THE GREAT FIRE IN SYDNEY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 2087, 30 July 1901, Page 3

THE GREAT FIRE IN SYDNEY.

WHERE IT ORIGINATED

(Condensed from the 'Herald.')

There seems to be a consensus of opinion that the fire broke out about 8.15 a.m. on July 11, when between 300 and 400 employes, nearly all men, were in various parts of the emporium. The remainder of the staff had not yet arrived. Some employes in the toy department, which was located in the basement of one of the central buildings abutting on Parker lane, noticed smoke coming from a reserve store for Manchester goods in an adjoining cellar, and before anything could be done to investigate the cause a great inburst of fire occurred, which drove them and two or three customers they were serving upstairs tto the open. The alarm was given, but ■■Bridently nothing effective could be devised cope with the difficulty. The fire flew Vthrough the upper parts of the structure, which was of four storeys, separated on each side by lanes from the massive premises belonging to the firm at the corners of Pitt and George streets. Leaping across these lanes, the conflagration attacked the other buildings mentioned almost simultaneouslv, getting into the Pitt street corner block at about the third story from he ground. Thi3 immense place was quadrangular, and seven storeys high, being surmounted by a conspicuous square tower. Once the fire had got a hold of the third storey it spread so rapidly and filled the place* with such volumes of smoke that the employes there decided on immediate flight. Those on the lower three storeys had a good chance of getting away, but the men on the four higher floors had the utmost difficulty in descending, being severely scorched and almost overpowered with the reek. One poor fellow, about twenty-two years of age, got actually cut off, and the manner in which he vainly fought for his life is detailed elsewhere. AN AWE-INSPIRING SCENE. By nine o'clock, when the fire had been raging little more than half an nour, the scene from the slope of George street, coming from the Town Hall towards the Haymarket, was simply grand. The burning buildings seemed like an extended array of vast kilns displaying red, incandescent, and varied hues of flame in all their proportions, capped with volcanic fire. To the .right of the prospect was the sixstmmed building on the firm's George street frontage, about 40ft from the Gipps street corner. This was brilliantly alight from the first floor to the parapet. There was a blaze coming out of every one of the twentv-five windows facing the street, as well as through the roof. All the floors seemed to have fallen in, and the interior looked like a white-lxot furnace. The firm's premises adjoining towards the south, which rose to a height equivalent to that of four storeys, were enveloped in smoke, and it appeared that the fire was extending there. The heart of the conflagration resembled an inferno, and was midway between George and Pitt streets, where nearly the whole of Hordern's extensive central stores were flaring with fearful intensity. To the left of the conflagration, and visible above all the body of the spectacle, was the flaming seven-storeyed Pitt street corner block, which was alight all over, and the tower of which seemed to be forming a great flue, attracted the fire to a culminating point, and gave a final vent to it heavenwards. CLEGG'S LEAP FOR DEAR LIFE. of the most painful but exciting inciwitnessed during the progress of the conflagration was a fata' leap for life on the part of a young man named Harry Clegg, an upholsterer, employed in the furniture building, who, as a last means of escape, jumped from the highest summit of the lofty building in Gipps street, known as the furniture and stationery department. At the time of the outbreak he was engaged at work on the highest or eighth floor of the building. Finding that the floors below him were enveloped in flames the deceased climbed through one of the windows of the tower on to the roof with a hope that he would be rescued by some means or othor. He at once made his way to the front of the building, and with ■ hat in hand stood on the summit of the parapet, and waved his hat and shouted to the crowd below. People in all directions raised a cry: "Man on the roof." Several of the workmen and bystanders rushed round for something in the form of a sheet to hold out for the purpose of catching the man should he jump. A large tarpaulin was secured from the tramway sheds in Pitt street, and several people proceeded to spread the same, but in the meantime the firemen arrived with the fire escape, and in order to make room for it to be placed against the building, the people with the tarpaulin were ordered to stand back. The escape would, however, only reach to the fifth storev, a distance of 82ft, Avhile the man was standing at a height of 120 ft or more. The scene now became most painful and exciting Every moment the man's dancer was becoming more apparent to thos°e below. The firemen tried every possible to reach him, while the crowd cheered and shouted to him to hold on and to keen up his spirits. Clegg could every now and then be seen through the dense volume of smoke with which he was surrounded clinging to the parapet at the angle of the building nearest to the offices of the Gas Company. Flames leaped out from the windows immediately below him, and curling themselves roared high in the air, and seemed to enwrap the man, who every now and then to escape a volume of dense smoke and heat would take refuge behind the parapet, A shout would come from those below " He's gone." Clegg, however, time after time again appeared in view, and held on firmly to the highest portion of the brickwork. " In this position he remained for fullv fifteen minutes. The crowd, which by this time had worked itself into a feverish state of excitement, shouted to cheer the spirits of the man, who, to all appearances, seemed doomed. There was another cry: "Get a sheet," and several people rushed away to once more get the tarpaulin. In the meantime the firemen removed the escape ladder to what they thought would prove to be a more advantageous angle from which to reach the man. Clegg witnessed the removal of the escape, and must have wrongly come to the conclusion that the firemen, finding they could not reach him, had abandoned the idea of rescue, and had deserted him. He once more disappeared behind the parapet, but between the volumes of smoke was seen to reappear on the parapet. He re- \ moved his hat from his head and waved it to the people below. . He was next seen to cast his eyes heavenward, as if engaged in prayer. He then, to the horror of all who were looking at him, extended his arms and dropped feet first from the parapet. There was a shout of " He's*" gone." In the descent the deceased fell forward, and when * picked up from the middle of the road was "*£ lying in a heap on his right side. His jaw, right leg, and left arm were fractured, while his hair, face, and arms were singed. A crowd quickly gathered, and the excitement became intense. Several women fainted, while men who had witnessed the leap turned away in horror. The man >was at once taken to the Sydney Hospital, but on arrival at that inst'itation Dr ron pronounced life extinct. Deceased, who :was twenty-two years of age, was born

