SENSATIONAL CITY FIRE

Taranaki Daily News, 21 August 1930, Page 10

SENSATIONAL CITY FIRE

20 AUCKLAND GIRLS INJURED TERRIFIED FLIGHT FROM FACTORY. w NARROW ESCAPES -FROM FLAMES/ By Telegraph.—Pr««» Asiociation. Auckland; Last Night- . A destructive fire occurred m the city late this afternoon when the three-storeyed brick factory of the Plummer Hat Company, Ltd., was destroyed together with the stock and machinery, the total damage being estimated at £lB,OOO. The fir# provided one of the most spectacular outbreaks here for many years for the flames spread with amazing rapidity and the fife burned for about two hours. It was also a most thrilling blaze for at first the lives of seventy employees were endangered. ‘ - A terrifying experience befell the girls and women who were at work in the fao* • tory when the fire broke out,>. Escape' by the stairway was impossible because the seat of the outbreak wag on .the ground floor close. to the main entrance.. For the majority th.e only way-out was through the first floor windows at the front of th#:, building. Urged on by the menace of the quickly spreading flames many of., the girls fell in trying to negotiate the fire escape,, a vertical iron ladder, or jumped from the windows. ; f For a few minutes the scene was one of terror-stricken haste and With burns, bruises, cuts, concussion and shock nearly 20 of the. girls were >in . a condition requiring first aid. But for the splendid efforts made by firemen and vol-. untary helpers who were promptly on the scene the consequences for many of the. occupants of the blazing building would have been far more serious. _ None of the., twenty girls was seriously injured. j• . Many of the workers were able to escape .; quickly but the plight of more than half , the girls, who. .were at the front of the>, building was very different. Dense vol-. ; . umes of smoke quickly followed by flames/, barred their way across the landing to gain the rear windows. Their way tQ safety lay down the fire escape ladder in the middle of the front wall, but in a few moments’ the flames were leaping out the main doorway below and enveloping the foot of the ladder. Firemen spread a sheet for the girls to jump into when they were still crowded at the head of'the ladder with flames threatening t-i cut them off. Some of the most serious injuries were caused by several girls-.being knocked from the.ladder by others who jumped.. ... The fire escape became unusable before all the inmates of the blazing building had made their exit. The rapid spread of the . flames increased the difficulties of the men and one party had to make ft' hurried rush to safety when one of the walls collapsed on the roadway. , It is estimated that the total loss is £lB,OOO, the stock and plant being worth £14,000. Insurances on the stock total £9OOO and on the building £4OOO.