FIRE IN SYDNEY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 74, 24 September 1912, Page 7

FIRE IN SYDNEY

AT OIL AND PAINT WORKS DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT £40,000. By Telegraph.— Prese Aaeociaiion.— Copyright. SYDNEY, 23rd September. A fire- in the premises of Groth and Company, oil and paint manufacturers, George-street, to-night fiGorched the roof of the J. D. Williams Company's Empress picture theatre next door. Groth's building, a three-storied one, was gutted, the damage being estimated' at £40,000. ■ FIERCE BLAZE. FIREMEN'S LIVES IN JEOPARDY. GREAT CROWDS^ SPECTATORS. (Received September 24, 8.45 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. Groth and Gompany were fully in* sured. There were on the premises great stores of oil and other inflammable nialerial, and the fire was one of tlio fiercest ' seeik in' the city". D.uring ijts j height the retreat of a number of fire- I men from the, roof was cut off. A change of wind forced thpm to a corner where there was. a sheer drop of fifty feet. The position was very critical, but another Veer of the wind enabled them to reach the ladders; and escape. They had to abandon their hose. ' The crowds were so dense that several persons were slightly injured in the crush. CLEARING THE THEATRE. EMPLOYEE'S HAPPY INSPIRATION (Revived September 24, 10.35 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. An etpployee of the Empress Theatre had a happy inspiration ' when the fire started. He annbunced that the people next door were burning a few shavings, and that if the audietice wanted they could go and see for themselves. The theatre" was* cleared withoui mishap. J