FIRE AT THE REP LION BREWERY.

Evening Star, Issue 10691, 2 August 1898, Page 2

FIRE AT THE REP LION BREWERY.

THE BOTTLING-HOUSE GUTTED AND ITS STOCK DESTROYED.

The fire brigade were called up at G 35 this morning from the indicator at the Great Northern Hotel, close by the Leith Bridge, and, getting out with their usual promptitude, the men saw, as the engine rattled round the Ootagon corner into George street, that they had a real fire to attend to, for flames were breaking through the roof of a building well down the street. It was a rocky passage that the firemen had, for the severe frost made the roadway as slippery as glass and the horses glissaded and stumbled and fairly took charge of the whole width of the thoroughfare, it being impossible for them to keep their feet. After numberless minor mishaps, however, the brigade got safely to the Bcene of the trouble, finding that it was the bottling-house of the Red Lion Brewery that was on fire. This bottling-house stands, or rather stood, on the George street frontage, the premises extending right through to King street. From the first it was seen that the contents of the bottling - house were doomed, the interior being simply a fiery furnace ; and Captain Mitchell, realising the importance of Baving the central tower, which contains hops and valuable plant, set to work in the first place to get a lead of water on to the side of the cower overlooking the blazing building. The tower and the bottling-house are divided by a brick wall. This fenced off the fire from the lower storey of the tower, and the water played on the upper storey prevented the flames from gaining access through the latticed windows. The windows, of course, got broken, and the lattice work charred, but excepting for this the tower was preserved uninjured. Meanwhile other members of the brigade had baen training hoses on to the bottlinghouse, and after the tower was made safe they got four leads of water to work from different points, with the result that the fire was soon smothered, though it tcok about an hour to finally quench the partly-hidden debris. When an entry was made it beoame apparent that the bottling-house had been completely gutttd and the iron roof destroyed, but the brick walls were left standing, and these are probably amenable to restoration, whilst ths stone foundations are of course intact. The interior of the bottling-house measured something like 45ft long by perhaps 30ft at one part and 20ft at another in width. Beer in casks was here in readiness for handling, and rows and rows of bottles, filled and empty, had been standing as left by the workmen. All the bottles were smashed, and the casktgot charred. Mr Maurice Joel, the owner, estimates that £SOO will cover the loss of stock. There was an insurance of £3,300 on the stock, as stored in the various bouses, with the exception of that in the malthouse, and ib will be a matter for calculation as to how far this covers the loss in the bottling-house. The owner has an insurance of about £4,000 on the buildings, of whk-h sum £7OO applied to the bottling ■ house. These insurances were effected with the Standard Company, and they are to a large extent distributed amongst the other leading companies. No one can exactly say how the fire was caused. An examination of the burnt interior suggests that the fire started somewhere about the place where the stove mei for maintaining an equable temperature was placed ; but, on the other hand, Mr Webb, who has charge of the bottling department, states that the stove fire was out when he left the premises at 5 p.m. yesterday, and that there was no sign of fire when he revisited the bottling-house on his way up town at 7 30 p.m., while he saw nothing suspicious as he passed the place on returning about 10.30 p.m. The man who keeps a general oversight of the premises at off hours lives in a cottage on the King street frontage, and he knew nothing of the fire until the alarm was given. The brewery business is, of course, not affected, and it is going on as usual.