SPECTACULAR FIRES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18942, 13 February 1925, Page 6

SPECTACULAR FIRES.

OUTBREAK IN MELBOURNE. AN EXPLOSION OCCURS. NARROW , ESCAPE OF THEATRE. A deafening roar, a crash of falling glass, and a great shaft of flame shooting high in the air, heralded a fire, which partly destroyed Bourke House, a sixstorey building, at the corner of Bourke and Russell Streets, Melbourne, shortly after 1 o'clock one recent morning. 'X'he explosion hurst out the windows on the upper two floors, and a shower of glass fell to the street, cutting the hands of a man who was passing on the opposite side of Bourke Street, and leaving the adjacent thoroughfares coated with splintered glass. When the remarkable flame shaft shot skywards the sky was brilliantly illuminated with a deep red glow, the reflection from which appeared to cover the whole .city, By the time the fire brigade arrived the fire, which appeared to have been caused by combustion of cinematograph films stored in apartments on the fifth floor, and occupied by Seknick Pictures of Australia; Ltd., had gained a strong hold on the inflammable material, and the flames wero gushing for some distance from the windows on the eastern and southern sides of the building. A huge volume of flame was wafted across the lane shortly after the explosion was heard, and ignited the upper portion and tower of the King's Theatre. It Was at first thought that no effort on the part of the fire brigade could save the theatre building from destruction. Fortunately, however, the firemen, who are permanently on. duty at the theatre, at onco realised the danger in which the building was placed, and took lines of hose from the emergency hydrants in the tower and top floor, and played water 'upon the flames. Their efforts were successful, and within a few minutes the outbreak in tho theatre was extinguished. The fire was subdued within half an hour. The damage is estimated at not less than £20,000. AN UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE. SEVERE ELECTRIC SHOCKS. ExcitoMent was caused by a fire which occurrecr in Woaga Street, Canterbury, near Sydney, when a row of shops were threatened with destruction. While they were fighting the flames several of the firemen and a civilian received a severe electric shock and had to receive medical attention. They were flung to the ground by the force of the current. A jot of water from one of the hoses came in contact with an electric power wire, and the current, running to earth through the water, passed along tho hose, and gave the firemen a serious shock, A civilian, who had volunteered his services, and was assisting to quell the outbreak, also received an electric shock. They were unable to let go the electricitycharged hose, but as soon as the stream of water left tho wire the danger of elocution, was past. Those 'lnjured were:—Fireman O'Hara, incised wound to right knee, injuries to legs and shock; William Honery, electric shock and injury to knee, and Richard Noble, injury to ankle.