A BIG FIRE

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 March 1926, Page 5

A BIG FIRE

AT VICTORIA PARK. NEW GRANDSTAND GUTTED Completed less than three years age. at a cost of £14,000, the fine concrete grandstand at Victoria Park, the pride of the Greymouth Trotting Club, is now but a smoking ruin. Shortly after 1.15 P-in. to-day, the fire bell rang -out, and clouds o£ smoke were seen rising in the direction of the Park. The Brigade quickly turned out, and crowds gathered rapidly. It was seen that little hope remained of saving the structure, and even that quickly faded, as the flames, fanned by a fresh south-west breeze, spread with inconceivable speed, converting the seating accommodation of the stand into a mass of flame. Steel girders became red hot, and twisted like snakes in the terrific heat. The roof was weakened, and commenced to collapse in sections, the crash of falling wood and iron being merged in the roar of the flames. The glass with which the’* stand was plentifully equipped, disappeared like snow be ■ fore the sun, and, in less than an hour, only the concrete shell of the structure remained standing. Practically the only thing that could be saved, so rapidly did the flames do their work, was a framed photograph of the late Mr. J. Gieseking. The Brigade did everything a brigade could do, under the circumstances. They were handicapped by the inadequate pressure of the Borough water -supply in Leonard Street, and had to call in the services of the steam engine, which was connected with the adjacent lagoon. Fresh water for the boiler had to be carried from the structure near the stand, which is used as tearooms, by a bucket brigade. Three or four leads of hose were concentrated upon the flames, but so great was the blaze that they might as well have been toy hoses. The ■'firemen took considerable risks in taking the hoses as far into the stand as possible, and on several occasions they missed injury from falling-rwood and iron. Some of the brigade’s prominent members are away, competing at the Dunedin contests; but their presence could not have saved the grandstand. The flames had too big a hold. The outbreak is mysterious. So far as can be ascertained, it appears to have originated at the rear of the stand, near the main staircase. The Club will be a heavy loser, despite the insurance on the stand, and general sympathy was felt among the crowd for the President and officials, who could only stand on the track and watch their property being rapidly consumed. There were no buildings directly adjoining the stand, but the judge’s box, some distance away, was scorched, while the wooden fence sep - arating the stand from the trotting track was destroyed. The heat from the burning structure was terrific, and the firemen’s clothing had to be continually saturated with water. A great pall of smoke drifted slowly over the town, and even found its way up the Gorge. The opportunity for “snaps” was not neglected, and amateur and professional photographers were amongst the busiest persons at the Park. The insurance upon the building totals £BOOO, distributed among the following offices; South British, Royal, Royal Exchange, United, Commercial Union, and North British. Among the contents of the stand destroyed were the weighing machine, urns, furniture, crockery, tools, pictures, saddle cloths, arm bands, and stationery. The caretaker (Mr. C. Watson) stated that he was at work on the track when he noticed what he at first thought to be dust rising from the stand. Closer attention proved it to be smoke, and he raced across and got out a small hose, Realising this was insufficient, he went upstairs with the object of securing a larger hose, but was driven back by the smoke find flames. Mr. Watson states that the fire apparently originated at the south end of the stand, near the rail which separates the public section from that reserved for riders and drivers.

The stand was used for the first time at the Club’s meeting in October, 1923. The contract for its construction was commenced by Mr J. A. Hart on June 22 in the same year. Messrs S. and A. Luttrell, of Christchurch, were the architects, and the stand covered an area of 150. ft x 36ft.