BRAVERY AT ARSENAL FIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14835, 11 November 1911, Page 2 (Supplement)

BRAVERY AT ARSENAL FIRE.

319,000ib OF GUNPOWDER,

Five years after the occurrence of the affair a number of British soldiers have received acknowledgment of their 'heroic conduct on the occasion of the fires caused by explosions of cordite at Haidarabad and Ferozepore in 1906. Haidarabad (Albert Medal, first-class): Sub-Conductor Alfred Edwin Purkis. Ferozeporo (Albert. Medal, first^clase): Captain Charles Creaghe Donovan; second-class medals: Major-General C. A. Anderson, Major (now Lieut.-Colonel) M. S. C. Campbell, Captain H. Clarke, Assistant-Commis-sary and Hon. Lieut. F- Handley, Conductor H. Pargiter, Sergeant (now Sub-Con-ductor) A. J. Robinson, Sergeant G. Smith, and R. H. Dow. . , . . In describing the incidents in which these heroes figured, the London Gazette says: — " On August 30, 1906, a fire broke out in one of the magazines of the Ferozepore Arsenal, comprising five cells, in which were stored cordite, small arms ammunition, and gunpowder. j At an early stags the ends of on© of the' outer cells (No 10) were blown out by an explosion of cordite, while from Cell No. 9, where iimall arms ammunition was stored, smoke was seen to be issuing. " Major-General Anderson, who directed the operations from a roof at a distance of some 20 yards, ordered all perilous to be cleared out of the fort, and placed a cordon round it at 1000 yards distance. ' A steam fire-engine was got to work, and the fire party commenced their highly-dangerous task of clearing Cell No. 8, m which were etored some 19,0001b of gunpowder they eventually succeeded 'in so doing;, thereby cutting off the fire by the intervention of an empty cell. Had the powdor in this cell exploded the explosion must have been communicated to cells in an adjoining magazine, where 300,0001b of gunpowder were stored;

" Captain Donovan volunteered to clear Coll No. 8, and led the fire party, and all concerned acted with the greatest coolness in circumstances calling for a high degree of courage. The door of the cell was opened and the fire hose turned on. Major Campbell joined the party by the cell, and returned in a short while and reported to General Anderson that though the cell was full of smoke and the barrels hot there was no actual fire in the cell-

"As, however, the explosions in the ruined Cell No. 10 were becoming more violent, General Anderson, fearing that the barrels of powder which were being removed from Cell No. 8 would be ignited, ordered the discontinuance of efforts to clear the cell; the pumping engine, however, was kept at work by Mr. Dow and some native assistants. ' .

" A series of heavy explosions of cordite now took place, and on the occurrence of a lull Captain Clarke went to reconnoitre, and reported that Cell No. 9 was still apparently intact. Major Campbell and Mr. Pargiter subsequently went into the enclosure to investigate, and on their report being received a party, including 50 lascars, was organised, and the removal of the powder barrels in Cell No. 8 was recommenced under cover of the fire hose. During their removal the last important explosion of cordite took . place some 12 yards away. Eventually all the barrels were removed without accident." At Haidarabad the fort was ordered to bo evacuated, and Purkis was the last man to leave.