WHARF STORES ABLAZE.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20181, 9 March 1931, Page 11

WHARF STORES ABLAZE.

SPECTACULAR FIRE EV LQNDON, BRIGADESMEN'S THRILLING fight. : CCNIXEI> PBES3 4SS9OATIOW—BT ZXXCTKtC TBLEGBAPH—COPSKIGHT.) (Beeeived March Bth, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 7. The moat spectacular fire for mally years in London, within two hours reduced to a skeleton a portion of the seven-storeyed Butler's wharf, contain* ing rubber and tea, and situated on the Tliames-sido opposite the Tower of London. Eleven hundred firemen and seventy engines and fire floats fought throughout the day to prevent the outbreak from spreading to the adjoining buildings, which, owing to congestion, were regarded as London's danger zone, The wind, almost at gale force, whipped the flame? tjpward for hundreds of feet and blew gigantic volume# pf smoke towards the city and so the sky that ofllces a mile distapt required artificial light. Occasional gusts of wind blowing away the suipKo , revealed the buraing buildings with red-hot gj?derg, v with firemen clinging to swaying ninety-foot water towers, and to the iron bridges connecting Butler's witfc the neighbouring warehouses, and other high points,' pouring on tons of water from a hun- • drod jets. Firemen commandeered 'a steam.er, and j funnels aij,d masts to pump' 1 "on further volumes qf water. "'Several were overcome l>y flames and some had; theij- clothing burnt. •; Many had 'narrow' escapes'when a red-hot crane crashed down. Others again suffered from intense cold, having to back away foot-long ieiqles, freezing "as the water dripped. ' White-hot tea leave? and ashes showered on the enormous crowd whieh was watching the struggle. After six hours tha flames were controlled. A quantity of oil, which was stored in the neighbourhood, is believed to be safe.' ~ The, damage is estimated at pearly £IOO,OOO, • TEMUKA OUTBREAKS. THREE WITHIN A FEW 9QURS. I u. I "■«' iV. ' r 7s to nqi p*iW-) , / March 8.;, Eatly this morning an outbreak <}f i fire » to! Jiayp, i dais,' destroyed' lively l 1 street, also the i»all and Scrim*shaw'p kapoc Btor#.' The outbreak of' file in, "the* - ■Jivety l stables occurred gbout 2.30 a,ni/- The"; I Fire Brigade had heen not more than fa few ininuteg at that £re whs?* thr alarm wa? given Scriswfeaw's ' itgrfl. hows Jater, ihe'#%a4e atiU/bfh Si§ engaged in fight jngtwofires, thers' was an outbreak in- the parish^halt; ?■? It is believed that' the fires were caused by incendiarists, thie belief bp* ing based on the facts that the 1 first .fire broke out -alniofet Bimultaaeoyßly at all" four corners oftlje ljvery stables, and: that' firepien ■ discovered kcrotysnesoaked sacks at thp pariah hail. / The heaviest loss wijl .be" sufferedthe case oft the practically tfte tpm* hfifl of i spa to. wWjsft:-®44itiew <wa tq L tb ?: v^ue.of slight ranoyaWp?"» lni%B» afcl* the *tagfc th|s , gefyio) imm »t W ba rebuilt. - The and - the *ontpnta>r^ o 'l fefcthoae signq will iu»t,jj»vte^ther's<►> fit. Peter?# parish; Xfaft tntfbuildinga BhaV and ,the' aotMaa-.-sured,' and tha Jo^s Included in. tho content* of 'the buils- - were balqs 'of fcapoo and Pa?, week or .two, machinery, as Iq®®nwy/\<}f' out and was extinguished only a week - ii£o, had not been in use for over ft 'year:., but iWsr werp Mirrored yith 'the',, fiMte'fii* OMU ed that Mt W, ,f, jPfani "will>j|o 'lorel heavily, ' t BUSINESS' PREMISES J p PBSTB(OTHD.;, - OUTBREAK ' - Mif ■* j■■ "• * T -r v $B! . - TTZ'*V", LPRK9B tssoatnio* TIUOK^X^: ■ .r 1 . J. W, rium. ;and ~/W J £.t' Stratf^H^wa; t>v firn ab an early - this Mrs E. M. Loogofg ooifectiohory' vtdnij was seriously> damajjgafL '■ v ,» . \ 'i a Thv_ twoii owned by Mr J. ,K/ 4 wooden and>biased-iuriptiily. V Walker'fe' stock -fla4' fittipga tagml&p!: sured for £sß^),. Mrr f. mik £7OO, an 4 Mp? Lobsfi's for *£BS(K crseklipg, pf shq., fire , wftlren#. •ivXg^^Smf'tCSSo'rSE which mare under flames at^ 1 tho hack;,' andfen Sti«ouou§ work veste4 tb« fire epwsaflioa fsism ccmtinuouß line- of ImdduigK " - fJ_ J i- HI r Ihu Itodcljifi Volunteer Fue Brigf«i® was calted noon tP a jjraw fir^^syf Board's quarry. • The outbreak red in tlie dry grass'at tlie foot'of th^ flie to' the Boiu'd's powdet m&gajnb# caasetl anxietv. Tho brigade and bqiteral hclpots fipg »wk Mi m&fastr mg tihe d , t 7