BIG BLAZE AT MENTAL HOSPITAL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2018, 27 March 1914, Page 8

BIG BLAZE AT MENTAL HOSPITAL.

SIINYSIDE THREATENED.

AN UPPER STORY GUTTED.

PATIENTS SAFELY REMOVED. (Bs Telegraph.—Press Association.; Chrlstchurch, March 25. Shortly before ten o'clock this morning an outbreak of lire occurred in tho wing of tho women's ward at the Sunnyside Mental Hospital, and by noon tho centre portion of tho ward was gutted. A very fow minutes after the o\itbrcak tho firo, which at that time had broken out through one portion of the roof, was burning fiercely in a strong north-east gale that was blowing at the time. i An Ugly Situation.

The roar of. the flames and the crash i>f the falling. slates and timber-work filled the air, and at this timo tho situation looked vory ugly. Indeed, no one seemed to have a very clear idea of tho origin of tho fire. It started in tho uppermost story: of the female ward, in r; part of the building that runs practically -east and west, and its origin is put down to a defective fluo or chimney. No smell of burning soot gave an alarm' till the firo had a really good hold, and was too far advanced for tho "hospital staff to cope with. .Where 1 it started the female patients have their sleeping quarters, 'hut at this, timo in tho morning practically all of them were out of the ward. At the eastern end of tho ward a solid concrete wall '.cuts off the block from the adjoining part of tho building, and luckily at its western end a. similar wall cut tho burning portion off from tho big ward that forms the westernmost part of the main or old building. These retaining wttlls probably proved the salvation of the female side of the hospital, and tho ■brigade made every effort to confine thi. flames to the upper story of the ward. Por .a time all their efforts proved .apparently"'unavailing, and great sections of 'the roof wcro successively seen to bulgo outwards, crack, and belch forth masses of denso white smoke, while tho continual clatter and crash of broken slates formed an accompaniment. The heavy streams of water began to mako their, effects felt after about forty minutes" or so-of hard work on the part of; the .brigade and the hospital attendants; and it was seen that the eastern end of tho building would bo saved for a certainty.

Tho western end was in jeopardy for ii considerable time afterwards, but the concrete, dividing wall, and tho concentrated "off orts of the firemen, made it clear 'about lllo'that'the fire would got no fiiitUef." , . ••..■■'•' ■,"'."' Gettinc tho Patients Out. v

■'. Too'much praise cannot bo given to the' splendid coolness and discipline of tho matron and'her staff .of female attendants. Directly it was seen that there was any real, danger, .the, female patients, to the number of between two and three'hundred;: wore quietly marshalled cut into tho big airing yard that lies 'to-the.;north of the female wards. The tiurses. were splendid and led their charges out into the open with reassuring words and-an 'absence of fuss and panic that speaks-volumes for their efficiency. The unfortunate ..women, generally speaking,,took, it very calmly. They sat down on scats provided Tinder tho trees or lay on the grass and watched tho fire. AH the, time the attendants walked among them calming'any rising apprehensions and speaking cheerfully and quietly to' them. _ Just ill one or-two isolated cases,a. patient.'would get excited, but any attempt.at'making a scene was promptly nipped in the bud by .two" or three of the'nurses,''-who would gather round reassuringly'. A.meed of praise was also, earned by: the men at-, tendants of tho'hospital v 'Thoy worked ganiely and hard and gave very valuable assistance to the members of the brigade. They helped; to raise ladders to. give access to the top storv, and hauled ; tip" heavy hoses' to "the firemen who were working' in the thick of the smoke and flames, under crackling slates and Tafters. The attendants' also did- valuable, service in saving as much of tho .bedding,_ effects, and furniture as was possible in'.the limited time;at their dis-posal,.-but: of course. ,a great deal of ■ damage was done by fire and water, and the upper story was practically gutted. Soon after tho outbreak was discovered .eyery <jffort was made to ascertain whether all the patients in the portion of the building affected had been got out safely, and on," .investigation •it .was found that all'were'safe. In.the'upper floor of the. part affected by the fire were tho; sleeping quarters of about "40 .patients, and on .the ground floor about . the same number sleep. Accommodation is- being provided for all those who sleep in the* part of the building "burnt in ■other-parts of the institution, and tonight they will all bo comfortably pro- ■ vided for. All Safe at Mid-day.

At noon everything was safe. Tho brigadesmen on tho roof began clearing away some of tho exposed and .dangerous timbers, and slates, while ■ only a couple of leads were being played on tho last hold of the fire. At this' time the hoses began to bo withdrawn, and the cleaning-up process of tho fire began. All the hoses were cut off by 12.30. The women's wing damaged to-day lias long been voted obsolete. Superintendent .Warner, of the Christclrurch Fire Brigade, commended the good work dono by the attendants at the hospital, which, he, said, was of great assistance to tho brigade in its efforts to deal with the fire. : •