INTERRUPTED BANQUET

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20823, 16 March 1931, Page 11

INTERRUPTED BANQUET

FIREMEN RESPOND TO ALARM

DUTY IN DRESS CLOTHES

DELEGATES TO CONFERENCE,

Firemen in dress clothes abandoned a banquet they were attending and rushed to the scene of the large lire which occurred at Nelson lust week. The outbreak occurred at (lie garage occupied by W. A. Kenning, Limited, in Lower Hardy Street, at (he time when the majority of Nelson firemen were present at a banquet given to delegates attending the Fire Brigades Association conference. A reply was about to bn made to the final toast of the evening when news of the fire was received. The reply was not made, however, as the assembly immediately arose arid hurried to the scene of the outbreak. fu the meantime the men left on duty at the fire station had turned out with two engines and attacked the flames.

A number of visiting firemen gave assistance to tho local brigade in their work, and others formed a cordon on the street to keep back tho large crowd which had gathered. The flames appeared to gain their hold first in the front portion of the building and spread rapidly through tho great amount of highly inflammable material in the form of cars, tyres and oil, and a furious fire soon had the building in its grip. The brigadesmen displayed great alacrity in placing their hydrants and running out five leads of hoso to the building. However, by this time huge flames were issuing from the windows and roof, tho glare lighting up the whole town. Largo volumes of heavy smoke drifted toward the sea.

There was no hope of saving anything, and the brigade did well in gaining control as soon as it did, and in guarding the adjoining buildings, owned by Mr. R. Johnston, coach builder, on one side, and the Congregation Church on the other side. The coach builder's workshop was protected by a concrete wall and no damage was done to it. The brirk walls of the garage broke the heat, which would otherwise have affected the church only a few yards away.

In the garage were 17 cars, two of which were new, three large five-ton trucks and three motor-cycles. Of these there was only one truck, in tho repair shop at the back of the premises, which was not, destroyed. Frequent dull explosions occurred as the motor tyres burned and burst. A petrol tank in the front portion of the building withstood the heat and remained intact.

The building was insured in tho Standard Office for £ISOO, the workshop for £6OO, and - the cars in stock for £SOO, whilo the trucks were insured separately, all in the National Office.