COFFINS BURNED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20623, 26 November 1941, Page 8

COFFINS BURNED

FOUR THOUSAND LOST SPECTACULAR FIRE SYDNEY, Oct. 29. Four thousand- coilins, fittings and timber, valued at thousands ol pounds, were destroyed when, following an explosion, the workshops; ol a leading firm of undertakers, Wood Cell'll, Limited, suddenly burst into flames. Over DO firemen from nine lire stations fought the flames for two hours while 10,000 onlookers witnessed' dramatic scenes as police, civilians, soldiers, sailors and National Emergency Service wardens tried to cope with the crowd and remove furniture from houses in the danger zone. Forty-five motor hearses, mdfirning coaches and other vehicles were driven to safety by an employee of the company. Joseph Manning. Men and women in evening dress on their way to dances pulled up and jostled their way through the crowd of barefooted boys, police, firemen and women with babies in perambulators to get a closer glimpse. Little thought was given to evening slippers as they jumped over hoses and waded through pools of water. Several small boys were carried back into the crowd bodily by exasperated police officers.

There was panic among the jammed onlookers when it was learned that the flames were threatening the big petrol tanks of the works, which had been filled earlier rin the day. And again, when sheets of flame blotted out electric wires overhead. Police, assisted by uniformed men of the army and navy, joined in a line to sweep the crowds back out of danger. Police also had to remove people from roofs, rooms and grounds of the dwellings near the fire.

The blaze illuminated the sky with a red glow, and could be seen for miles round the metropolitan area.