TREMENDOUS BLAZE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1704, 22 March 1913, Page 4

TREMENDOUS BLAZE.

SOAP 'AND OH. WORKS BURNED, (By Meeraph.—Press Association.} J Wafiganul, March 21', / Gdlberd 1 and Son's soap works, with ono! of tho most up-to-dato plants in NeVi Zealand, and employing 19 hands, "was d«»l itroyed by fire .last night. J IVom a spectator's point of view, tins,' eight was a striking ono. Though tlir was brig-lit moonlight, the glare iron- : i burning buildings, whioh. are sit-, j--- j near Oastlecliff, was seen for mi"around, and a lajrgo crowd flocked t. i . eceiio. When tho fire was at its t ■ i : thero was a tremendous explosion of -. , : Is supposed to have been drams ol ;-i fume. To those at a long distancx-, wholo heavens seemed to bo lit up, ; tins of fat, soap, and debris were 6caV- , in all directions among tho 6peci oloso around tho firo. It is mfran,':--:-. that ao ono was killed. Three flic were thrown, about twenty feet, but . uninjured. One tin of tallow, wei, a couple of hundredweight,, narrowly ed hitting the lire engine and a { ■ ■ of firemen. Tho publio, becoming p ■ 6triokon, rushed' madly to escape the : ; , ing missiles; numbers of peoplo fa! o ; into ditches and a creek near by. Tho fi.ro was first noticed by G, W cock, an employee, and T. Scott of £ ■, Bros., whoso fellmongery adioins tho i. ■ ; works., Tho brigade was summoned f. , town, and tho flro engine was sont dew ■ but only a small pressure could bo >. -, tained from tho adjaoent creek. Tho blaze, fed by thirty casks of oil the upper storey and vats of fat and . ■ low, was tremendous. The brigade fcemarkably-well to 6avo S'ootts' premie .. and eomo of tho stores adjoining, ,• ■ flro is still burning; and will do so tf(r . touplo of days jot; . . Tho outbreak )s thought to havo sta in. tho top storey behind ono of the tal vats, but how is a mystery, Thrco he ri before, ; when Mr. Harry Gilberd - i, through /tho workfl, all was appatv ■ Safe. By a 6trango tsoinoidenco it is i. years all but two days since tho las! when tho works were destroyed. Although tho insurance total Messrs. Gilberds say that they will k heavy losers owing to tho amoun r stock destroyed, including nearly 7( of 6oap ready for shipment. The ' dices on tho stook and building are :-iJ New Zealand offioe. <£10001 South British, <81000) Royal Exchange, 410001 ' Atlas, J&OOj Royal, i£soo| United, iC3OO ( gun^j