AFTER THE FIRE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 208, 27 May 1908, Page 9

AFTER THE FIRE.

'-.I A.DEPARTMENTAL BRIGADE.'. - Thq,-recent-.,.fire in'the Genial; Post Office ; 'bloclY Jias. .a lesson-. The Secretary ■ of; the. Posit and .Telegraph Department (Mr. D.' Robertson) lias,in contemplation a .scheme . •foivspnyertiiig..tl)R;wholß.of;the officers of tho '. , Department into a-/ire brigado for service in ■ case-of any outbreak in the'future'. ,It is his ! : "intention ~tp c.onsi'lit ' with\Captain:' Hannah -.- of the Government Building ■ and ••'a ; fife. -.brjgadesinan.of'.experience), and. to ' : .solicit., his -aidi ';iu., instructing'-the - staff in-. d«»--ahi..Aqw.!to do; it" in case of '"fire. ..Mr..-.R-pbortson states, that the officers■'■ . ■-ivorked; splendidly during Friday night's fire, : ' .arid.-np little-credit attaches .to the men who , ' tljp.jihsiflo defended tho,;t-hirdrfloor back -' • flames, made'so deter- . . mined an' attack. . 'After, tho lights went-out ' .'iiothing;coiikl.be seen in tho corridor, 'into, v ' "which .tho door,opened.. The heat was stifling ... .andjthe-smokp'so.donse. that it was at'timea Mpossiblo.to stand in:,it; and to. get'a little;;; .'"iiir ,the.,officcr ;i who .was directing tho office-.h6so-p^.to.;the;dppr and burning door-frame 'lay flat down.on tho floor in the water, and ' nozzlo upwards. ;T\ r h,at a narrow ' ! osfcapoiit.was for jthe General Post Offico can- ' - . -licit, do altogether,.realised without an irisp'ec- , . tioii .of the battle ground'within. About ten! , feet .from' the-fireproof doors along-jibe corn- - > dor-Js .another" door, the opening.of which is' surrounded with- a varnished ;beading. So - intense, was tliCjheat that, tho varnish has become' beaded . all, orer»' showing that the..wood could not at one timo.be far,off tho , point of ignition. All round the iron-proof . ; _dqor itself the 1 wooden . frame was charred : 'right through, despito tho continuous play of ■"the hose from within. The. adjacent offices -- ; " were . invaded; by dense volumes of smoke,-- ' ha,s 'staiiied ..the furniture arid' - paiiers't-hat had been left'exposed. ; r »