SPECTACULAR FIRE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 212, 10 September 1935, Page 8

SPECTACULAR FIRE

BOX FACTORY DESTROYED BLAZE AT UTIKU OVER MILLION FEET OF TIMBER SAVED BUCKET BRIGADE'S GOOD WORK (Own Correspondent) TAIHAPE, Sept. 9. The L’tiku box factory was totally destroyed by lire early this morning. The flames were at their height as the Limited Express passed through Utiku at about 4.30 a.m., when the wiioie countryside was lit up by one of tne biggest and most spectacular (ires In the Taihape district for several years. The outbreak apparently orig.nateu in the engine room, and spread with great rapidity throughout the whole building. A railway porter was amongst the first to notice the fire, an.] immediately telephoned Mr J. C. Gibbs, manager, who hurried to the scene. A bucket brigade, comprising some 40 local residents, was formed, and by almost superhuman efforts prevented the flames from spreading to the adjacent breaking-down mill and timber stacked near the box factory. Fortunately the stack of timber nearest was half green, and this was a factor that assisted the bucket brigade to keep the flames in check. Had this stavk caught alight all the timber in the yard, aggregating over a million feet, would probably have been destroyed, together with several huts in the vicinity. The timber contained in the othe- stacks was very dry, and would have burned like matchwood. Members of the bucket brigade poured water on the stack of green timber, and by this means succeeded in confining the fire to the box factory. Fortunately there was no wind at the time of the fire, but the task of the bucket brigade was made harder because the factory’s water supply and pump was situated in the engine room where the fire started, and no water, therefore, was available from this source.

The box factory, including plant and machinery, was insured for £2300 in the Yorkshire Office. There was also a small amount of insurance on stock-in-trade.

Twenty men were employed at the factory, and they will be thrown out of employment temporarily. Mr. Gibbs intends to rebuild the box factory as soon as possible, as there is a demand for butter boxes and many orders have to be fulfilled. Nothing in the factory was saved.