THE LATE FIRE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 7682, 16 January 1886, Page 2

THE LATE FIRE

LIEUTENANT WHITEFORD’S RE. PORT. On the sth instant the Mayor addressed a letter to Superintendent Whiteford, of the Municipal Fire Brigade, reqaesting him to report to the Council on the recent fire. In bis letter the Mayor asked Mr Whiteford to make an explanation in regard to bis refusal to use a chemical engine offered by Messrs Nathan, and the alleged refusal to accept offers of assistance made at the fire by citizens. The brigade, be pointed out, had been adversely criticised by tbe citizens and the Press, and it would be in the interest of members, as well as important to the Council, that such a report should be made. In reply, Mr Whiteford has submitted the following report : “ Wellington, January 11, 1886, "His Worship the Mayor, Wellington. “ Sir, —I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of yours of the sth inst., asking me to report on the late fire on Lambton-quay. I have, therefore, the honor to report that on the morning of the 29th ult., about 8 o’clock, a fire was discovered at the shop of Mr Myers. On receiving the alarm I immediately proceeded to the scene, arriving in about ten minutes from the break out, when I found two or three firemen at work endeavoring to get the fire under, but by this time tbe fire had got a firm hold of the roof of the premises occupied by Mr Myers and Mr Smart, and rapidly maKing headway along and under the roof of the adjacent premises northward, the roofs acting aa a flue in conveying the fire from one place to the other. ’ So rapid was the progress of the fiaraesthat in less than fifteen minutes from my arrival the fire bad taken firm hold of Mr Farmer’s warehouse, which soon became one mass of flames. At this stage it was evident to my mind that no human effort, however courageously endeavored, could save from total destruction alt those premises that had caught fire ; I therefore entrusted to Foreman Wilson the defence of the premises at the hack, while I endeavored in front to keep the fire from spreading to the south, north, and across Lambton-quay. This I considered was my only mode to check and confine the conflagration to the smallest area, and to this end I directed the operations. Had there been any party walls of brick between Mr Farmer's and any of the other premises, I am confident that the fire woold have been confined between the wall and where it broke out; but a block of buildings constructed as they were I can only characterise as fire traps when once overtaken by that element. The number of streams used were nine, viz., three from off the Sin and two from off the fiin mains, Lambton-quay, and two from off the 4in main (Terrace) and Mr Hayes, one from the Terrace, and one from Lambton-quay. When all those were at work, I have been informed, the water pressure gauge in the Municipal Buildings registered only 601 b, being 901 b below the usual pressure. This is not to ha wondered at, as a large number of people in the vicinity, and even so far as Courtenay place, while the fire was burning, were keeping their hose playing, which must necessarily have taken a large amount of effective power from the extinguishing of the fire. The water also having had to be thrown against a strong wind, immediately it left the branches the streams became spray before the water could reach the place to which they were directed. It has been remarked that a mistake had been made in not using the 21in main in Feathers ton-street on that occasion, bat such would have been injudicious, because it would have mattered not if that main had been Ztft instead of inches, no mors pressure could be derived from it; for, while the discharging capacity of, the mains wo were nsing was not overtaxed, the friction of water passing from the 21in main through an Bin pipe would be fifty times less than it would he passing through a 2Jin canvas hose from the same source. _ The gathering capacity of the combined mains used that morning was llfiin, while the discharge was only about Sin delivered on to the fire, thus leaving over lOOin more water pressing into the mains than w*a going out. The present strength of the Brigade is twenty-five hands all told. This includes six men composing the Newtown contingent, leaving sixteen men and three officers for the more central parts of the city. When’ the Municipal Fire Brigade was formed the full strength was to be thirty-three men. But by a resolution of the Council about two years ago the full strength was reduced to twenty-six men, and six of those were to form the Newtown contingent, this being almost equal 'to a reduction of 13 men for the city proper. Taking the average number of' fires in 'this ■ city,' that number might prove sufficient, but to compete with a conflagration such aa occurred that morning, that number_ is not half enough for the efficient workingof the Brigade. ■ The leather hose in possession of the Brigade is 1 not trustworthy in the low lying parts of the cityi the pressure being too great. Tour council some two years ago had imported from Messrs Merryweather and Sons, London, 2000 feet of their oak bark tanned canvas' hose at a trial, and since it has been pnt into use it has withstood tbe heavy pressure satisfactorily. It was at that time suggested by Councillor Danks that' the Corporation should have imported yearly a certain quantity to provide for tear and wear, but your Council decided to give the first lot a_ trial before adopting that course. ■ It is with that view that I now bring the matter under your consideration, and would beg leave to suggest that your Council discard all the leather hosa for fire protection, and adopt the canvas throughout. The quantity of nose in possession of the Brigade i»—leather, 2300fi; canvas, 2800 ft, of' which 800 ft has been a number of years in use. Your Council would. If adopting the above, require 3000 ft as a commencement, and the cost landed in Wellington would be about L3O per 1000 ft. Some months ago: a travelling agent for some chemical machine company left with Messrs Nathan and Co., as their Wellington agents, some of their machines. At that time I was asked to have a look at them to see whether tbe couplings in connection with one of them would suit our fire plant. When in use the water from the fire hose has to he attached to one end of the machine and the water passing through gets mixed with some chemical and is conveyed again from the other end into the fire hose and thence to the fire. I at that time got connections made eo that the machine could be attached to ont fire hose, for the purpose of seeing how the machine worked, and to give the agent an opportunity of testing his patent. The said agent then stated that’ before he could' give a teat he_would require to write to his principals for their permission and funds to have tbe thing tested upon a large scale. I, therefore, heard nothing further about the chemical machine until the morning of the fire, when Sir' Buckfidge, froin Messrs Nathan and Co., caine up tome and asked whether (he chemical engine could be of any service. I, knowing the engine referred, to, also its condition, and the_ stage the fire had arrived at, told him that it could not be of any nse. I also thought it would have been an inopportune occasion of trying a machine that no person hero bad seen the working of. I an)

not personally aware of any P er * on having been rudely treated at tne nre when offering assistance. On occasions oi large fires, where there is so much excitement and confusion, some degree of latitude must necessarily be allowed on side. On many occasions I have seen outside persons rendering what they would term assistance to the firemen, and just doing the exact opposite to what they ought to have done, thereby getting things more confused. Ad instance of this occurred at the late .fire, when a person outside the Brigade was entrusted to carry ana run out a coil of hose. In do 1 * 1 ? so be let the coil fall out of his band, undoing the hose ana putting it into all manner of twists and kinKS, which all required to be straightened before water could be got through, for which the firemen get the credit.—l have the honor w oe, sir, your obedient servant, A. Whitefobd, Superintendent, W.F.8.”