GREAT FIRE A DOCKS.

Taihape Daily Times, 9 October 1919, Page 3

GREAT FIRE A DOCKS.

DIS.‘-\_'S’l‘Eß ll\' LIVERPOOL.

ESTIMATED DAMAGE 53 1,000,000.

Many steamers Were recently in danger of destruction by the wOr,~?. dockside fire Liverpool has known in all its history. but all were got safely away except One, an American, whic‘-u had tq be scuttled. The fire, once quite half :1 mile long, broke out at the ‘West Alexander Dock, Bootle, and damage estimated at a million pounds was done 10‘ the shefizs, merchandi.<v. and plant. .

At the Quill’ theiowerc u very large 11111111361‘ Of lJal'l'els of turpentine along with other merchandise, and the out break apparently had its origin amongst some of these barrels '.1‘1.:-= fire took a firm hold-immediately, and wijzhin a very short time the sheds in nearly two sections of the buildings were involved. The roadway became impassable, and the blazing oil mu right across, leaving only ruin in its train. At the time there. was a. strong ebb tide, and the blazing oil was enrricd swiftly down stream some considerable distance, giving the appear-anon from the other side of the river as if the whole of the dock wall was a mas; of flame. At one period the firc had assumed such dimensions that a bridge on one side of the section of sheds,-;involvcd was threatened. It was almost impossible to cross it, but the work of the firemen in this (lil'eC~~ tion was successful. In the she.‘ ~where the fire started one of the Liv lerpool Brigadc’s petrol motor macllincs was installed, but so quickly did thr‘flames spread that it was impossible to get it out again, and it was dostroyod. One of Bottles’ firemen had 3 miraculous escape from the. 'same building. his comrades lmvmg to break vlhrough "the centre of a door in ly alight. Part of a shed Wall nearyst He was badly smoked and singed, and was removed to hospital. Nearly all the ships lying alongside

the quay were removed. but tlleAmeri. can Nvorleena, of 4596 wross tonnage, which had a cargo of timber and oil, was not so forturmte, and seemed to be wedged" iri. Although it was found possible to move her a little way from the dock side, she seemed to get the full force of the flame, and was quickly alight. Part 0 fa shed Wall nearest the dock side dropped 'pa.rt.ly on this vessel and partly in the water, and the blazing‘ debris added to the dimeulties of those aboard. At the part of the quay it. was impossible for some time for a man to stand, and. the firemen were compelled to do th best they could fronrlll‘lany yards outside the fhuge see/tier‘: of sheds involved The crew were thus eonlp'elled to abandon ship. As the fire aboard her gained headway there Was a frequent suCees—sfon of minor explosions when the flames reuclred the barrels of liquid stored in her hold and burst them.

‘ ship had hm‘ sea I-2r*“"-- ““."T-""4 and sunk as far as possl'?‘‘'- 3:: the dock. ‘ The Cot’tm'lnoro, of the Johnston-e Line, was caught by the flames as she was being movod, but before any serious damage was done. the firé was extinguished. Roundabout the docks there ‘-“€215 -considerable destruction. A large stock of coal was well alight, while in WlriCns_stackS of timbe:'fl.'nn(‘g were continuull-y breaking out, The office, :1 wooden structure, of Messrs Fmnoss. Withy, adjacvnt to the bul'n~ Smgr shed, was complefcly gutted, and n.n‘~OngSt the more valuable ‘articles "~-;-troycr.l, apart" from memhandi’se, wore s.nvm':ll fr:nreTlin.gr cranng belong‘in_9: fo the Dock Board, and r~.thr.=r p!‘op-or-fy. Tho fir? “"13 visible for miles rnmzd, :15 ‘rho 15;}-on’: banks of dense Moo}: ‘smoke drifted slowly towards .+h<= east‘. and on the Wallasey side H‘.-~u.<zll'ldS of p:,‘o‘pT(‘. assembled to watch the flanfes.