LORD ONSLOW AND HIS FIRE BRIGADE.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14842, 6 December 1913, Page 2

LORD ONSLOW AND HIS FIRE BRIGADE.

SOME ANXIOUS'MOMENTS.

(moJI OVS. OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, October 29. Hastily donning a shooting' jacket and a red and yellow muffler, the young Earl of Onslow—better remembered in New Zealand, possibly, as Viscount Cranley—turned out at the head of his private fire brigade early on Monday morning to wrestle with a fire which had broken out at "West Clandon Church, a picturesque 12th century building, situate in the confines of Clandon Park, the Earl's Surrey seat. When the alarm was given at Clandon House, smoke was seen issuing from the timber spire of the church, and no time was lost in tackling it. By the time the fire Jjrigjade from Guildford arrived, the""spire and belfry were blazing furiously, and five of the six bellsconstituting the first peal in all Surrey —were ultimately reduced to a heap of melted metal. These bells had been presented to the church not many years since by New Zealand's former Governor. Everything portable was removed from the building, and particular care was taken to secure the altar cross and ornaments. The Communion plate, which was givon by Speaker Onslow, was not kept-in the church. At considerable risk, the verger and two others removed an ancient froeco from the vestry, depicting Saints Peter and Paul and Thomas a Becket.. While they were thus engaged, the bells above fell with a resounding crash, but fortunately the stout floor of the belfry held firm.

"Lord Onslow ? " said the captain of the Guildford brigade, "worked like a trojan. He got out our new motor fireengine, and in fifteen minutes after receiving the call we were at work. "When we arrived Lord OnsLow was standing on the top of the tower, having climbed two ladders brought from his estate. He was playing on the fire with hose, and throughout ho did splendid service." The cause of the outbre. .is not actually known, but it is thougut it may have arisen through a ringer, on Sunday evening, having to take a light up to the top of the belfry to do something to the tenor bell which had been giving trouble. However the ,fire originated, it is held to have been accidental. The damage is covered by insurance. The earliest portion of West Clandon Church dates .back to 1086, and the chancel was rebuilt about 1200.