NOT THOUGHT SERIOUS

Chronicle (Levin), 18 February 1948, Page 5

NOT THOUGHT SERIOUS

pre&s A^sctdiait&ri) -

Ronald Ballantyne Tells Of fire '■".

(Per

CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 1'8. Keen interest was taken in the prodeedings of the Royal ComAiiission ot inquity into Baiiantyne'a fire this morning, when Rqnald rsallantyne, joiht m.'anaging-direc-tor, gave eviden'ce.As^'ed 4f any pefsoh in the man- ? ageriai set-up eouid be reg-arded aS predomiimntly the * manager, -he. oaM that h'o one could be. He did not think "that anyone could be feg'ardefl as the -supreme hedd. Ih the eVent of a sudden emergehOy Ghef'e was no aprangemeht as to vho WoUld take cnatge. When tht fife occurred oh Noyember 18, he Was Very late o'n the :scene and me nad felt other people yould have takfen conffol, he saidy'When Mr. G. G. G. Watson, for the Cfo'wn, asked him if he had acted as ■ supreme hfea'd. Ke ha-d takeh sup-Teme charge When ha Weht to the c'ehTre of the shop. While he -was at the cash desk ih the tearoom, after having had tea, he smelt tarry smoke ahd fch'Oii'ght it Was comihg either ftom the f'oad or poWet cable. There Wefe a number of girls arouhd the main cash desk ahd this fact sUpported his f'eeling that it was their ocWer cable 'that was burning. "1 was rather surprised that the .igh'ts were still on, but because the power Was on I did not' ahticipdte hie possibility of a serious 'eme'rkencv." ■ ■

Bailaht'yne said that later he felt' that they were eonfronted with a serious emergency, but he had not thoUght it dan'gerous.. He had not thought it necessa-ry at that time to take any steps for an evacuation. Boon -after he had cbhBidered that active steps were- necessary for the evacuation* of the Mildiirg. He cohsidered the building y/us. ■beihg evacuated, but he had hot issUed a speeific order. He had coh&rmed what the manager (Novell) was doing, but he had not had an opportuhity to orde'f the . svacuation of the upper aeos?s> as Hudsoh eame up. He had not theh ■or iater given -any instructiohs for the evacuation of the upper fitoois. When Hudson came to him ahout the ca'sh, he told him and the girls • to take if and'' get out immediafely. The-re woul'd he girls oh the top of ■ Pratf's Building. .He consMeTedthat Phillpott was iookihg after :

vhe Other giHs ih the Upper Sootsj He (Hudson) had said that he ihad) call'ed the to'rigade, but that tfigy had not arrived. It did oecUr to ni'm that it Was necessary to, ekpedi'fe the ar-rivai of the ferlgade, hut he did not do anything ahout it. , • Witness Went on to Say that he saw ROger Ballantyne jUst turning away with a fireman from the goods lift. Binoke was coming from the lift well. He went to" the switchhoard to see if Appleyafd was there; hut he was' -not. 'The ' lights had gone out. Witness then went out to the street. . Guing into Colomfco Street he saw the firemen coupling hoses. No water was hehig piayed. He "suggesteG that a lead should be hrought down the alley. hut the fireman did not answer. He thought there was a flat hose in the outer portion of the alley.