THE FIRE

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1955, 11 September 1886, Page 2

THE FIRE

About half-past nine on Thursday night just ns the bedgrageled residents of our flooded town were thinking of repairing to their beds, there to seek that comfort which was denied them elsewhere, they were startled by the clanging of the bell at the lire-brigade station, A hasty survey of the town located the fire at. Messrs F. IT. Pickering & Co’s flour store in Wynen street and the Brigade, under Lieutenants Falconer and McArtney, was on the spot as quickly as the flooded condition of the streets would allow. The men had to wade breast high in places before they could get the hose within working distance of the fire which was smouldering in the store-an iron shed containing lime, sulphur, grass-seed, ironmongery Ac., &e. The “Fire Queen” could not be taken anywhere near the scone of the fire the water in the streets being so high as to threaten to extinguioii the furnace fires, hut was p'aced in Mirlat Square opposite the Government Buildings from whence about 704 f -et of hose was payed out and carried a'ong Wynen.street, The members of the Brigade worked most assiduously, a steady jet was played on the flames, and in ab jut an hour all danger of a serious out l reak was averted. Ai ifc was, however, damage was done to the stock to the extent of about L 603 and to the builling, L2C’O. Insurances on the building and stock fully over the damage done. The fiie is suppose 1 to have otiginared through the water in tlio stre-t finding its way to some bags of lime in the s ore, which b came ignited and then set the to some sulphur lying uear. Sergeant White. Constable Sherry, Captain Lambert, Mr M.iir, Mr Join Holmes, and other*, with the members of the Brigade pr sent worked with a wi,l. The fumes of ihesiflpfcur rendered the efforts of those engaged in p >e endeavor to slay the ojft. break lpost perilous, and threi en d sometimes even to overpower then. Indeed, q,t oue tiiqe Mr Muir had to fie dragged 6U* of tbe building iu a faulting condjtion Under the dangerous and living circumstances much praise i< due to these gen'lemeu for their uutiaiug efforts, for,had the fire got a firm hold, there is no telling to what exttnt it might uot have spread, j