SPECTACULAR FIRE

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXX, Issue 13511, 5 December 1941, Page 6

SPECTACULAR FIRE

FOUR THOUSAND COFFINS LOST IN BLAZE EXPLOSION AT WORKSHOP Sydney. Oct. 29 Four thousand coffins, fittings and timber, valued at thousands of pounds, were destroyed when, following an explosion, the workshops of a leading- firm of undertakers. Wood Coffin. Limited. suddenly burst into dames. Over 90 firemen from ni::e fire stations fought the flames l'or two hours while 10.000 onlookers witnesed dramatic scenes as police. civilians. soldiers, sailors and National Emergency Service wardens tried to cope with the crowd and remove furniture from houses in the danger zone. Forty-five motor hearses, mourning coaches and other vehicles were driven to safety by an employee of the company, Joseph Manning. Men and women in evening dress on their way to dances pulled up and jostled their way through the I crowd of barefooted boys, police, j firemen and women with babies in .'perambulators to get a closer glimpse. Little thought was given to evening slippers as they jumped over hoses and waded through, pools of water. Several small boys were carried back into the crowd bodily by exonerated police officers. There was panic among the jammed onlookers when it was learned that the flames were threatening the big petrol tanks of the works, which had been filled earlier in the day. And again.* when sheets of flame blotted out electric wires overhead. PoHce. assisted by uniformed men of the army and navy, joined in a line to sweep the crowds back out of danger. Police also had to remove people from roofs, rooms and grounds of the dwelling's near the fire. The blaze illuminated the sky j with a red glow and could be seen for miles round the metropolitan area.