A PALMERSTON BLAZE

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 40014, 24 October 1929, Page 3

A PALMERSTON BLAZE

MATERNITY HOME. EN FLAMES

During yesterday’s gale in Palmerston North a lire broke out in “Levu-ka” Maternity Hospital in Fitzherbert Street.

The alarm was given by one of the patients, Mrs. Chandler, who was horrified to see flames bursting through*!,lie floor beside her .-bed. Air. Read, of Bulls, who was in the next room with his wife, heard heir cry of “The house is afire,” and, seizing his wife from the'bed, carried her to safety. .Mrs. Chandler had strength enough to make her escape unassisted. Nurse Agency curried the two babies, aged 3 days and 9 days, to safety. The two mothers, who were given shelter in a neighbouring house, are not expected to suffer severely as the result of their shock. Nurse Charters and a housemaid, the only oilier occupants of the house, also escaped. When the tijre brigade arrived in response to a box call they found one corner of the roof in flames, hut investigation soon proved that tile whole of the roof beneath the sheeting of iron was a, mass of flames. The fire had evidently started in the second storey and had a gbod hold before it was discovered. Three firemen had a narrow escape from death in the early stages of the fire. Amounted upon the roof, I hey were endeavouring to direct a jet of water down into the building when suddenly flames burst out from between the roofing iron at tlieijr feet. Dropping their hose, they were forced to heat a hasty retreat as the flames burst odt all around them. Fortunately they escaped with only their hail’ singed. The water pressure at first was not sufficient for the jets from the hoses to reach the windows on the second floor, hut when a motor pump was brought into use a good head of water was obtained for two leads. The whole of the upper storey of the building was a roaring mass of flame, and as the wind rushed between the rafters red-hot sheds of roofing iron and blazing pieces of wood were lifted into the air by the wind, and came crashing down amongst the fire lighters, who were forced to intake hurried breaks for safety. After about 2j* hours’ work all danger of a further outbreak was past. The hack portion of the building, consisting of a nursery and kitchen, was practically fireproof and was saved, hut the whole of the top storey and most of the bottom- was desti’oyed. Sisters Charters and Vevey will he heavy losers.