FIRE AT MATAURA

Southland Times, Issue 18819, 12 May 1920, Page 6

FIRE AT MATAURA

RAILWAY STATION DESTROYED. A BIG BLAZE. The second serious fire in the Eastern District within a week occurred, yesterday, when the Mataura railway station was completely destroyed. The building, which was of wood, was an old one, and in 1913 was removed from the opposite side of the line to the present site. The opportunity was then taken to renovate it, and it was in sufficiently good repair to have seen many more years’ service. In size and appearance it was very similar to the present station building at Woodlands. The fire is said to have been first noticed at about 12.30 p.m. When a Southland Times reporter reached the scene shortly before 3 p.m. only a heap of smouldering ruins, the iron roof of the verandah and its supporting posts also of iron, and the ! two chimneys, one at either end, were left to mark where the station had been. A strong and cold north-easterly wind was blowing and as the fire gradually found its way along the wooden beams of the roof pieces of the roofing were blown among the other wreckage, and one by one whole sections of the roof collapsed. The wind was so strong that the chimneys were swaying to and fro until one gave way and added to the picture of destruction. In the railway yard close to the station all the equipment rescued hurriedly from the building was lying in disorder and railway employees were busily engaged in establishing a temporary office in the goods shed across the way. By 4 o’clock this had been accomplished, and electricians had re-erected the tablet machines and laid on the telephone. Fortunately the money from the station is banked every morning, so that there was no money in the safe at the time of the fire. It is staled, however, that one of the railway employees had £SO in war bonds placed there for safe keeping, and although it is believed that everything was rescued, he had not received them at a late hour in the afternoon. All the money in the till was saved, together with all the office records and furniture. On making inquiries the reporter was informed that Mr S. Slecman, who resides in the vicinity of the station, was the first to notice the fire. He saw smoke issuing from the roof close to the chimney at the eastern end of the buikling. Most of the railway employees were then away at lunch, but within a very short time after the alarm had been given they were back at the station, of which an inspection was immediately made. The township does not possess a water supply, and when the outbreak was discovered the fire extinguishers were used but without effect. A bucket brigade was then organised, and water was conveyed from the water tanks at each end of the station. A strong wind was blowing, however, and it soon became evident that the building could not be saved. The flames spread rapidly, and the workers confined their attention to the rescue of the office records and equipment, a task which, in the growing intensity of the heat, proved to be a difficult one. The tablet instruments gave the most trouble, as they had to be wrenched oS the stands to which they were affixed with screws, and during the operation, which was necessarily a hurried one, several of the men sustained slight injuries to their hands. In the meantime others were busily employed rescuing the other equipment, which was placed in disorderly array out of danger. The men did not have much time at their disposal in which to finish their task, and within a quarter of an hour the buikling was a mass of flames, while within half an hour of the time when the fire was first noticed it had been completely demolished. When the express from Christchurch drew up opposite the platform, it was found that the tablet had been mislaid and the train could not proceed on its journey until it was discovered after a search which lasted over an hour. While men were occupied in the task of saving the railway equipment, another band of workers concentrated their efforts on saving the statioomaster’s house, which was seriously threatened by sparks from the Station building. These workers were directed by Mr Slccman and Constable Barrett, the former having the forethought to procure a stable hose which proved to be of great assistance. Soaked blankets were placed over the wall nearest to the fire. The danger was so acute that the furniture was removed from the house into the roadway, and unfortunately in the rush a number of articles were seriously damaged. The methods employed for the saving of the house were effective, and under the difficulties which had to be contended with, reflected a great amount of credit on those who willingly lent their aid. Various opinions are held as to how the fire originated, but the most popular one seemed to be that the chimney in the ladies’ waiting room was defective.