TRAGEDY AT FIRE

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 3491, 29 October 1926, Page 2

TRAGEDY AT FIRE

BRIGADE OFFICER’S DEATH. TWO FIREMEN INJURED. DESTRUCTION OP A TANNERY., Station-Officer Frederick William Morris was burned to death, and two firemen wore injured in a fire which destroyed Mr. E. W. Fowler’s tannery at Botany, New South Wales, on October 18. Mr. Morris entered th* blazing building in search of some employees who were reported missing, and later his charred body was recovered beneath a large quantity of smouldering debris. A hot breeze was blowing, and the flames quickly devoured the wooden building. For some time it was fearr ed that they would spread to the Public School at the rear, and the pupils were hurried to a position of safety. Firemen O’Dea and Martin, also from the Botany station, were badly burned about the legs during the fire-fighting operations, and O’Dea was admitted to the Royal South Sydney Hospital. It was estimated that the damage was well over 110,000. .• The alarm was given at 11.30 a.m., and, unaware of the magnitude of the fire, Station-Officer Morris, together with Firemen Martin and O’Dea, rushed to the tannery on the engine, and commenced operations, it was found on arrival that the tannery was well alight, the flames, fanned by-a hot wind, having taken a firm hold of the interior. Hearing that some employees had been reported missing, steps were taken to locate them in the building. Station-Officer Morris and Fireman Martin ran the first line of hose through a doorway of the building, which was a structure built of brick and wood, and having two storeys. Dragging the hose with them, they climbed the nearest staircase. Dense clouds of smoke rolled through the building, almost blinding them. Sticking gamely to their task, however, they arrived at the head of the staircase on the top floor, and played a powerful'jet of water into the flames. Fate of Mr. Morris. The heat was intense. Mr. Morris gave Fireman Martin instructions to descend into the street, and telephone the other brigades for assistance. Unwillingly, Martin left his chief in the first floor, and commenced to descend the stairs. Suddenly, hearing a grinding crash, he hesitated. Fearing for the safety of Mr, Morris, he attempted to make his way back to the first floor. The flames had spread rapidly, however, and he was unable to reach the head of the stairs again. He made four dashes up the stairway, but each time was driven back by the intense heat. At length, badly burned about the legs, he was forced to leave the building. Fireman Martin said afterwards that in his opinion Mr. Morris lost his bearings in the smoke on the first floor. Ho thought that some of the timber structure, which was burning fiercely, had fallen in and had struck Mr. Morris on the head, rendering him unconscious. Mr. Morris was afterwards found in a corner of the building terribly burned. The report that employees were trapped in the building was found out to be false.

Both Fireman Martin and Fireman O’Dea, of Botany, were severely burned about the legs. They were taken to the Royal South Sydney Hospital, where O’Dea was admitted for observation, and Martin treated. Tannery Burned Out.

Meanwhile the call for assistance had met with a smart response. Brigades from Waterloo, Redferru and Alexandria reinforced the men from Botany, and under the control of De-puty-Chief Officer Nance, who journeyed by car from headquarters, several additional hydrants were brought to boar on the fire. The efforts of the firemen were concentrated on preventing the flames from spreading to the public school a short distance away. Eventually some wooden outbuildings at the rear of the main school building caught fire, but these outbreaks were soon extinguished. It was not until the tannery had been practically burned out, however, that the fire was extinguished. Mr. Morris, who was described by Chief-Officer Jackson as one of the most energetic firemen in the brigade, joined the brigade on July 4, 1901, when he was 31 years of age.