in Yorkshire. He was a single man, and resided with his parents at 50 Park avenue, Ashfield. He was a gaeat favorite with his shop mates. SPREAD OF THE FLAMES. An idea of the rapidity with which the fire spread was furnished by a gentleman employed in the show department. He arrived on the premises a few minutes before eight o'clock. His department was situated in what was known as the palace floor, and faces the corner of Gipps street and Parker lane, on the ground floor. The stock consisted of general drapery, most of which was of a most inflammable character, such as laces, silks, and Manchester goods. When he arrived there Avas no sign of fire, but at about fifteen minutes past eight a boy ran to him with the alarm that the place was on fire. Before he could turn almost, the place became full of smoke, which rolled up the staircase through the toy department in the basement in dense volumes. They got out the hose on the ground floor, but were unable to use it, as everyone was blinded with the smoke. Almost instantly the fire travelled up the stairway, and'before anyone could do anything the whole place was ablaze. From this "building the fire travelled with inconceivable rapidity across the bridges over the lane into the main George street building. He had barely time to warn his fel-low-workmen. As the majority of the employes do not arrive till 8.30 and 9, they were all got out in safetv. also the cooks and waiters, who occupied the top of the George street building. The fire was so intense that it leaped across Parker street, and igniting the verandah of the new furniture building at the corner of Gipps and Pitt streets, completely burned out that lofty pile of eight stories. AN EXCITING EXPERIENCE. Mr C. M. Borthwick, who was in charge of one of the departments in the ironmongerv and crockery building, had a trying time. Seen in the hospital the same afternoon, he said: "It was about 8.5 a.m. when as I entered my department I at once noticed smoke issuing from the windows of the toy department in Parker lane. I gave the alarm, and at once set to work in the ironmongery building, along with the other emploves* present, to get ready all available hose and fire-extinguishing plant in this particular block of buildings. A number of us were on No. 5 floor, when clouds of smoke enveloped us, and the heat became more intense. We were waiting for the fire to break through the windows, in order that we might use our hoses, but clouds of smoke came rolling up the staircase, and we did not know whether the fire was underneath us or not. It went to one of the windows in the gable nearest the markets. This window was over 100 ft from the street. Someone from below sang out 'For God's sake come down.' I at once became convinced that the fire had reached the floors below me. I ran and secured a rope and placed one end out of the window, fastening the other end to the staircase. It was too short to reach the roof of the small building below. My brother then appeared in the street and yelled at the top of .his voice: ' Come down, come down.' My mates and I got a longer rope, and fastening it in the same manner I successfully lowered my three companions, Messrs Geary. Newman, and Brown, to the roof of the building below. I then ran back and shouted for any others who might still be in the building. The smoke was overpowering. Finding no person I returned to the window. Again the shouts came from below : ' Come down, for God's sake.' 1 attempted to lower myself by means of the rope, in the same way the other men had done, but my hands slipped, and I lost my grip of the rope, at about halfway down—viz., 30ft. I fell the other 30ft, and landed on the roof with my right foot under me. The doctor says I have fractured my right ankle, and I have sustained injuries to my hands." WORK OF THE FIREMEN. When Superintendent Webb reached the scene he found the fire in the central building, between Parker lane and Parker street, the haberdashery department being well alight. The basement was a sea of fire, which rapidly flooded the ground floor and first floor. He entered the building, and saw that a hose had been got to work ; but the flames spread too swiftly, and he ordered the employes out. He tried at the same time to work on the central building from Gipps street, but the outbreak became so extensive that he brought the men outside to Parker lane to try and check the progress of the fire into the clothing department in George street. By this time the firemen from George street west arrived, and they got their steamer to work in Gipps street, near fhe corner of George street, with a hose also down Parker lane. The other nine steamers as they arrived were posted in the best possible way, and the branches distributed to the best advantage. It was soon seen, however, that there was no possibility of saving the central building—the general drapery department —and he went round to the George street front to see if it was possible to check the tire in that direction. The fury of the fire in the central block, however, became so intense that the flames were carried right across Parker street to the furnishing department, a building eight storeys high. The street, which is about a chain wide, was becoming a blaze of fire, and he sent an officer into the furnishing department to order everyone in the building to leave. The officer went upstairs, and in a few minutes a lot of people came down. The officer reported that he had ordered everyone down, a difficult task, considering the' large building and the number of floors. A man, who it is supposed was the ill-fated Clegg, was found on the top floor using a hose, The firemen told him to drop it and go downstairs. " .Ten minutes afterwards," added Mr Webb, " the whole place was alight. No doubt the unfortunate man thought he was doing a courageous thing in sticking to his post instead of obeying the order to leave," The fire spread continuously for upwards of two hours. Along the Gipps street frontage it burnt itself out. During the operations the tramway service was cut off in Pitt and George* streets. Mr Webb thought that had the brigade been stronger it would have been possible to save much more property. Some time ago he intimated that he required 150 men and fifteen steamers. He had 108 men, including "oachmen. and ten steamers. "At a fire like that in London," said Mr Webb, " there would have been forty or fifty steamers at work." A TICKLISH TIME. When the fire was at its height the premises of the Australian Gaslight Company, which adjoin part of Messrs Hordern and' Sons' establishment, were in great danger. There were on these premises three gas-holders, two small and one large one, and one of the small ones was fully exposed to the heat of the flames. As soon, however, as information of the fire was received the gas was turned off into the mains, and the governors which control the supply of gas to the holders were turned off, so that no further gas entered. The show room, a single-storey building, was set alight from the heat, and everything inflammable in it was burned. This occurred about 10 a.m. Before this, however, a house occupied by Inspector Harvie, of the Gas Company, was gutted. It was set on fire by the heat which radiated from the burning buildings. Adjoining the Pitt street frontage of the block of land owned by the company is

