NO FIRE ALARM SYSTEM

Chronicle (Levin), 19 February 1948, Page 4

NO FIRE ALARM SYSTEM

— ' .iS Press Association i

House Manager's Evidence At Ballantyne Inquiry

(Per

CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 15. When the Royal Commission of inquiry into Ballantyne's fire resumed this morning, Victor Staniey Appleyard, an eleetrician empmyed as house manager, said he first heard of the fire when Luke told him there was a fire in the cellar. Witness took it to be the cellar in Congreve's Building. He knew Keith Owen Smith, the cellar man, but he did not see him when he arrived at the soft furnishing section. Roger Ballantyne was there and seemed to be holding the \ telephone. Roger Ballantyne said ^ that it must be a cable, and told witness to get the power off. He said that if he put the power off it would put some of the building in darkness, and • people might be trapped in the darkness. Ballantyne then asked him to- reduce the load. - Witness met Luney and Brown at a door into the cellar and Brown seemed dazed. He was unable to get in to the switchboard. Smoke was billowing then and the staff were putting on their wrappers. He had not yet- seen any firemen. From there he went to the alley of Congreve's Building. He had a hazy recollection of someone trying to open the door, which was kept locked. He knew where the key was kept and he sent .a mem- . ber of his staff .to get it from the packing room. "I dc^not know that I had any thoughts about the. employees. 'Seemed to me so late in the proceedings that I was on the job, but I either thought or' was reminded of the girls.above the fire in Congreve's Building." When asked if he had had any thought about the employees, Appleyard said he thought smoke might get to the upper floors by , the lift well. On going up the. main staircase to the first floor, he saw the tailoring section filling with smoke anti a dull red glow. He said he had only a dull recollection of what he had dorie , and he thought he had gone downstairs. There were people in the shop and he went through, warmng them that the position was serious and to prepare to get out. There was no fire alarm system, continued witness. There had been an evacuation system during the war, but that ,had been abandbned. There Was a time bell system, but at the time of the fire there was no manual eontrol of it in the shop. It could not be heard in all paris of the buildings. There was no arrangement before the war for the evacuation of the premises.