TERRIBLE CATASTROPHE AT AYE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2629, 28 August 1876, Page 3

TERRIBLE CATASTROPHE AT AYE.

(I7i« Scotsman, Jim* 24.) A fire resulting in sad loas of life and the total destruction of one of the largest | woollen and carpet manufactories, occurred at Ayr on Friday, June 16. The factory consisted of a large block of buildings in the form of a square, covered about half an aore of land forming the angle between Fort street, Charlotte street, and The Fort of Ayr, employed about 400 hands, and belonged to Messrs James Templeton and Son. The mill was partially burned down on a Sunday, about 28 lyears ago, and was afterwards rebuilt on a more extensive scale, and since then, considerable additions bare from time to time been made to it. Shortly before 12 o'clock on Friday week, dense volumes of smoke were observed by passers-by issuing from the teasing department of the old mill, situated in the oentre of the square, and con* neoted by a gangway with a doorway of the new mill at the third story. An alarm was speedily raised, but before the occupants of the department could be made aware of the danger, the flames had gained a strong hold of the premises underneath. There wen between 20 and 30 girls, under the superintendence of James Barr, in the room at the time, and the scene which ensued was most distressing. The girls rushed about in a state of frantio excitement, and attempted to escape by the gangway from the old to the new mill. The gangway, however, became ignited, and was rapidly reduced to ashes. A ladder was next placed in position, but the flames had caught it also before the girls could take advantage of it. Bags of wool, empty saoks, and other soft materials were then strewn on the ground, and the girls left in the teasing department were entreated to jump down from the windows. None of them, however, with the exception of a girl about 14 years of age, named Margaret Simpson, appears to have had sufficient courage to leap from so great a height, and therefore made no endeavour ta escape, the result being that from 10 to 15 of the girls were either suffocated or burned to death. The girl Simpson was caught in the arms of one of the workmen, named Wm. M'Bride, who, however, was overpowered by the momentum of the fall, and was dashed to the ground. He was not seriously hurt, and the girl also escaped with slight injuries. Other ladders were called for, and several were soon procured from Messrs Highet's, slaters, with whioh the windows in the upper flats of the burning mill were dashed in, but, by this time, the girls whe remained in the room had apparently been rendered insensible, as, not* withstanding repeated cries, bo so»nd from them was heard.

Immediately on the alarm of fire being given by Mr Templeton, jan. t a cry mi raited for the fire-extinguishers kept on the premises, but only a few of them could be got, and from ignorance on the part of the employS* aa to the proper method of working them, although seemingly provided in abundance, they proved of little avail. The Burgh and Ayr Fort Fire Brigades reached the eoene of the conflagration about 20 minutes after the fire broke oat, bat a considerable time elapsed before water could be obtained from the pipes to play upon the flames. The result was that, owing to the combustible nature of the materials in the mill, the fire spread with alarming rapidity, and shortly the roof of the mill, along with the flooring of the tereral flats, fell in with a tremendous crash. About this time several girls were seen rushing towards the staircase of an apartment in the new mill, three stories in height, fronting Charlotte street, the under portion of the staircase having caught fire. The spectators signalled to the girls to break the windows and leap out, but only one of them, Catherine MTQnlay.did so. She fell heavily on the ground, however, at the feet of the Bey Mr Minnes, who from the first had exerted himself with great zeal in the work of cheeking the fire. Her head was severely bruised, while one of her arms was broken. Theeirl was picked up insensible, and was carried on a stretoher to the hospital, where she died shortly after her admittance. While the fire was raging fiercely ia the teasing department, a rumour got abroad to the effect that Ban, the foreman, had locked the door of the room, in order, it was thought, to prevent the girls from rushing out in a body, and adding to the consternation whioh prevailed. This assertion turns out to be incorreot. The employ it who escaped from the apartment concur in stating that Barr not only did everything he could to save the women under his supervision, but died heroically in the discharge of this duty. One of the oldest female workers in the mill, Margaret Bubney, who resided in Fort-street, also died at her post in the same flat. The total loss to stock and property is roughly estimated at £100,000, which lsjpartly covered by insurance in four offices. By the fire, 400 people, consisting of 160 carpet weavers and 230 woman and children, have been thrown idlo.