' the governor-house; the roof of this caught fire -also from the radiated heat. Had the gas caught fire in the holders there would have been no danger of an explosion, because it would simply have burned away—with a great flare, it is true —but unless it became mixed with a certain proportion of atmospheric air it would have been nonexplosive. EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. Anthony Hordern's premises: The furnishing department, a building facing Parker street and Gipps street, consisting (if eight storeys and basement, completely burnt out, roof off, walls bulged and cracked. The palace show rooms, facing Gipps street, and extending along Parker lane and Parker street as far as the ironmongery department, consisting of four storeys* opposite Gipps street and two storeys with basements joining the ironmongery, completely burnt out, and some of, the dividing wall fallen. The clothing store, fronting George street, consisting of six storeys and basements, completely burnt out." The mercery department, at the corner of George and Gipps streets, consisting of four storeys and basements —top floor burnt out, and the whole of the stock on the lower floors more or less damaged by fire and water. Clothing establishment in George street, completely burnt out. Ironmongery department, a building of eight storeys in Parker street extending to Parker lane—roof severely damaged, and all the goods on the lower floors more or less damaged by water. Delivery offices in Gipps street, 'badly scorched. Other premises damaged Vaughan's drapery store, stock severely damaged and roof burnt off. Show rooms of the Australian Gaslight Company, the residence of the foreman in Parker street, and the gas governor-house, all severely damaged. Wesleyan Church, at the corner of Hay and Pitt streets, roof severely damaged. Four cottages in Pitt street —roofs caught fire, contents damaged by water. In Pitt street the roofs of two small buildings caught fire. THE INSURANCES. The following are the risks held by the various offices, and an estimate of their actual losses:

