Celluloid Works Blaze.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 November 1922, Page 1

Celluloid Works Blaze.

DASH TO SAA’E' CHILDREN. LONDON, Sept. 20. Seven people, two of them young children, were injured by a fire which broke out yesterday afternoon at Mr H. Boddington’s Celluloid AVorks, Hanbury-rond, South Acton, AAL, and spread to a row of cottages in Holland terfinc eat the back of the works. AVithin a few minutes of the fire being discovered scores of boxes packed with celluloid were Mazing furiously, and for more than an hour there was terror and "panic in a poor, congested neighbourhood. Sheets of flame swept from the works to the tightly packed cottages and even a child playing on the opposite side of Holland-terrnce was burned. In a few moments the whole terrace was a street of flames and it was feared that all the dwellings would be destroyed but the firemen were able to save all hut four of them. Women who a few seconds before had been quietly engaged on their household tasks were dashing to save their shrieking children. Nearly all the men folk were at work.

One of these brave young mothers was Airs Pcrkis of 27, Holland-terrace. Holding in her arms hr baby, who is not yet two years old and was heavily swathed in bandages she told her story “T was in the kitclicn and Willie, t''e child, was in the perambulator in the yard,” she said. “Suddenly there was a roar, and when I looked up I saw the yard was full of flames. It sounded like guns. I dashed through the blaze to the perambulator and dragged it in, tipping it up to shelter the child from the fire. I was not burned at all.”