BELFAST FIRE DOES VERY HEAVY DAMAGE

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17745, 15 January 1926, Page 7

BELFAST FIRE DOES VERY HEAVY DAMAGE

WOOL ROOM GUTTED BY FLAMES

NO SUSPICION OF INCENDIARISM.

Damage, which has not yet been definitely ascertained but which must amount to several thousands of pounds, was caused by fire at Borthwick’s freezing works at Belfast last night. The wool room at the works containing very valuable machinery and a quantity of wool, including about eighty bales ready for shipment, was completely gutted. Mr W. Flint, the general manager, stated this morning that the cause of the fire was unknown. There was, however. not the slightest suspicion of incendiarism. The city brigade received a call to the fire at 9.20 p.m. and a Dennis turbine. engine was sent out. It pumped water from a reservoir at the works and within an hour the flames were well under control. The wool department, which was selfcontained at the southern end of a long, two-storeyed brick building, and was separated from the pelt department l>y a wall, was left practically a shell. It housed two wool-drying machines, valued at about £4OOO. The fire had a big hold before it was noticed, shortly after nine o’clock. An employee whose duty it was to see that the doors were closed passed at seven o’clock, when everything appeared safe. There are a number of men employed about the engine-room at night, but they were aware of nothing till the fire burst through the roof with a loud roar. Hoses kept on the premises were brought into action, and were used to check the flames from spreading to other portions of the building. The fire threw a great glare into the sky, and this was noticeable for miles around. At Papanui and Kaiapoi it attracted maiw spectators. The roads were soon lined with cyclists and motorists, and hundreds of people gathered at the works.

The men from the city brigade, with Fireman Robb in charge, were quickly on the scene, and, securing a good pressure with the pumping engine, got out a lead which checked the flames and later a second lead was used. Within an hour the fire was well under control, but it proved a stubborn fight, as every now and again the stocks of wool would burst forth afresh. The night, fortunately, was fairly calm, and the flames were confined to the wool department. Tt was a close thing, but the pelt room was saved. After the fire was got under control the brigade worked for some hours playing the hoses in various portions of the building. The extent of the damage may not be known for some days. The general manager stated that he had inspected the damage this morning and the whole of the woodwork of the wool building had been burnt. The principal items were the wool-drying machines and until the debris was cleared away and the machines thoroughly examined the actual loss would not be known, but it would amount to several thousands. The woodwork was so completely burnt that the machines, which are lagged (encased in concrete) for the purposes of heating, were covered with debris this morning and could not be inspected. The- building was erected about ten years ago and is included in a comprehensive policy over the whole of the works in the London and Lancashire Insurance Office. Last night’s outbreak has served to recall the serious fire which occurred at the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company’s Belfast works on March 6, 1907, during the progress of a strike of the slaughtermen. The factory as a whole had a narrow escape from destruction. The fellmongery and wool-shed, a three-storeyed brick building, was completely destroyed, and the adjoining buildings were damaged to some extent by fire and water.

A report of the fire published on March 7, 1907, stated that the cause of the outbreak was not known, but there seemed to be no reasonable ground for believing that the fire was started maliciously. The crowd that assembled round the fire was evidently disposed to attribute it to incendiarism and to connect it in some way with fines inflicted by the Arbitration Court on the Belfast slaughtermen earlier in the day.

The fire last night was the fourth serious outbreak that has occurred at freezing works at Belfast. On December 1, 1888. the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company's works were almost totally destroyed, and on the night of March 4. 1899. there was another disastrous fire, the woolworks and fellmongerj- being destroyed. These departments were subsequently rebuilt in brick, but were destroyed in the 1907 fire.