SPECTACULAR FIRE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16405, 11 April 1924, Page 8

SPECTACULAR FIRE.

GAS CONTAINER IGNITES

MELBOURNE, March 22.—One of tfie must spectacular blazes in the history of Melbourne occurred at the Melbourne Gas Company’s container at Cacaulev street, North Melbourne.

Two workmen worn engaged in welding a. patch on to one of the plates of the container and had drilled a hole through the plate. The escaping gas was ignited bv a spark from the oxy-welding plant, and in a Hash 2,000,000 cubic feet of gas was aflame.

The workmen had a remarkable escape. The ropes holding their scaffolding wore* burnt through, but they were utile to grasp one of the steel columns supporting the container and lower themselves to the ground unhurt, except for singed hair and eyebrows, due in llio great heat; The cap of the container dropped about, 50 feet, and! the flame grew suddenly and’ radiated on all sides to a distance of about. 200 yards. Sheds containing electrical fittings and other materials were gutted, in the flash of an eye, and workmen in Hie vicinity consider they had remarkable escapes from dentil.

When ti)(> firemen arrived on the scene the main flame burnt itself out, and they concentrated on the burning gas issuing from a small rent, in the sides of the container.

After about half an hour's work they managed to extinguish it-, and all danger of explosion was post. Apart from tho loss of 2,000,000 cubic feet of gas, the damage caused by the blaze was not large.