BLAZE IN THE CITY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1151, 12 June 1911, Page 5

BLAZE IN THE CITY.

RAILWAY STORE DESTROYED. BRIGADE'S HARD FIGHT. CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE. At 0.45 o'clock this morning, Conslablo Angland, who was in charge of the beat in (ho vicinity of tho Government Buildings, saw smoke issuing from the roof of the railway electrical, joinery, and niaiutenauco building in Waterloo Quay, almost opposite the King's Wharf. Ho nnd Nightwatcliman Llewellyn gave the alarm, and the brigade wcro eoon on the scene. Tho firo by this time had a strong hold, amd the flames wcro soaring up. The building, a largo equnre brick one, contained two stories. On the ground floor wens stowed oils and roadwork, and other inflanimablo material. At first littlo impression was made by tho several leads of hose that were run out, and the pressure scorned poor. Then tho chemical engine was brought on tbo scone, and the additional power began to tell ita tale ou tlio flames. Adjoining was a slightly taller building with corrugated walls. This was a cooperago and butter-box manufactory, formorly. occupied by Messrs. Chalmers, now by Messrs. Ei\=«n nnd Co. Upyniid that ajmin was a large timber yard, heavily stocked with timber, which, once the flames got amongst it, would have caused a great conflagration. The brigade devoted their efforts towards preventing tho ingress o£ tho fire into the corrugated iron building. Despite all efforts, however, tho flames at 1.40 o'clock crept into tho cooperage. A number of people, thinking at first that the firo was located in tho Exhibition, building, which stood out lurid in. the glare not far away, canio breathless om tho sceno. About 1.35 a.m. a very stirring sight was seen. The motor engine was at work' pumping up a heavy pressure, nnd three men with a lead of hoso started to enter tho upper story of tho building from the sea-frontage side. A blazing double door was burst in with tho forco of tho and tho firemen stood silhouetted against a crimson background. Nothing of the interior of tho building could bo seen,— it was hidden in a solid mass of flames.. In tho fierce heat from this furnace the men methodically set to work to fight their way towards tho northern' wall, where the adjoining building was threatened. Slowly but vory surely they drove back tho fire, and crept into tho interior until about one-third of tho way across the Doorway had been traversed, and they stood revealed seemingly surrounded by smoke nnd flames, and with tho flames roaring beneath their feet in the story, below—a daring venture, with no cheering crorfd to etimulnto their courage and urge them on to deeds of valour. They won out—in fifteen minutes tho corner was a black, burnt-out wreck, but the danger threatening the adjoining building had been checked. In tho next building—tho cooperage—a door had been burst in and several firemen rushed up the stairway to tho top floor, which stood higher than tho railway store, and although protected with galvanised iron walls was in danger from tho leaping flames, which hod burned through the roof of its neighbours. Soon after these men had disappeared tliero was a crashing o£ glass from tho top story, and a helmeted head surrounded by a great cloud of smoke, leaned out, tho owner gasping for breath. Tho smoko in that top-story was desperately thick. A ropo was lowered, a lead of hoso was attached, and in a few minutes' timo tho fire, which had made its way in places into tho cooperage, was being fought from this quarter. Every few minutes a helinetotl head would protrudo from tho broken window, snatch a few breaths of fresh' air, and disappear again into tho stifling smoko—and all ns a matter of course—no crowd to cheer. A perilously unpleasant job, tho fireman's, and .' no laurcj. wreaths. A rope-end dropped suddtnljr from this aforementioned window. "What d'ycr want?" bellowed (he man bolow. • A helmeted head protruded tuomentnrily from tho window: "May bo cut off —leavin' a way out!" the owner bellowed back, and hastily withdrew into tho region of smoke and smother. And the fire was beaten back from tho cooperage.