FIRST LEAD INTO TEAROOMS

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25445, 17 March 1948, Page 6

FIRST LEAD INTO TEAROOMS

He was the first person to take a lead into the tearooms section of Ballantyne’s, said Second-Class FiremanDriver George Joseph '■ Thompson. Earlier evidence of civilians was that they fought the fire in that section. Fireman Thompson, who was on duty at the St. Albans station, said the No. 2 motor left the station on receiving the brigade call with the three available men, and arrived at Ballantyne’s about 4.4 p.m., the distance from the station being 1.8 miles. The Colombo street frontage was a mass of flames from top to bottom, and the fire was spreading in Cashel street. He was instructed by Station Officer Shield to assist in erecting the electric ladder, and then took a lead of hose down Cashel street into the right-of-way at the western end of Ballan-

tyne’s buildings and fought the fire from there.

Mr Cleary: Had a start been made with the erection of the electric ladder when you lent assistance?—The electric ladder was not out of its cradle.

If an inquiry took place, the St. Albans brigade would have to accept the data, entered in the “occurrence” book at’ the Central Station of calls received, said witness to Mr Thomasi Calls to St. Albans were not recorded by a tape through a clock, he replied to Mr Barrer. St. Albans appliances were turned out by the Central Station, which was connected by direct telephones to suburban stations, Fireman Thompson said to questions by Mr Penlington. “Nobody was in the tearooms when

I first took a lead in," said Fireman Thompson. The electric clock in the tearooms had stopped at 3.55. The water pressure was good. He was under the control of Deputy-Superin-tendent Barnes when he was in the tearooms.

To the chairman:. The full crew on the St. Albans machine was four. Junior Station Officer Colin Alfred Penney said he was on half-yearly leave on November 18 and was cycling towards the dity from Riccarton when he noticed, from Cashel street west, a pall of smoke. He went to the Central Station, changed into his uniform, and reported for duty at 4.15 to Officer Thompson. He left with the combination unit and trailer pump. He ran out the overland hose from High street and also deliveries from outside the Grand Hotel on to the Colombo street frontage near Cashel street. The fire was then very bad. Deputy-Superin-tendent Barnes instructed him to take charge of the lead into the tearooms, where he remained tilt the fire was subdued.