FIRE DRAMA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 301, 20 December 1937, Page 8

FIRE DRAMA.

WORKMAN HURT. MOUNT EDEN BLAZE. BnieiADE'S GOOD SAVE. SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION ? The sudden bur-ting into flame of a pile nf u pliols titit's flux, believed to bo dim tn h|> mt I neons combustion; Severe buriu- Miriercd liy a workman \n !m -I;iy. '1 lx-hind to the brigade; Minor bums sull'ered by other workmen ; fhe cool bravery or a young wom.m in terrifying emergency; and splendid work by member* of the Central and Mount l.den Fire Brigades in securing quick control of tlie fire. All these were elements in a fire drama that had its eentre at the furniture? factory of the Farmers' Trading Com[•any, Mount Eden Road, after 9 o'clock this morning. The front, two-storeyed, wood and iron building was gutted, and pome stock and machinery destroyed, but the main, newer building at the back was saved. The loss cannot yet be estimated, but the whole factory and contents were insured with the South British Insurance Company for a total of £19,000.

The injured man was Alfred Broadhead. single, aged 24 years, residing at 1", Warwick Avenue. He was severely burned about the back, and was. admitted to the Auckland Hospital. He is suffering severely from shock, but liU - njnil condition is not serious. Sudden Blaze. About ten men and hoys were em ployed in the upstairs portion of the building, which opens on to Mount Eden Road (the lower floor of the building being down th« railway cutting below the level of the road). It was the upholstered department, and to rae»t the rush of Christmas, requirements there was a big stock of baled flax.

One of the workmen said that as t.hey worked beside it shortly before 9.30 a m there was a sudden burst of flame from the centre of the piled flax. Acting quickly, the workmen attempted to dra" out some of the stock, but as rapidly as it had begun the fire spread. Eventually lTn °/i them , Bufferin K fr °™ minor bums, the workmen had to run. Through the Flames.

Mr. Broadhead, who was one of the workmen employed on that floor, stayed behind to telephone the fire brigade. When he turned the whole floor was nbfaze, and he had to make a dash through flames to escape. Watchers outside saw him suddenly appear in- the doorway and, as he did so, he collapsed and attempted to roll out. To hispid run a young woman employee, Mrs. " le e "arsons, who dragged him out i 'to the street. The St. John Ambulance was called immediately and he was taken to the hospital. Attention was - iv 2? n also to other employees who had suffered minor bums.

n f 'apid waa the expansion of the names that when the Central Fire Mrigade, answering a telephone call, was leaving the station the firemen could ,e e the heavy pall of smoke and flame from the burning building. It was n blaze from end to end when they arrived, and already the flames had taken a slight hold under the roof ridge of the rear building, which is connected by a covered-in passageway. Working from either side the Central and Mount {'den brigades attacked the flames with four leads, and within two minutes they liftd them under control, saving the main building from the spreading fire. For over nil hour they concentrated on the flooding of the burning building and eventually subdued it. Girl's Plucky Act.

One of the features of the fire was the plucky behaviour of young Mrs. Parsons. She and another girl were employed in a room behind the upholsterers' department, and they were working there this morning when they heard cries from inside. Thinking one of the men was injured in some way, Mrs. Parsons opened the door and was faced with the fire. Turning quickly, she grabbed the other girl by the arm and told her to pick up her bicycle and get out. In this she assisted the other girl, both of thc-m getting out in safety with their two bicycles (which had been in the room with them). A few momenta later she again showed her coolness when *lie ran to the assistance of Mr. Broadlicnd. She smiled in embarrassment when she was complimented on her behaviour. "Oh. It waa nothing much. Anyone else would have done it," she said. "You have to look after the younger ones, haven't you?" "I couldn't move," said the other. " 'Unio' saved me." Manager's Tribute. Mr. W. Calder Mackay, assistant general manager of the company, paid a tribute to the work of the firemen, who, he said, had made a remarkably f:«od save in preventing the spread of the fire to the rear building. The upholstery room and the cabinet Ttmkinp and assembly room below had been destroyed, but he did not think that the company would be much inconvenienced. Most of the Christmas orders were out now, and the rest could >n completed in the main building. As e ' es «lt of the save the workmen would not lose any work.

t i e W1 " rebuilding aa soon as the iron cook," he said.

al7 i e ? pected the Are attracted « good deal of attention, and a bitr nowd a ßß emble d i n the street causing <i alight hold-up in traffic until police i'l'.nn Vi? t, lT \ Spectora took charge. Even . t t oy si n a n B K me difficult y in restrain i the small boyg who were enjoying opemnp thrill of their holidays Mr Broadhead, who ig now in the Auckland Hospital, is a well-known ."-by League forward, a member of the Richmond Club senior team last •viixon. He had also a reputation as a •mod amateur T>o*er. Until a year aao • wax an auxiliary fireman of the • l'- lL'"