CHEMICALS EXPLODE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27567, 8 December 1950, Page 7

CHEMICALS EXPLODE

Fire In Sydney Paint Factory

NEARBY HOUSES EVACUATED Rec. 9.50 p.m. SYDNEY, Dec. 7. Shattering explosions rocked the suburb of St. Peter's today when fire destroyed a two-storey building housing part of the large paint and chemical factory of Taubman’s Industries, Ltd. Police hurriedly moved families from 40 homes as the fire threatened to explode 15,000 gallons of solvent in an underground tank, with the inevitable destruction of many homes. This danger was averted, but explosions hurled drums and sheets of corrugated iron hundreds of feet into the air. Two employees of the company received burns and minor injuries. One blazing drum landed on the roof of a house 200 yards away and set it on fire. Firemen and citizens with garden hoses put out this and countless other small fires caused by flying debris. A river of blazing paint and varnish ran down the street and threatened vehicles which onlookers frantically pushed from danger. The fire started in a corner where a large quantity of scrapped cinematograph film.was stored. The extent of the loss will not be known for some days, but it is said to be well over £IOO,OOO. The outbreak occurred within a few hours of the fire at the Showground, in which the loss was £120,000.