DANGEROUS BUILDINGS

Stratford Evening Post, Volume I, Issue 78, 11 March 1931, Page 5

DANGEROUS BUILDINGS

EARTHQUAKE MENACE PARAPETS AND CORNICES < SAFETY OF FIRE-FIGHTERS NELSON", March 10. • Captain Hugo, Government Fire Inspector, who is about .o retire, addressed the Fire Brigades' Conference to-day. He said that a higner state of efficiency in the brigades was essential in the Dominion. As to the lessons learnt from the Hawke's Any disaster, it was a matter which affected the associatioi. very much. Regarding ,he lives of firemen, there was the matter of walls coming down and firemen being killed. The association should take some part' in these things, particularly since an institute was to be inaugurated. Parapets and cornices were still being erected, notwithstanding the lessons. He took up the matter some 26 years ago at the Municipal Conference at Wellington. A number of resolutions were passed but nothing came of them. In some part the matter came up again after t he Murchisou earthquake, but nothing was done. He was speaking last week to the president of the Institute of Architects, and he stated that in one or two instances in Wellington ornamentations had been removed from buildings. In one case 10 tons were taken off. When he (the speaker) took the question up, the opinion seemed to prevail that overhanging parapets, etc., dropped straight down. When there was a wall swaying with an immense weight on it, it must, throw itself across the road. This was only too well exemplified at Napier, where parts of cornices and parapets were lying right across the streets, many lives being lost. He reiterated that although we had had our lesson, nothing was being done, and he urged the association in the interests of its members to take some part in this matter the lives of firemen were at stake.

Why should not buildings, he asked, consist of some of the fire-resisting materials which were now on the market? Another matter tht should be taken up was the filling on the stud in three-storey buildings. Instead of filling in the studs they were left open and if a fire got behind the lining the firemen knew what it meant. The next subject dealt with was fire hydrants and the ball system which was in vogue in New Zealand at the present time. He strongly recommended that in future ground hydrants should be installed. The vice-president. Mr Tyler, expressed the thanks of the association for the address. He wished hira every happiness in his retirement. His services had been very, much appreciated and he moved that a resolution to this effect be recorded in the minutes. The election of officers resulted:— President, Superintendent C. N. Tyler (Rangiora); vice-presidents, Supt. Boon (New Plymouth), Deputy-Supt. J. R. Wilson (Milton); secretary and treasurer. Mr Osborne (Onehunga); auditor, Mr Walter (Auckland). The following received gold stars:— P H Prestner (Rangiora), W. Wildis'h Osborne. H. C. Trotman (Greytown), F. W. Jackson (Carterton), T. J. Watts (Newmarket). Inspector Hugo, in paying a tribute to the work of the fire brigades at Napier and Hastings at the time of the disaster, said there had been columns of eulogy in the press concerning the work of the Navv, nurses, medical men and others, but hardly a word, if any, of the splendid work of the fire brigades As an eve-witness of the disaster he could sav that he did not believe anv bodv of men had done finer work. He had seen some of the men drop from sheer exhaustion.