A GREAT BLAZE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19033, 10 June 1924, Page 5

A GREAT BLAZE

AN AWE-INSPIRING SIGHT 20,000 CASES OF BENZINE DESTROYED EXCITEMENT IN INVERCARGILV Twenty thousand cases of benzine in a big bond store at Invercargill went up in smoke yesterday, making an awe-inspiring spectacle. Ths Are lasted six hours, during which time there was danger of two other big stores of benzine becoming ignited. (Per Press Association.) \ INVERCARGILL, J use 9. Invercargill to-day witnessed aq awe-inspiring spectacle, when the British Imperial Oil Company of New Zea land’s big oil bond store went up in smoke. Just as the sun set a huge pile of black smoke commenced to stream across the sky and tongues of flamo arose hundreds of feet in the air like a great black curtain. The huge vdlume of smoke poured across the sky with the westerly breeze, and from five o’clock to close on midnight it con tinued without a break. Only in the late hours of the night did the eruption show any noticeable tendency to decrease. There were at least 20,030 cases of oil stored in the building, of which 16,500 were unloaded from the Kaiwarra and stored away to-day. When the last cas/5 were being stored the fire was discovered in the front part of the building, and it spread with such appalling rapidity that nothing could be done to save the building. An employee named Smith discovered the place to be on fire, and pluckily tried to put it out, but so rapid was spread of the flames that he was burnt about the arms and chest, and taken to the hospital for treatment, where enquiry late to-night elicited the information that he was progressing favourably. In addition to the 20,000 cases of oil, a quantity of lubricating oil was also stored in the building, but the exact quantity is not known at present. All the office papers were saved, but the store is irretrievably destroyed, only the walls standing, and at a late hour to-night there was still a question of whether the front wall would hold and prevent the fire spreading, but it was then considered that things had taken a more hopeful turn. The greatest danger facing the firs brigade was the possibility of the fir© spreading to two big bond stores across the road, namely the Vacuum Oil Company and A. and S. Paterson’s, and elaborate precautions were taken to present this happening. The brigade could only bring one hose into operation, the fire being some little distance from the town water mains, and this solitary stream of water from the gasworks was kept in use without a stop for six hours on end, hosing the other two stores mentioned, from which huge clouds of steam arose.

The brigade is considered to have handled the fire well, so far, and if the wall holds out no further danger is anticipated. The building and contents are e«Vered by an open policy of insurance.