GOING TO THE FIRE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 February 1939, Page 6

GOING TO THE FIRE

AN EARLY START

CROWDS OF SPECTATORS assemble MOTOR HEADLIGHTS COME IN HANDY. INCIDENTS ON SATURDAY NIGHT. All roads led to the Waingawa Works on Saturday night, and it is estimated that at one stage a crowd of over two thousand watched the spectacular blaze. People cancelled theatre and other engagements with the excuse: "We*are going to the fire.” The traffic problem was acute, as over a thousand cars jammed the main highway entrances to the works. Good work by traffic inspectors and the police helped to alleviate the position, but even so it was remarkable that no accidents occurred. Dozens, of children on bicycles, careering over the road without lights, were a constant problem to motorists..

The difficulties under which the firemen worked were accentuated by the darkness, but several hundred motorists came to their assistance and trained their headlights on to the rear of the building where firemen and volunteers scampered like ants over the huge brick pile, the roofs of which were white hot until they crashed down to the concrete floor. Run-down batteries were common as a result. Work of inestimable value was done by employees of the works, many of -whom remained on the job until after midnight. Police from Masterton, Carterton and Greytown, in charge of De-tective-Sergeant W. Kane, patrolled the buildings to prevent possible pilfering, and they also assisted the fire-fighters by keeping the over-curious crowd back when the fire was at its peak. No fire is without its humorous incidents. On Saturday night one man, obviously “under the influence,” was found wandering half frozen in a freezing chamber. Another, also,from Wellington, was located by firemen in the blazing slaughter room. He had already received injuries which necessitated medieval attention, and to save him from receiving more a prominent official of the firm dealt with -him promptly. When all but a few of the cars had gone the same man was wandering about. His friends had gone on to Wellington without him. Mr Borthwick, it is stated, gave him sufficient money for bed and breakfast. Another man arrived with a baby m his arms. His wife had gone to the pictures, leaving him to mind the children. But he was not going to miss the fire, so he brought the baby and two youngsters with him. Throughout yesterday hundreds continued to arrive at the works to view the skeleton of a building. Wisely, however, the main gates were closed and it was difficult to gain admission.

RECONSTRUCTION OF DAMAGED BUILDING. DEBRIS BEING CLEARED AWAY. Undismayed by the damage wrought by the fire. Messrs T. Borthwick and Sons. with characteristic enterprise, made immediate arrangements for clearing away the debris and putting reconstruction work in hand. At an early hour yesterday morning well over 100 men were engaged, while more were taken on today.

The Waingawa Works were acquired by Borthwick's in 1928 and since then thousands of pounds have been spent, the bulk of it in the block gutted by Saturday's fire, in improvements. The beef and mutton slaughter rooms wore probably the most up-to-date in the Dominion and the reconstruction work will entail, amongst, other things, the erection of four mutton killing chains and the elaborate beef slaughtering equipment, which included a huge modern electric saw.

Incidentally, it was eight years ago last week since the firm's works at Hastings were destroyed by earthquake.

Ey midday today practically the whole of the debris in the slaughter rooms and the cooling room had been cleared away and everything is now in readiness for the builders. Apart from killing, all the other departments, are working today and will continue to do so until supplies .on hand are exhausted.

The eight or ten thousand sheep which'were in the Work* holding pad-

docks on Saturday have been transferred to a nearby farm awaiting transference to the firm’s works at Feilding, Hastings or Waitara. Included in the large number of sheep was a draft of 1000 which arrived on Saturday after a seventeen days’ trip from the Feilding district. A number of employees at Waingawa are leaving tomorrow for Feilding, Hastings or Waitara to cope with the extra pressure of work consequent upon the conveyance of sheep which otherwise would have been killed at Waingawa. Although the brigades were successful in saving the beef chillers, a quantity of beef was blackened. FREE GRAZING OFFERS OF ASSISTANCE. The Provincial Secretary of the Farmer’s Union, Mr James Watson, has received offers from members for free grazing to be placed at the disposal of Messrs Borthwick and Sons. Ltd. in an effort to tide them over present difficulties. Messrs Borthwick and Sons have expressed their appreciation of these offers. Members of the Union are invited to communicate with Mr Watson regarding any further offers of assistance. BRIGADES THANKED FIRM’S APPRECIATION OF GOOD WORK. HIGH STANDARD OF EFFICIENCY. (To the Editor.) Sir. —We would like to take the opportunity ' of thanking the Masterton Fire Brigade, the Carterton Fire Brigade, the Waingawa Works Fire Brigade, and all those willing helpers who turned up at the Works on Saturday night, and dealt so efficiently with what, at one time, looked a pretty disastrous fire. There is no doubt that the efficiency of the new Masterton fire engine was thoroughly tested and found to be extremely high.—Yours, etc, For Thos. Borthwick and Sons (A’Asia) Ltd., PAT BORTHWICK, Director. Masterton. February 6. P. Eastwood, 5 Perry’ Street, is Chief Agent for General Accident and Fire Assurance Corporation, Ltd. (Inc. in Scotland).*