Great Fire in Sydney.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 81, 29 September 1894, Page 4

Great Fire in Sydney.

A FIREMAN KILLED. From Sydney papers to hand the following particulars regarding the fire in George-street, Sydney, on the night of the Ist inst , are gleaned : — The fire broke out in the premises of Messrs John Lawler and Sons' furniture warehouse and bedding manufactory- The lire broke out at the rear of the fifth floor, anrt rapidly spread to the floor above. The immense draught from the elevator shaft forced the flames to the front of the building, and within half an hour after the commencemeat the whole building, from the bottom floor to tbe top and from the front to the rear, was a roaring furnace. The flames towered to an immense height, and the reflection in the sky attracted thousands of sightseers. At about eight o'clock the fire was at its height, the heat radiated to a considerable distance, and near the building it was unbearable. When the front of the building was well alight the heat was so great that crowds of persons who had assembled in the street were compelled to retreat before the penetrating force. The firemen, however, who were playing on the burn* ing mass from George-street, nobly stood their ground. By the time the flames had enveloped the building it seemed as though no human power could prevent tbe fire from spreading to the adjoining buildings, and it was feared the whole block to Wil-mot-street would bo consumed. From a spectacular point of view the scene was grand. Burning matter would be shot high into the air, and then clouds ot brilliant sparks would descend, lending fantastic beauty to a scene that at times was made appalling by the deafening crashes of falling walls — the crashes resembling the sounds of distant thunaer. The noise caused by the collapsing of the building was bo great as to be heard in remote parts of thecity. The substantial iron girders on each floor of the building curled like wire before the heat of tbe flames, leaving the high walls standing without intervening support. A few minutes before eight; o.clock a large portion of the northern wall gave way. By this tons of debris were precipitated into the rear of the adjoining buildings, and considerable damage was done. In less than half on-hour afterwards the top of the southern wall fell into Union lane, and at short intervals piece by piece of the side walls collapsed. The firemen were in great danger from the commencement of operations. When the fire had been got under control it was seen that the frontage of the building to George-street might fall at any moment ; but despite this threatened danger tbe brave men remained at their poses, even though they knew they were doing so at the risk of their lives. Indeed on one or two occasions, when unusually heavy clouds of smoke were belched forth, the men had to be ordered to leave the hose for a brief period, as it was thought the wall was about to collapse. It was tbe sudden collapse ot the southern wall into Union LaDe, which resulted in the death of Edward Charles Brown, one of the members of the Newton branch oi the Metropolitan Fire Brigade.