SPECTACULAR FIRE

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 88, 13 April 1923, Page 8

SPECTACULAR FIRE

EARLY MORNING BLAZE WOOLLEN COMPANY BURNT OUT TOBACCO FIRM AISO AFFECTED. In the perfect stillness of dawn thie morning a spectacular fire occurred in a four-storied building in Willeston street owned by the Wellington Woollen Manufacturing Company, Ltd., and occupied partly by that firm and partly by tho British Empire Trading Company, Ltd. The flames rose in sheets for many feet into the air, sending up volumes of daiwe black smok«, which, atfer rising some hundreds of feet undisturbed by wind, was caught by a light breeze and wafted gently southwards. As seen from the heights above the city the fire, set against the perfect calm of the harbour and the first colouring of the sky as the sun rose below the horizon, made an im-. pressive and beautiful sight. The alarm was received at the Fire Station at .4.57, from one of the automatic etreet alarms in the vicinity of the fire, and the brigade was on the scene almost immediately. The flames had a good hold on the upper stories, and it was apparent that the fire had been in progress for some considerable time. It was impossible to judge where the outbreak- originated, as two floors were involved when the firemen arrived, but Superintendent Tait speculates that it first broke out on the third floor, wliich is occupied by the Woollen Company, and after smouldering for some time burst out fiercely, broke through the floor and so involved the lower stories.

The ground floor and first floor are occupied by the British Empire Trading Company under lease from the Woollen Company, and- contain valuable stocks of tobaccos and cigarettes. Four hundred cases of these goods, including leaf tobacco, are stored in bond on the street level,'and the company's offices are on the floor above, connected by a flight of stairs. The two upper stories which are riot connected with the tobacco company's premises, but are entered from the main building of the Woollen Company next door, were used as workrooms and contained stocks of inflammable textiles such as shirtings and lining and other materials. Stairs originally connected the tipper and lower portions of the buildi ig, but these were blocked up when the premises were divided. The brigade was therefore obliged to attack the fire through the windows in front and rear. It would have been possible to take leads of hose through firedoors_ from the Woollen Company's building, but only at a very grave risk of the fire spreading and involving the corner building. The heat was intense, and soon after the arrival of the brigade huge tongues of fire were issuing from ■the roof; at one stage some particularly inflammable _ material seemed to be caught by the flames, but whatever it was, it was quickly consumed, and thereafter the-efforts of the brigade began to bear.fruit. The corner building was endangered through the iron roof of the lift-well housing becoming red hot and setting fire to the surrounding woodwork. If the brigade had not concentrated promptly on this development it would have had another field to attack, but the danger was averted before much damage had been done. The ■ second ', floor was burned through early in the |.;fight, andjjlazlng,.pje,c.es,,.of material.and ■chunks of wood fell through to.the floor below. The first'floor, however,' held, and did not suffer much damage by fire. .From the outset the object of tbe firefighters was to confine the blaze to the four walls of the building. In this they succeeded with the use of four leads of hose, one of which.was taken up the alleyway beside the Filmhouse to the rear of the fire. The actual fighting was done largely from ladders, steady streams of water being directed on to the flames through the windows. The firemen- worked hard for about an hour and a half till the back of the blaze was broken. The two floors occupied by the Woollen Company were comletely burnt out. The damage to the upper floor of the Trading Company was caused principally through water, and by burning fittings falling through.from above. The ground floor was swamped. The complete insurances were not available when "The Post" went to press. The Wellington Woollen Manufacturing Comnany has the building insured for £4000, and the contents of the two upper floors for £4495. The British Empire Trading Company has its property covered by a policy in the British Traders' Insurance Company.