FIRE AT DEVONPORT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12702, 4 March 1912, Page 7

FIRE AT DEVONPORT.

PICTURE THEATRE SENSATION

OPERATING ROOM DESTROYED

A fire broke out m the operating-room of the Queen's Pictures which are shown m the Parish Hall,' Church street, Devonport, during the curr^iicy^bf an entertainment on Friday evj&mng, by which damage to the estimated extent of £200 was done. There were fully 200 peoplein the hall at 1 the' time. 'At 9.20 the audience became aware that all. was not right, |the fire which had started ;in the opera'ting-i'oom being 'reflected on iJhe sheet, while from' diltside came :indica- j tions of fire" m close" 'proximity. '"There ; was no outcry or panic, thbße 'present 1 leaving the building m a very';. orderly , manner. ' 'The fire had a firm hdld,and the /wisdom of fireproof rooms for i cinematograph machinery i Avas evident. 'In the case of the Parish Hall, a new brick building, the operating-room is situated m a galvanised iron lean-to erected oyer the porch,, and this was soon a blazing mass. . .:-•-• ._ . ; The Devenport Fire Brigade, under Captain Miller, was quicfclyoh the scene, but dolay ; m getting.' "the water , on w,as caused hf the inab;mtfp to 1 find the fife plugs,' the borough' officials, having neglected to erect guiding mark's 1 : 6n the neighboring buildings or fenc'esl Sujflcient time was lost for the fire to g^in a' good hold, but m this case' the flames blazed impotontly on brick walls, and'.when'tlie water was finally turned oh the outbreak was suppressed m about 15 minutes. •'.''; The proprietor of the Queen's Pictures and lessee of the Parish Hair is a blind man, Mr J. Bacovich. .. He - estimates his loss at about £200, his machinery and plant not being covered by insurance. He lost a fine Gaumont machine which cost £80, 3000 ft. of . film, lenses and other accessories. TheTarish Hall, which was recently erected at a Cost of over £2000, is fully covered by insurance m the South British office, both v pn .the building and ori >I 'the fuVniture. ■'•'■ It is the 'pfoperty of the.Hbly Trinity Anglican Ohurcji. The building is only slightly damaged, a scorching on 'the outside of the front 'and, a ; wettjng inside being the extent. The operator stated ( that tlw fire was caused through the film accidentally' igniting after the machinp h.ad stopped. The inflammable material of 'which the films are composed burst with a blaze, and the room was quickly a. raging inferno, from which he was glad to escape and descend to the ground without m- H jury.