HEROISM AT FIRE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19881, 7 March 1939, Page 7

HEROISM AT FIRE

RESCUE BY CONSTABLE

DASH INTO CLUB HOUSE

SIXTEEN PEOPLE HURT (Por Pross Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. Sixteen people, some of whom were sent to the hospital in ambulances, were injured in the fire which totally demolished the old-established timber mill of Messrs. D. Goldie and Sons in St. Mary’s Bay last night. Twelve people, including five firemen, were treated on the spot. Ambulance workers were summoned from all parts of the city. A station was established near the fire with a hospital doctor in attendance. None of the hospital patients was in a serious condition to-day. Those admitted to the hospital were: —

Robert Matthew Wigmorc, a fireman, severe burns on his hands. Eric Bright, a fireman, burns to his hands. James O’Sullivan, a motor driver, vicecommodore of the Victoria Cruising Club, shock. Constable Douglas George Kilgour, aged 21, single, slight shock.

Constable Kilgour was discharged to-day. He heroically rescued Mr. O’Sullivan from the Victoria Cruising Club building while he and other club members were valiantly endeavouring to save the club records. Club officials were tidying up the building after a picnic when the fire was discovered.

Learning that a man was in danger Constable Kilgour, rushed across a burning ramp and entered the hrst floor of the burning building and dragged Mr. O’Sullivan out of the committee room.

Constable Kilgour formerly resided at Palmerston North.

A remarkable feature of the fire was the amazing flow of traffic.

Mr D. W. Evans, a boiler engineer employed by the neighbouring _ firm, who gave the alarm, told an inteiviewer to-day that he chased a gang of boys aged from 10 to 12 years out of the Goldie Company’s timber yard about 6.30 o’clock. At the same time he saw two men who were allegedi to be methylated spirits addicts emerge from a gate leading to the timber yard .further down the road. He found that a window of the office had been broken and the office was reduced to a shambles.

When he passed' the yard approximately an hour later he saw a burst of smoke directly behind the office and Are bursting from a pile of shavings which was .as high as a house. A huge sheet of flame shot up to the height of the office, so he rushed to the street fire alarm.