THE NAPIER FIRE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1445, 31 December 1886, Page 2

THE NAPIER FIRE

Nspikk, December 30

The B > r oagh Council sat for nearly fire hoars last night, taking evidence as to •he conduct of the Brigade at ’he recent fire. The enquiry was held, at the request of the Napier Brigade. In brief, it was shown that the Inspector of Waterworks did h'ia ha t, but his orders were misapprehended In the first p! ce, t-e turncck, t 'rouah get'ing s wrung order, d-d n .t 'urn the t igh pressure into the streets when the tire w*s raging fur m re th'D half an hour after the i>u'b eak. The Spit 6‘ gine was prnrop Iy telephoned for, but the receiver interpreted the message to bo that the engine was not required, and it was kept until the cabman from N'pier informed the Spit men of the extent of the (fire. Even the hose reel was not tasen until the Spit engine reached Napier, and learned the serious o sition of sffiira. Lastly, when the Spit Brigade arrived, the wrong orders were conveyed, and they attached to the salt water well in the Union Bank yard, and c mmenoed to play on Em rson street, where the other brigade w-s ft ready nt work, instead of going to h. Di t >i.t ctreec in in an-l devoting their a".' ith-n to the north side of Tennyst n B f reet, m 3 Mr Watervcorth intended , It tbs also sh‘-wn that the hose whs in an iodjff rent condition, ?ome pans bring very bad, and there was not enough in the bank well to cope with the extensive fire, unless b> tb brigades bad all tbpir hose there '’he ovideuro also pr vad that the eff «rts of | <h > firemen were partly nullified by the well-meaning crowds, who polled the hose ab ut, and broke It. Mr Waterworks staged that the engineers in the s'earner at one t'mo sent r. nod to aay they conl-i n.it aland the he>t an? longer. Th. -ngine had all the paint off and was actually rn fire, the < nyi’ enr;-' he mets blistered and shrivelled, and the br;ws ornsmen’s oio!t>d off but the me stuck to iheir post, sod ho saved a bir >e bl ck of pr perty, as well as the online i self