HEAVY FIRE LOSS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25674, 24 October 1944, Page 4

HEAVY FIRE LOSS

OUTBREAK ON TRAIN FURNITURE AND CARPETS Valuable furniture, including carpets, loaded in a wooden box wagon, was destroyed when a fire occurred on a night freight train running from Wanganui to New Plymouth. The contents of two iron wagons were also badly damaged, and only two casks of ale were salvaged. The crew discovered the fire at midnight as the train was approaching Nukumaru, a small tablet station 21 miles north of Wanganui. They saw sparks and tongues of flame issuing from the centre of the train, but rather than block the main line ran into the station yards. Prompt steps were taken in an effort to combat the flames, but the only equipment available was a fire extinguisher in the brake van and a few water buckets. When the crew realised that they were powerless to stop the fire, the three burning wagons, with the box car in the centre, were cut out from the rest of the train and shunted on to a siding, where they were left until the fire had burned itself out.

Only the iron framework and undercarriage of the box car remained, but the iron wagons were not seriously affected. The contents, however, consisting of miscellaneous freight and sewing machines, were damaged beyond repair. The origin of the fire is unknown, but it had a good hold when discovered. It is presumed to have started in the box wagon, and may have been smouldering for some time before breaking out. The furniture was consigned from Wanganui to Hawera.