* frok allots of the city, of-motor cars were: parked -in the road eloWby, _''.-.-■'-■■-■■—-<—--.-*■•