Valuable Records Lost

Manawatu Times, Volume 65, Issue 258, 31 October 1940, Page 2

Valuable Records Lost

COSTLY BLAZE WHEN PLANT RESEARCH BUREAU RAZED

While no cause for the outbreak can be specified, it seems that the fire which destroyed the Plant Research Bureau building near Massey College in the early hours of yesterday morning, commenced in tho plant ecology room, this division of the bureau being devoted to herbage dissection and the examination of samples for their botanical composition. Both electricity and gas were j laid on to the building. Described by the director (Mr. E. Bruce Levy) as one of tho most up to date bureaux of its kind in tho Southern Hemisphere for equipment of its chemical side, the building had 11 rooms in the main part, besides four in the chemical laboratory. Twentyfour persons used the main part of the biilding, and there were eight *iuploycd in the laboratory. The employment of most of these members- of the Depart ment of Scientific and Industrial Research will not be affected to a very material degree, as the greater part oi their work lies in the field activities of the bureau. Tho bureau building was used to a large extent for the writing and examination of records of research. These were stored in the building and included collections extending over the lifetimes of several senior members of the bureau, with photographs of plant life and plant development which, along with other material, cannot be replaced in New Zealand or in other countries. The pedigrees and histories of various kinds of pasture plants—clover, rye, subterranean clover, cocksfoot and the like—were kept in duplicate, however, and the duplicate copies of these are available. The fire was first seen by Mr. A. E. Sawyer, a member of the staff of the Massey College dairy factory, who lives next the factory, about 100 yards from the bureau building. He was roused about 1.15 a.m. and thought.at first that the dairy factory was on lire. He ran to a neighbour, Mr. G. Colpman, dairyman of the college hero, ana Mr. Colpman telephoned for tho firo brigade. Mr. Sawyer then put on some clothes and telephoned tho fire brigade again, from the dairy factory (to ensure that they had received the call) and to tho I director of tho bureau. Tho factory is ' served by an artesian well, and this j water is boosted by electric pump to a | reservoir above the college buildings to ■ provide water for these. Mr. Sawyer started up the booster pump to give tho brigade increased pressure at a firo plug at the factory should they require it, but this was not needed, the brigade using the nearby stream for its water supply. When the fire reached tho chemical laboratory there was a heavy explosion which was heard a mile away, this probably being caused by an oxygen cylinder bursting. There were other explosions us various chemicals were set alight, but they were not as serious as the first, which, however, did not throw burning debris from the building. In addition to various personal belongings of members of the staff, the money for their salaries was in the building preparatory to being paid out.