BRIDGE ON FIRE

Hokitika Guardian, 19 March 1930, Page 5

BRIDGE ON FIRE

DISCOVERY BY MOTORIST. PALMERSTON NORTH, March 15. Prompt -work by a service car driver and his passengers prevented serious damage by five- to the main highways bridge across the Manawatu River at Whirokino in the early hours of this morning.

The bridge is a long structure stretching across the Manawatu River on the main highway between Levin and Foxton and is in the Horowhenua County Council’s area. It is an important link in the main highway ’ system in this district.

The discovery that portion of its decking was afire was made at about the- morning’s paper to Palmerston Mr J. Mexted, who was driving a “Dominion” car loaded, with copies of this morning’s paper to Palmerston Morth. There being no fire extinguisher on the car and realising that prompt measures were necessary for the safety of the bridge, as a strong wind which was blowing at the time was having a visible effect on. the smouldering timbers, Mr Mexted caught up a tire spanner and commenced to chop away the burning timber, which immediately it was touched burst into flames. The outbreak was not so serious however, that the two men could not control it although had they arrived ten minutes later a different story might have to be told. In October of last -year a similar outbreak of fire occurred on the railway bridge across the Manawatu higher up the river from the scene of this morning’s fire. On that., occasion the fire origade was summoned from Palmerston North,- and firemen and railway employees succeeded in extinguishing the flames with fire extinguishers. Passengers from the Limited express were transhipped and taken by car to Palmerston North. On that occasion it was shown how heavy ‘ bridge timber can smoulder away, as solid beams and sleepers were so badly burned that the bridge was. declared unsafe for traffic. It was suggested than that the outbreak was caused .[by: a, spark from a passing train setting five to a bird’s nest on the structure.

It is a strange fact that at about this time last ..year a driver, of another “Dominion!’ car. travelling in the early morning arrived .at another bridge at .an opportune moment. He was approaching a small bridge at Tokomaru and fortunately noticed that some of the planks from the decking had been removed. This.quick glance ahead enabled him to pull up his car urgently (narrowly, escaping a serious accident himself) and to prevent some less careful motorists from coming to grief. It is 'believed tliat vandals removed the planking from! the bridge, but it is hot suggested that the fire 'on the Whirokino bridge was anything but an accident.