FIRE TN THE WHITE-ROAD.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6779, 11 February 1884, Page 3

FIRE TN THE WHITE-ROAD.

At half-past four o'clock yesterday (Sunday) morning an alarm of fire was raised. A youth noticed a glare in the shop of Mr Sims in the White-road, and broke the glass of one of the telegraphic alarms recently placed on the telegraph poles, and so aroused the inmates of the Fire Brigade station. The bell was immediately sounded, but after giving half-a-dozen tolls stopped for some minutes, and then tolled again for a short time. The alarm, however, was inadequate, only those firemen living close to the station being aroused. They turned out promptly, and started for the fire with the manual engine and hose-reels. Even by this time very few people were about to help in pulling the engine and reels, and in consequence the progress made was rather slow. The turncock, Brophy, did not hear the alarm, and had to bo aroused, and there was a delay of nearly twenty minutes before he turned on the high pressure water supply. In the meantime one of the hose-reels had arrived at the fire, and the hose was attached to a fire-plug close by, but the pressure of water was so small that no good could be done. When the manual engine came up it was attached to the mains, and some water, though insufficient, was thus obtained. Five-and-twenty minutes after the alarm had been given the steam fire engine was at work, being supplied from Mr Swan's baths. The distance of tbe baths from the fire caused a great length of hose to be used — over 1000 ft in all were out — and much of it being old, the leakage materially reduced the pressure at the nozzle, and twice the hose burst entirely, necessitating the stoppage of the engine while new lengths were coupled. When the brigade arrived the fire had made such rapid progress that Sims' store was almost entirely destroyed, and an adjoining cottage owned by Mr A. White was in flames, and beyond all chance of being saved. Had there then been a sufficient supply of water the fire might have been confined to these two buildings, but, owing solely to the inadequacy of the supply, the flames communicated to a house owned by Mrs Broadfield, and occupied by Mr Dogherty, on the other side of Sims' store. An attempt was then made to couple the manual engine hose to the high-pressure supply, but it was found that, owing to Borne unknown cause, the jet thrown would not reach to the roof. Just at this moment the steam engine hose burst for the second time, and for some minutes there was not a single jet of water available. In this interval Mrs Broadfield's cottage, before gutted, was entirely consumed, and the flames had extended to a fourth house owned and occupied by Mr Sylvester, and threatened to spread still further. This was happily prevented by both Bets of hose being got to work again, but before the fire was goi^ under Mr Sylvester's cottage was gutted. The whole of the stock in Mr Sims' store was lost. Mr White's house was unoccupied, so the loss there is confined to the building. Mr', Dogherty managed to get almost the whole of his furniture out, only a bedstead and a few trifles i being burned, though in the hurry of removal many articles were damaged. Mr Sylvester's furniture was all taken out, but some was damaged in the excitement of the moment. We have been unable to get the complete insurances, but Mr Sims' store and stock were insured in the New Zealand office for £200 and the Standard for £100, and Mr Sylvester is insured with the Union for £120. Mrs Broadfield'B cottage was insured until recently, but the policy had been allowed to lapse. The house was built by public subscription, Mrs Broadfield being then Mtb Toop. We do not know whether Mr White's premises were insured. There can be no doubt there was gross mismanagement somewhere, or the loss of property would have been much smaller. That there was something radically wrong with the water-supply waß evident, for the high-pressure was not available until the fire was nearly out. We heard several different reasons adduced for this. One was that the main burst, and so reduced the pressure. Another was that the water was not prevented flowing back into the low-pressure main, and so the high-pressure was lost. It should be explained that until near Mr Swan's brewery there are two. sets of mains, ope for the high-pressure, and the other for the low-pressure ; but they are ' then joined, only one main being carried on. To get the high -pressure the water must be turned on in the high-pressure main and stopped in the low-preßaure, and itwas asserted in some quarters that the latter was not done, and that the high-pressure water found its way into the low-preßSure mains. We do not know whether this was the case. Still, it is a certainty that someone blundered, and a strict inquiry should be made into the causes of the fiasco of yesterday morning. Had the fire occurred in Hastings-street, and had there been similar blunders, tens of thousands of pounds' worth of porperty might have been sacrificed, and to prevent such a pos-

sibility in the future the true reason for the failure of the water supply yesterday should be investigated. The fire-bell, too, should have been tolled longer. Many members of the brigade did not hear it iat all. The superintendent, Mr Waterworth, was one of theso, and he did not arrive at the fire until late, when he was called by Mr Tuxford. The turncock, too, was not roused by the bell, and he was a very long time in turning out. It would be wise to connect the houses of tho superintendent and turncock with the brigade station by wire, and electric bells placed in the bedrooms of Mr Waterworth and Mr Brophy. The expense would be small, and the beneficial results might be great. We have written strongly, because there were a series of blunders or accidents yesterday which must not be allowed to be repeated. The Borough Council seems to us the proper body to find out where the fault lay. The borough has gone to enormous expense to provide an adequate supply of water for fire prevention purposes, and we have fire brigades admitted to be among tho mo3t efficient in the colony ; yet property which could easily have been saved under propee management was destroyed yesterdaymorning. The interests and safety of the townspeople demand that a most rigid inquiry shall be made, and the blame fixed on the proper shoulders.