FIRE.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2365, 31 October 1870, Page 2

FIRE.

Shortly before noon to-day a fire broke out in Jago’s flax and wool store, an iron building of large dimensions, situated close to the Stuart street jetty. Although separated from every other building, the inflammable nature of the flax in store placed the surrounding property in great danger, for it burnt with an intensity and fierceness that precluded every chance of subduing the flames by playing directly upon them. The fire boll rung out its peal a few minutes before noon, and in less than five minutes past twelve the Fire Brigade, with their hose were on the ground. There was not a moment to be lost, for- the wind blew gentl* from the south-east, and within six or eight feet of the blazing flax, separated only by a thin partition wall of galvanised iron was a large stack of deals belonging to Messrs Guthrie, Asher, and Co.,!close to which were several smaller piles, and heyond them fences, cottages, and piles of firewood. The hose was fixed at once upon the hydrant at the junction of Cumberland street and Stuart street, and in less than three minutes after the water began to play upon the burning mass it was evident that if nothing occurred to interrupt the supply the danger to the surrounding property could be averted. To this object the efforts of the Brigade were at once directed, and two streams were thrown upon the north-end of the building and upon the pile of timber. Suddenly both streams ceased, and for some minutes the fire again appeared likely to obtain the mastery. The cause of the interruption was the breaking of the neck off the hydrant in consequence ef too great tension of the hose, or probably in consequence of the well-intended but ill-directed efforts of too many volunteers to aid the Brigade in their efforts. This mishap rendered it necessary to shift the hose into Gaol street. During this time a hose belonging to Messrs Howden and Co., for the use of the distillery, was doing good service by throwing water upon the stacks of timber within its range, and thus preventing them igniting; but it was too short to.be effective on the fire itself. The Brigade, however, promptly availed themselves of this source of supply, and fixing one of the hose cn to it, they resumed repressive operations; and• although we believe the upper part of the timber stack was once on fire, no further damage was done to it. Very soon the thiii sheets of iron began to fail, and several members of the Brigade, as well as others had narrow escapes, as one by one they separated from the burning woodwork. In less than half an-hour the roof fell in, and a full supply of water being again obtained and poured freely upon the names, they were got under so as to save a quantity of salt, which of course will be more or less damaged. In Stuart street there is a fire-plug opposite the Gaol, and it was intended to have fixed a hose on there, to play upon the flames oil that part of. the building fronting the street, but twenty minutes were lost in searching fotthe fife plug, which had been covered over with 'metal to a depth of two or three inches. We understand that the brigade have made frequent applications to the Corporation to have all the fire plugs pitched round, and if this had been done, a quantity of property now destroyed, might have been saved. During this interval the only water available was through a small tube from the gaol. We can scarcely too strongly condemn the supineness evinced ih this respect. The value of the goods destroyed is greater than would be the cost of pitching round every fire plug in the City. We trust the lesson so dearly pur- ■ chased will produce its proper effect, and that this much needed improvement will be attended to. -It was rumored that the supply of water was deficient, But this was not thq cose,: If [anything, thp pressure way greater than the hose woijld bear. It was equal to 165j pounds to the inch, and five lengths of’ hose unable to withstand it, burst. During'-the height of the fire considerable, excitement was caused by the fact becoming knotm .that a.iqanjavgp in the flames. ; report which was not credited in so'me quarters at, first, proved to bo true. A map named Thomas Homan, said to Be a cat-penr ter by trade, w;as observed by a portion pt,, the crowd in front of the Stuart street entrance of the burning building to walk deliberately through the door into the flames. There were some who maintained that his -intention was to rescue a’desk, but the man’s after declarations, not to say anything of the extreme improbability of such a thing, seeing -itsi UtteW hopelessness, dispel that idea. There wAre aJsp'those who stated the floor gave wa'y pnderiwra ; but those whose nearness enabled-them to .judge, deny that such was tbe oase. 'Mr I ’Joseph Mills waa the.first to attempt his-rescue. He rushed forward ! and--sei*edt'hirai'by otieiheel, .ihtit his hold slipped, the wifld blew a shebf of jflapio in his ’face, and ho r W{W obliged to retire. The hose was then Jnirned qq. AJtter (Considerable troublejhe waS got-out by ;Mr, Hpgbes of the fire brigade, andrW Appqamnci was truly horrible. 9idsof jiis face,.were frightfully burnt, the skin having peeled off in many places. He ■was, placed ii\" a cab and conveyed to thh Hqspita),, wbp%jfr was found jhat the injuries ‘ were, of V very severe character, : sb: ranch so indeed,, that his life is despaired of. The back arid head ; the front of pis body is almost uninjured. That the man was not sober thphe ns every reason to, believe ; his : statement to the constables in whose charge he was, taken;tD the J Hospital,, was that he intended to' destroy himself, and his act would seem weight to the statement. VWe have not been able to obtain accurate particulars of the various losses. The.building was insured for L4OO. Messrs Bates, Sise, and Co., Messrs M'Lamlress, Hepburn, artd Co., were, we learn, fully covered; Messrs Campbell and Low had a quantity of goods stored there, we believe to the value of LISOO, which are said to be fully insured.