Hie quantity of goods salvaged was relatively inconsiderable, though it represented a large money value. It was chiefly confined to the ironmongery and saddlery departments. LESSONS OF THE EIRE. Superintendent Webb, referring to the loss of life, said that the only possible way of saving Clegg would have been to throw a rocket" over the roof attached to a light line. If the deceased had then had the presence of mind to haul up a stronger rope and make it fast he might have been able to lower himself. It was only a bare possible chance, however, and the life line would have had to bo available immediately the m;«i was discovered on the roof, as the fire swept up through the building. with amazing rapidity, and the line would have been burnt through. "We have repeatedly told people who build these high buildings," said Mr Webb, " that thev must provide precautions themselves. We have advocated that no building should be erected higher than 90ft from the street level, because it is recognised by all authorities that 90ft is the highest practicable height at which a brigade can right a fire. The people who erect these higher buildings, and those who insure them, must take the risk. There is a limit to the possibilities of firemanship. We can throw a jet of water over the Town Hall in calm weather, but we could not do it with the breeze this morning. In London the 90ft limit is urged and recognised." Asked with regard to the length of ladders used by tiro brigades in other great cities of the world, Mr Webb said that in London 87ft was the maximum, and in New York 90ft. In Sydney it was 80ft, whilst the man jumped* from a height of 120 ft to 125 ft. In London rocket lines were used, chiefly in connection with floating steamers, to cast lines from the water.

Anst. Alliance £ 5,900 £ 4,500 Atlas 8,500 6,000 Aachen and Munich 3,500 3,000 Aust. Mutual 3,500 2,100 Batavia 5,500 4,000 Caledonian 3,250 1,600 City Mutual 3.000 3,000 Colonial Mutual 4,000 3,500 Der. and Pamar 5,250 3,750 Eastern Counties 2,250 2,250 Guardian ■• 17,000 13,500 Imperial 8,000 7,000 Liv. & London & Globe ... 18,000 12,000 London Assurance 7,750 6,250 Lancashire 17,000 13,000 Manchester 6,750 5,500 Merc. Mutual 1,000 500 Magdeburg 11,000 11,000 Norwich Union 11,500 8,000 New Zealand 9,968 6,468 N. British and Merc. 11,500 8,250 Northern 11,000 8,000 N. Queensland 8,050 5,000 Phoenix 10,500 9,000 Palatine 12,500 8,500 Patriotic 6,500 4,500 Queens. Mutual (Manchstr) 3,250 3,250 Royal 42,750 30,500 Royal Exchange 7,750 6,250 South British 18,000 10.500 Standard 5,000 3,000 Sun 25,250 17,500 Scot. Union and Natl. ... 6,750 5,000 State 6,500 3,000 United 4,500 4,500 Victoria 7,000 5,500 IN LONDON Helvetia 6,000 6,000 Kent 1,000 1,000 Metropole Confiance 1,200 2,000 1,200 2,000 Lloyd's 42,000 42,000 Dutch Ms. .. 3,000 3,000 La Convmerciale '■ 100 100 £394,718 £304,468