DISASTROUS BLAZE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24334, 26 June 1940, Page 6

DISASTROUS BLAZE

CITY BREWERY MALTHOUSE DESTROYED LOSS ESTIMATED AT £50,000 GOOD WORK BY BRIGADES Whipped into a raging fury in less than a quarter of an hour by southwest squalls, a fire , which broke out at about 5 a.m. yesterday completely destroyed the malting house of New Zealand Breweries, Ltd., in Rattray street. In spite of the desperate efforts of the city and suburban flre-fightmg forces, damage to the extent of over £50,000 was caused, mainly through the loss of valuable machinery and raw materials which will be replaced only with the greatest difficulty. The whole of the top floor of the building, comprising an area of thousands of square feet, was gutted, including the high towers of the barley kilns, which collapsed under the onslaught of the flames in boisterously spectacular fashion. With the ruins still smouldering yesterday and brigadesmen pouring water into the debris, it was impossible to make the thorough examination of the premises necessary to determine the cause of • the outbreak. Several theories have been advanced, but in view of the serious nature of the occurrence no official information on the point could be obtained pending a complete investigation. It is undeistood that the losses are covered by insurance, but such safeguards do not insure the company against the possible effects of a shortage of raw material cn future output. Details of the insurances were not available yesterday. An Unequal Struggle The alarm was received at .the Central Fire Station shortly after 5.15, and a full complement of machines and personnel was despatched. By the time the brigade arrived the flames had a complete hold on the upper portion of the building and were bursting through the windows and fanning halfway across the street. It was obvious that the best that could be expected was that adjacent premises might be saved. An emergency call was immediately sent out, and. reinforced by the South Dunedin, Roslyn and Green Island brigades, the fire-fighters commenced the unequal battle against one of the most furious conflagrations seen m Dunedin for many years. The inflammable character of the malt and barley housed in the premises increased the odds, and despite a tremendous pressure of water from numerous leads pf hose directed from Maclaggan, Dowling, and Rattray streets and "Canongate, and it was impossible to make any real impression on the'blaze for at least two hours. The flames mounted skywards to an inestimable height and clouds of yel-lowy-green smoke, acrid and dense, rolled out across the city, borne on the gusty wind as far as the Railway Station and Knox Church. Adjoining Premises Saved Even an hour after the outbreak of the fire it was doubtful whether the most'strenuous endeavours of the brigades could save adjoining buildings, particularly the Oddfellows’ Hall and the furniture warehouse of Messrs Scoullar and Chisholm. The former was seriously threatened when a high wall collapsed and started a fire on its roof, but the brigade was ready for such an emergency, and quickly saved the situation. Only the substantial quality of the firebreak wall at the Maclaggan street end of the malthouse saved a disastrous extension of the'fire. „ , . . . No familiarity with the technique of fire-fighting was required to convince the bystanders, who at 6 a.m. numbered many hundreds,, that the work of the officers and men of the central and suburban brigades was worthy of the highest admiration. Many of the men worked assiduously in hazardous circumstances which were frequently rendered more dangerous by the crash of falling debris. Roofing iron was shed in all directions when the huge concave roofs fell in. and there were dull, ominous rumblings every few minutes as heavy beams and girders crashed to the floor. The wonder of the whole thing was that the malting floor held, and thus prevented the complete destruction of the lower floors and cellars. While the bagged grain was burning at its fiercest there was a definite menace to premises even remotely situated from the fire, as the high wind, which came in gusts, carried large fragments of flaming sacking high above buildings in Princes street. The sparks were for the most part effectively dealt with by the squally rains, but every now and then when the skies cleared momentarily the danger from flying embers again became imminent. Flame and Smoke Three hours after the arrival of the brigades the centre of the malting floor was still an inferno, and in spite of the huge volume of water poured on it. it seemed as if the flames would win. The great deluge monitor with its large nozzle, capable of discharging a double lead, was moved from place to place, and kept the fire within reasonable bounds, but three and a-half hours after the fire broke out the spectators were treated to one of the most vivid spectacles of the morning—the roaring furnace in the last kiln and the final collapse of the tower into its own shell. For more than an hour it had been belching huge clouds of the peculiarly tinted smoke that arises from burning barlev, and then a break occurred in the tiled gabies, giving the southwest draught a chance to fan - tne smouldering interior into a fearful crackling blaze which gave, the impression of a fast express train tearing through a tunnel. For a brief while the holocaust continued, and then came the crash. Luckily, the top-hamper fell straight and filled the well of the kiln. It could easily have canted over and caused damage and injury in the street below. A Desolate Scene Daylight found the building a grim pile surmounted by smouldering rums, in which roofing iron, beams, and girders lay twisted into the most fantastic shapes and covered with the creamy-yellow residue of charred barley* and malt. On the skyline the grim‘skeletons of machinery increased the impression of desolation, but even these were finally engulfed in the ruins by the collapse of supports that could bear the strain of fire and weight no longer. Throughout the day a constant guard was kept on the premises on all sides, and the sullenly smouldering pile received many thousands of gallons of water long alter all outward danger appeared to have been averted. Although tribute must be paid to the excellent work of the firemen, their efforts would have been of little ayail had it not been for the magnificent pressure of water made available by the special efforts of the City Corporation officials. Wherever water was needed it was supplied in effective volume. Spectators, too, had reason tq, thank the Corporation for the care that was taken of them; Early in the fire experts rendered the network of power and other lines around the burning building harmless in case they fell. Many of the wires that were being licked by the flames carried as much as 600 volts. Heavy Losses The company has suffered serious loss of machinery and materials. The building and equipment, and to some extent the barley and malt, were covered by insurance up to £50,000, but straight-out loss is not the least of the difficulties that New Zealand Breweries will have to face. There is at present a serious shortage of barley in

the Dominion, and it will therefore be difficult to replace the; destroyed, supplies locally.. Within "the .past few weeks it has been found necessary: to order a large shipment of barley from Australia for pig feeding purposes, owing to the dearth of supplies. This is due to arrive early in the coming month, and it would seem that . ..still further shipments may have to be made. The loss of the malt ,is an equally serious blow. The supplies, burnt represented reserve stocks built up to cover a long period, and since this' ia an imported commodity the position facing the company should not need stressing. .