BANDSMEN AS HEROES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20560, 10 May 1930, Page 3 (Supplement)

BANDSMEN AS HEROES.

"TURN CN THE HEAT."

A hotel danco band at Lancaster was playing a fox-trot, " Turn on the Heat," early ono morning recently when the members of the band were told that a fire had broken out in a near-by block of buildings.

Dropping their instruments, the bandsmen rushed to the blazing buildings to help in the rescue work. Still in their dress clothes, they drove cars from a burning garage, carried furniture into the street, and assisted firemen to fight one of the worst fires Lancaster has known. Tho damage was estimated at £50,000. Flames menaced about 20 houses, and a newspaper reporter, who discovered the outbreak, awakened the sleeping inhabitants. Householders rushed to tho street in their night clothes some carrying bundles of clothing and others carrying furniture. By the time the Lancaster Fire Brigade arrived all tho houses in the vicinity were evacuated. Tho corrugated iron roof of the garage became red hot, and policemen, civilians and tho bandsmen drove about 50 cars to safety.