BURNING OP THE CHEMICAL WORKS AT YARRAVILLE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 241, 2 October 1876, Page 4

BURNING OP THE CHEMICAL WORKS AT YARRAVILLE.

(Australasian, Sept 16.)

At 6 o'clock on Saturdny evening n fire broke out at Messrs Coming, Smith and Co.'a Chemical Works at Yarraville, and although the proprietors were on the spot at the time with a supply of Van Yeau water at hand, the whole of the premises and plant, with almost all the stock, were destroyed. Owing to the prominent position in which the works were situated, on the high ground close to the Yarraville Sugar Refinery, the fire was seen for a very great distance, and from the nature of the materials the flames were more than ordinarily vivid. The premises were built of wood, and comprised two large chambers, 80 x 20 each, attached, with smaller buildings at the sides and river side. They were completely removed from other buildings, and for the last four years had been used by Messrs Cumiog, Smith, and Co. as a chemical manufactory. Stored in the buildings were something like 80 tons of sulphur, a very large quantity of nitre, and an enormous Btock of aoids in process of manufacture. The stock was very much more extensive than usual, the bußy season being now at band, and in view of this (he proprietors had so far matured their plans for extending their premises that tenders were in on Saturday for building another large store in connection with the works. At about 6 o'clock oa Saturday evening Messrs Cumiog, Smith, and Campbell, the proprietors, had gone over the works, and were on the point of leaving when flames burst forth in the room near where they were standing. The water is laid on all round the building, and as a special precaution in the eveut of fire the hose is attached to the plug. It was so in this instance ; and Mr Cuming is convinced that in 30 seconds from the time when the fire was first seen, the water was playing upon it. The fire, however, ran along the nitre bags like a train of gunpowder, and catcfiiug the sulphur, the fumes nearly suffocated the men, and being to leewnrd, they were obliged reluctantly to leave that part of the premises. By ttn's time the fire had run up the hi»h stack of nitre and caught the rafters and shingles of the roof, extending to all parts of the building. The wind was blowing half a gale from the south at the time, and this materially assisted the fire, which soon had full possession of the premises. The nitre burned with lioje-li^bt brilliancy, and being stacked in bags as each bag took fire it gave a slight exploBion. The sulphur burnt steadily, running in a lava-like stream to the roadway at the side of the premises, and Bending away to leeward suffocating fumes, which occasioned considerable al»rm in the lower part of Pootscray. There was plenty of assistance, but the men found themselves helpless to do anything in the way of checking the fiamps. The plug at the north sida of the building could not bo got at for the fumee, and the hoses at command were not sufficiently large to connect anywhere else for a considerable time. The Footscray, Hotbam, Melbourne, Curlton Brewery, & Emerald Hill brigades were there, and brought twoj^ta to bear on the burning building, the Carlton _ connecting with the Sugarworks pipe, a considerable distance off. The exertions of the brigade were successful so far as to save the stables, workmen's house, and a large stack of sulphur, which was partly burnt. The condensing chambers, lined with lead, were utterly consumed, and about 100 tons of acids they contained were lost, the jars bursting as they became heated. The platinum still was also saved, although damaged considerably, and the tall brick Btack stands as firm as ever it did. It was feared all nlong that fhe boiler would burst, but it did not. The j I fire burnt from 6 o'clock to about half- ! pust 9 before it could be said to have j been mastered. Messrs Cuming, Smith, i and Co. estimate tbeir loss at something like £10,000, the stock b*iag i n their ! opinion worth over £8,000. To meet this they are insured for scarcely £5,000 in tbe Imperial and Royal , offices. But this is not their greatest [loss. It will be Sally three or four months before they can resume operations, *n,J this will occaeiou g&eat inconvenience to their customers and losa to themselves. From the strength and direction of the wind there was no chance of saving the building, lhe proprietors were so convinced of the completeness of the fire-extinguish-ing apparatus, that for two years they went on without iusuriug. The Yhu Yean was laid on to every part of the buildmgd. The hoses were rea.Jy coupled, the buildings weru uever loft, without people iv them to tee that all was sate, and every (nu n was instructed iv what he was to do iv the eveut of fire. It was fully believed that a heavy stream of water could be brought to bear on auy part of the building at un y time in half n minute. A mouth or two ago ttio men iiad an opportunity of testing (hf.ir abilities iv this respect as b fire broke out iv the buii.ling, but it waa overcome in a few minutes. The origin oi the fire ou J-'aturo.-y is not fully known, but tha proprietors believe that a spaik irom the shovel of ashes j taken iroui ujo furnace must have been jblowu ou to lha uitre ba-je, with the disastrous results above described.