AUSTRALIAN FIRES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23056, 5 December 1936, Page 14

AUSTRALIAN FIRES

TREMENDOUS DAMAGE RUM DISTILLERY DESTROYED (From Our Own Correspondent) SYDNEY, Nov. 23. Insurance companies operating in Australia will find 1936 a most unprofitable year. There has been a long succession of serious fires, both in cities and country, and two last week-end, following the serious bushfires of a couple of weeks ago and the destruction of the ferry steamer Bellubera in Sydney Harbour, heavily increased the companies’ losses. The more spectacular of the weekend’s two fires was that which destroyed the Millaquin Sugar Company’s huge rum distillery at Bundaberg (Queensland) on Saturday night. The actual damage was £200,000, of which the insurance companies are responsible for £145,000, but if the rum destroyed was taken at its value on maturity within the next two years the loss would amount to £1,000,000. The fire was caused by a flash of lightning striking the distillery during a tropical thunderstorm. There was a terrific explosion, heard many miles away, and woodwork at the eastern corner of the distillery burst into flames. The general manager (Mr G. S. Moore),''whose house was 75 yards away, rushed into the storm _ and saw flames leaping high. With a nightwatchman, he burst into the building and endeavoured to quell the outbreak. They were joined by others, but the task was hopeless. The fire quickly spread to the great vats of rum. There were scores of tremendous explosions as the vats burst into flames, and in a few minutes the entire distillery was a raging inferno. Thousands of people were attracted by the flames, visible for 30 miles, and the deafening roar of the explosions. Rum from the vats was thrown high into the air, and thousands of gallons of burning spirit ran down to the river, which was soon ablaze with it. Jetties on the waterfront were destroyed. In all there were 63 vats of rum and spirit, each containing 10,000 gallons, and hundreds of 100-gallon drums filled with denaturant and other material used in the process of distillation. It was past midnight before the flames were subdued to any great extent, but the spirit in iron vats continued to burn throughout the night and well into the next day. Not a drop of spirit was saved. The buildings covered three acres. The atmosphere for miles round Bundaberg was permeated with rum fumes. Hundreds of people spent Sunday on the river catching fish struggling on the surface, stupefied by the fumes in the riyer. Fish of all varieties were floating about in thousands, ranging up to barramundi and salmon weighing 201 b, while an occasional shark was seen in difficulties. BOOT FACTORY FIRE The boot factory destroyed in Sydney was that of John Hunter and Son, Redfern, probably the oldest boot-manufacturing firm in Australia The damage to stock, property and machinery was £50,000, three of the four blocks comprising the factory being destroyed. Three firemen were injured. The fire broke out about 10.30 p.m. on Friday night, and before it was extinguished every fireman in the metropolitan area was on duty, to prevent'its extension in one of the most dangerous areas, from a fireman’s point of view, in Sydney. The glare was visible from the outlying suburbs, and several thousands of people were attracted to the scene. Roofing and parts of the wall crashed, breaking electric power wires and endangering many of the firemen, about half a dozen of whom risked their lives by climbing on to the hot roof of an annex of the factory. They were forced to leave shortly before the roof collapsed.