TREATED FIRE AS JOKE

Chronicle (Levin), 23 February 1948, Page 5

TREATED FIRE AS JOKE

Press A§sociaf.ion)

Apparent Attitude Of Girls In Eallantpnes

(Per

CHRISTQE(tJRCH, Feb. 23. When tHe ihfiqiry inio. Baliantyne's fife resumed tfpday, Herbert Edward HQlipes, praneVdriYer-,, s^id tliat he out§j,^e B^l^type'S v?h?h,fche fire epg'ine arrived. Meh Were sitting' on- "the ehg'ihe- for three or four mi'nutes. He sqw nine oV lft girls on the' top fio.or 'of Goqdipan's building;. They appe,ar.cb to b,e tyeatihg the who|e m^tter ais, ai joke.' * : / Witness went into the furnish|ng department. Two customers were being served and he saw no flames. When he came out the fireqien were off the engipes, ?,nd attending to hoses and hydrahts. Girls were bapging at the 'winjow' qnd liQlding handkefchief-s to th,eir mquths. He drew ihe fi,romen's aitentipn to tlie, gjrls. A firerpqn * sai'4, "Theyll be' alright, leave it to us we've gb't it under control." - ' "Flames appeared about hRlf a minute after the water 'went in. The girls 'came to the windows again and.banged -but there was no" rescue. He- decided to. go in and see w;hat he could do. He went half-way up a- -;mall staircase to the -floor above but smoke f orced him to ' give up the attem.pt When he returned to the road he could hear' the girls' screaming. . They " screamed foraqout a minute.