A DISASTROUS FIRE.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 14142, 19 July 1916, Page 1 (Supplement)

A DISASTROUS FIRE.

L_^ - ALEXANDRA, HOME DESTROYED.

A TOTAL LOSS.

inmates removed m safety. *

FAILURE 'OF THE WATER SUPPLI

THE BRIGADE HELPLESS

, From !lTiie^<Qo]bnisti"/;Jun6 30.) The Alexandra|Hoinefor the aged and destitute, ;!ih i'rWaimea road, was totally: destroyed' by-fire" about■ ■,■■ 10 o'clock last-ni|h^.^'::liiß>;dutbreak originated in i&ei^rtliem iviii^. of the* building, away\ fro'|ja the sleeping quar-r tors, and when discovered the • flames were beyond the efforts of the* staff. The Fire Brigade was immediately comnramcated Avith by telephone, and as it fortunately happened that the members of the Brigade/were assembled at the station in meeting. at. the time, they got away in record time. .The firemen reached the scene within seven mimites of receiving ' the alarm,- the Home being about two miles from the station. The.fire was at that time centred in the portion of the building in which it originated, • and, ;had the brigade had even.a,; moderate pressure of water at their;command, 'there is no doubfr-that the greater portion of tho Home would have been saved. The water supply, however, failed utterly. The Home is situated almost at the end of the high level" system, which has always" been marked "by an inadequate and erratic supply. Last night there Avas aa insufficient flow to keep the hose under pressure, and the water merely trickled put of the nozzles. The firemen1 were thus helpless, and the flames "spread rapidly, involving the whole of the/buildings in a very brief time.. ' -.

Meanwhile" the work of removing the1 inmates had been proceeding, ancF was attended by considerable dimeulty, many of tho rid people being very infirm. Some, terror stricken, were unable to help themselves, and had co be carried from 'their beds to a place of ■safety-.' Captain Woodward -appealed to members of the crowd of ■ spectators to assist the firemen, in carrying out the old people and saving such"of- t|ie furniture as could be removed, Thore was 'an instant rush of willing *woi'ker3 tf and the wards were thoroughly searched, several old people who had bee>n missed previously or had wandered back after being talon outside, being-. removed. Mventually all were accounted . fox. There were 29 men, 6 women, and two youths in the institution at the time of the fire. ■'...■■ The fii'e apparently originated in the vicinity of tha smoking-room. Mr W. Crouch, the manager, is of opinion that the fire was caused by a defective chimney, but one of the inmates, in cour.se of conversation _with a. "dolonist" representative, stated that during the evening, while he :and others were sitting m fr.ont -of the.vfire -a. large log rolled on to the floor and had to be put 'back. His.theory is that after they had gone to ( ,bed*the log perhaps rolled out again. A '-• * /:■ Half a dozen nurses from the general hospital were on ,the -scene and rendered valuable service in assisting the women inmates. ... ~ I Messrs H. Baigenfc (chairnr.an) and W. Lock (members, -of the Hosoital and Charitable Aid Board), Mi- H. Coltman (the BoarcVs Relieving Officer), and Mr S. Blomfield

(clerk )arranged for the temporary accommodation of the inmates. Thirteen

of , the inmates: \cero accommodated in

the General Hospital, and nine, in the Mental Hospital,.-' while .. others••. were placed wiih neighbours. . Dr. Wasfybourn, who is hi charge of the. General. Hospital .in the absence ofVbhe Resident Surgeon, arid Dr.- Jeffreys, Medical Sv? perintende.nt of the-Mental Hospital, 'provided the .old people .-with, coffee, etc., and in ••every why' attended to |their welfare: .Several'constables rendered valuable'-^assistance in carrying out the removal* for which.purpose a number of motor cars were utilised, these being provided by Messrs H. Raigent, G. AVv-'Swafford.. NivEmms,.?. C. C. Scott, A. .Taskeiy V... Creqiier, P. Oampen, and possibly others-.:; During the conflagration rumour* were current that all the inmates had ivot been--re-moyed. Fortunately these proved. in r cor rect. They originated through cries Cor help"- being raised 'by an individual who was working at the back of the building. , ' Some of the inmates were..comparatively heavy, losers. One old man had placed quite,-a considerable- sum of "money with the manager only the day before, and this; was lost. .Another old man stated" that- he had ..lr-- ; -n watches and two suits :of /'\&undiij' clothes," while a third regretted the loss of a pound of tobacco, which he said meant a good deal to him. Mr and Mrs Cixjuch, the master and matron of the Homo, lost everything except'what they stood up in. ; .... , _ A quantity of. furnitiire, including the piano, -bedding;; .etc:, \yas saved. Some members of the brigade reached the scone g!: the fire much, more.quicklythan they otherwise;' would haTO: done, by the "willing assistance- of Mr Frank Ttiskcr. of the Gommercial Garage, who wit'.i'his car picked up a hose reel in Wajmea street, which was .being pulled to the fire by firemen and others, and rcr-ehed the fire iis a remarkably short sjmco of.tinio. Mr Tasker then, returned to town and picked-up.another t*eel, wich its'attendants, which was on i i the \vii\ , tthd both these appliances > were the Hrst on tlio seenrv ' - Tire.matron of the Hospital would he ; glad'to receive gifts of .a few suits of ) nun's clothing, boots, etc., to repletir -* islv'. the. .wardrpbes-:-.of-sorae of ihe old I men who suffered in .the fire. " .