CHURCH IN FLAMES

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 529, 5 December 1928, Page 6

CHURCH IN FLAMES

VALUABLE WINDOWS SAVED OUTBREAK AT ELLERSLIE ANLY the smart work of the fire brigade saved Christ Church, Ellerslie, from complete destruction last evening, when fire broke out in the north-western corner of the church. The brigade put the flames under within an hour and aquarter, and though the northern wall and western apex of the roof were considerably damaged, the beautiful stained glass windows, which are the finest in Auckland, were untouched with the exception of one or two slight cracks in one pane. rpHK church, which has some fine kauri timbering, is 45 years old and in preparation for the 45th anniversary, a fund for repainting the building and renewing the foundations had been started. Yesterday afternoon painters were busy burning the old paint off the outer walls. ALARM GIVEN BY GIRL Mr. E. C. Brown, people’s churchwarden, was busy in the parish hall at 6.15 p.m., when a young girl, Mary Cummings, who saw smoke issuing from the church, asked him if rubbish was being burned. After hastily giving the alarm to a fireman, Mr. C. Chapman, who lives next door, Mr. Brown rushed into the church and rang the church bell —a warning which is recognised by tlie fire brigade as an emergency ring. Mr. Brown then carried out as much of the valuable gear he could see. All this time the flames were roaring up the side of the building to the roof. “Five minutes later with the alarm and nothing could have saved the building,” Mr. Brown told THE SUN. The vicar, the Rev. R. J. Stanton, was returning from visiting a parishioner when he heard the alarm, and thought the vicarage was on fire. When he arrived at tlie scene of the fire he rushed inside, and aided by the assistant-curate, the Rev. H. R. L. Isherwood, and a number of neighbours, carried out the church plate, vestments and registers. When the brigade arrived on the scene, Mr. Stanton directed them to save the plate-glass windows by playing water on the sashes, this move being responsible for the preservation of the glass. ORGAN DESTROYED The fire started behind the organ, an Estey two-manual and pedal instrument, which was practically destroyed. The inside walls were badly charred and the llames practically burned through tlie great kauri beams supporting the roof, one side of which will fes.TC tc <tss entirely rebuilt. The firemen's work was made much more difficult by clouds of black smoke which were caused by the composite lining, evidently containing tar, which was between the iron roof and the wooden lining. However, when the fire was subdued after an hour and a-quarter, two-thirds of the buildiug was completely untouched by the flames. WINDOWS WITH A HISTORY The stained-glaSs windows are the work of the famous English stainedglass craftsmen, Clayton and Bell, glass painters to Queen Victoria. They were presented to the church by the founder of the firm, Mr. Alfred Bell, who was a friend of Mr. Albin Martin, one of the parishioners of Christ Church, Ellerslie. When Mr. Bell heard of the erection of the church in ISS3, he cut the windows to measurement, painted them and sent them out to New Zealand as a gift. The communion silver, altar cross and candlesticks, all of which were saved, were the gifts of Mr. Martin. The church and contents are insured for about £2,000 in the Diocesan Fire Insurance Fund. The damage is not yet known. Services will be held in the parish hall until repairs to the church have been effected. I

A start will be made shortly with the building of two new suburban branches for the Auckland Savings Bank. One will be situated in Kliyber Pass, a few yards from Symonds St., and will replace the present Symonds St. branch; the other is to be built in Dominion Rd., near the intersection of Valley Road. The buildings, which are both ,to be erected from the same plan, prepared by Mr. Daniel B. Patterson, will cost about £4,500 each. Tlie facades, as. illustrated above, .will be finished in Oamaru