£2000 LOSS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 85, 11 April 1938, Page 9

£2000 LOSS.

AERO CLUB FIRE. FIRE FIGHTERS HELPLESS. WATER SUPPLY FAILS. Standing by helplessly because of lack of water facilities, members of two fire brigades had to watch the two-storeved clubhouse of the Auckland Aero Club burn to the ground at the Mangere aerodrome yesterday morning. The total damage is estimated at £-4500, of which a net loss of £2000 has to be borne bv the club, the balance being covered by insurance.

Had there been a supply of water, damage could have been confined to that part of the building where the fire started; but the only water which could be used was that in the bed of a tidal creek, and when that was used the firefighters were helpless. Amazing to relate, most of the furniture and fitting** were saved, even those from the second storey. Mr. L. S. Swan, secretary of tlio club, said this morning that no praise could be too high for the heroic efforts of pilots resident at the house and members of the ground staff.

In an atmosphere thick with choking smoke, with the passageway from ground floor to second storey impossible to use. the staff, with the aid of a mere three ladders, passed chairs aiul mats and other articles through the windows and on to the balcony in front of the house, and from there threw them on to the ground. From the ground floor almost everything moveable was taken out, including a piano. Two of the staff of Union Airways, Limited, who shared a double room situated near where the fire began, lr>st all their possessions, while in addition, in helping with salvage work, one of them received burns to hie arm. Discovery of the Fire. It was the assistant instructor, Mr. B. Ha'vbittle, who discovered the fire about 10 o'clock. He noticed a smell of burning when standing on the balcony. He entered the building and discovered flames shooting from the linen press, j which is on the second floor at the north-western end of the building. Hand extinguishers were used, but they were 1 unavailing, and telephone calls were made to the Otahuhu and Onehunga brigades. It was at. this time that such fine salvage work was done.

No reticulation supply of water was available, so the brigades, on arrival, had to pump water from a tidal creek nearby. This took about 1000 ft of hose, and then the automatic pump from the Onehnnga machine was able to be used. Though at this time flames were bursting through the roof, and though the ground floor was also afire, there was a chance that the spread of the fire to the whole building might have been prevented.

Just at this stage, however, the water supply failed. The tide was out. and all the water that could be used was that in the creek bed. This was the situation at 11.150 a.m., and bv 2 o'clock the building had been reduced to a smouldering skeleton of two chimneys. Valuable Mementoes. The building was Insured with Lloyd's office for £2f>oo and the contents for £400 in the same office. Most of the furniture was saved, so the major loss is on the building. A first care of the helpers were the trophies and mementoes in the house, which together numbered about 20. These were all saved and included some that were irreplacable. Among the mJfcientoes was one depicting the flight of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Mr. C. T. P. Ulm from San Francisco in 1925. This is autographed by four members of the party on the flight. Another memento was an autographed portrait of Jean Batten. A member of the Otaliuhu brigade, Mr. Matthew Ferguson Morton, was taken to the hospital suffering from the effects of smoke and fumes. His condition was stated by the hospital authorities to-day to be not serious.

Seeing the thick pall of smoke from the city, many motorists arrived shortly after the outbreak; but there was little they could do.