LONDON FIRE DISASTER

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 455, 10 September 1928, Page 9

LONDON FIRE DISASTER

MANY BRAVE DEEDS FLAMES GLARE OVER CITY FLAT-DWELLERS MENACED (United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) (United Service) LONDON, Saturday. One of the most disastrous fires which has occurred in London for many years broke out at midnight at a large timber yard in Vauxhall. Within a few minutes the flames endangered six five-storey blocks of flats. Two of these speedily caught fire. The buildings were in a row- of tenements, w-hich together housed 1,000 people, most of whom were women, children, and elderly folk. Policemen hastily aroused the occupants, who awoke to see the awesome spectacle of roaring flames sending up columns of sparks hundreds of feet into the air. The entire neighbour-, hood was aglow. Residents of the burning buildings rushed out in their night attire. Some of the women carried children, while their husbands carried other children and mattresses or blankets. Some of tlxe people threw furniture out of the windows.

Numbers of the flat-dwellers reached the courtyard to find the 6ft gates locked. Surging to the s*tes, they made fruitless efforts to smash them. Finally, disregarding the barbed wire which surmounted the gates, the fugitives climbed up to the top of them, and jumped into the street. Women passed babies over to rescuers outside. Many of the residents took refuse in neighbouring railway arches. Others huddled together in the street. TWO HUNDRED HOMELESS There were numerous acts of bravery. One girl carried her blind mother to safety. Others stayed behind to assist invalids and two octogenarian bedridden people. In spite of the efforts of 200 firemen, who had 30 fire engines on the scene, the former could not approach within 100 yards of the fire owing to the heat The timber yard was burnt out, but the flames were prevented from spreading.

The glare from the fire was seen all over London. Hundreds of motorists hurried to the scene. "West End sympathisers took food, which the proprietors of the neighbouring coffeestalls distributed to the children.

Two hundred people have been rendered homeless by the outbreak.