COLLEGE BLOCK BURNT

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31775, 4 September 1968, Page 1

COLLEGE BLOCK BURNT

Fire in the 29-year-old wooden central administration and lec-ture-room building of the Dunedin Teachers’ College yesterday morning caused damage estimated at $210,000, the Press Association reported.

The building, which comprises a three-storey administration centre with a twostorey lecture room and departmental wings, was 70 per cent destroyed. Irreplaceable data and files were lost, but much valuable equipment and papers housed on the bottom floor were saved by firemen. Students arriving for lectures found the 40 000 sq. ft building well alight, with a

huge pall of smoke attracting thousands of onlookers. Many students were marshalled into a team to rescue books from the library, next to the northern end of the lecture room wing. Some 23,000 books were laid out on the apron lawn, but the fire was contained be fore it reached the library and the books were later re placed on their shelves. Few persons were in the building when the alarm was given at 7.58 a.m.

The caretaker, Mr G. Wright, entered the building at 7.5 a.m. to start the furnaces for the heating system. At 7.55 a.m. his wife, also in the building, noticed the fire and immediately telephoned the emergency number. Two young workmen were also in the area and as one of them and Mr Wright

were making their way out, a section of the first-floor roof crashed within 2ft of them.

Neither was injured. The only casualty of the morning was a fire officer, Station Officer Colin Gray, who suffered cuts and burns.

The central brigade turned out at 7.59 a.m. and was soon joined by other units. There were 16 officers and 52 men on duty, manning six units, the new turntable ladder, a salvage tender, a hoselaying truck and two fourwheel drive vehicles. “ABLE TO COPE”

The principal of the college (Mr G. B. Beath) said after the fire that the college would be able to cope with most student requirements for the next two weeks.

At the end of this period the situation would be reviewed.

Third-year students would not be greatly affected because they were already teaching in schools, Mr Beath said. Second-year students would stay in the schools they were at for another two weeks on extended special curriculum practice, he said. The major problem would be catering for first-year students. It was planned to accommodate them in school buildings and municipal halls, which were offered promptly today. Accommodation has also been offered at Otago University, the Otago Polytechnic, the King Edward Technical High School, Knox Church, and Knox College. MONEY OFFERED Two officers from the Department of Education in Christchurch, Mr J. M. Fitzgerald, the regional executive officer, and Mrs G. Thornton, the district property supervisor, flew to Dunedin as soon as advice of the fire reached them. The Education Department has made available money to

replace essential books and furniture.

The photograph shows firemen fighting the flames at the rear of the main block.