HALF CITY BLOCK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 November 1941, Page 5

HALF CITY BLOCK

RAZED TO THE GROUND IN CHRISTCHURCH SUDDEN OUTBREAK OF FIRE IN TIMBER YARD. BLAZE SPREADS TO ADJOINING BUILDINGS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Half of a city block was razed to the ground early this morning, when the timber yards and mill cf C. S. McCully, Ltd., at the corner of Tuam and 'Montreal streets, caught fire. The outbreak was first noticed at about .1.20 a.m. and the Fire Brigade was ion the scene within a few minutes, but by then the fire had such a strong hold that there was no hope of doing anything beyond attempting to confine it to the timber yard. The occupants of six houses adjoining the yards moved hurriedly into the street in their night attire, taking a few personal belongings. One of them, named Port, had to be roused from his room by the police, who found him slightly cut by falling glass. Soon afterwards the outer brick wall of McCully’s premises fell on this cottage. FIREMAN INJURED. A fireman, Norman Phelan, was injured at about 2.10 a.m., when the north wall of McCully’s building fell out into the street. He is a married man with two children. He had to be taken from under the collapsed brick. For most spectators interest was not in the fate of the timber yard, which was an unbroken mass of flames, bur in that of houses —three in Montreal Street and three in St. Asaph Street. With their bedding and furniture stacked in the street, the occupants of these houses stood watching their homes, just beyond which the fire blazed fiercely. Right against the high brick wall of McCully’s, in Montreal Street, was one house occupied by Mr Port. Missing him when she was out in the street, and the house was already endangered by the wall, Mrs Port told the police and three constables went in. They found him cut about the face, but preparing to leave. Not long after they all left the house it was almost demolished by the falling wall. After this it caught fire. By 1.35 a.m. the blaze was so great that it threw a flare of light on the Cathedral spire, half a mile away. From the Montreal Street side of the timber yard, the fire spread east and north. The offices of McCully, Ltd., were burning strongly at 1.40 a.m., by which time the whole of the company’s area was ablaze. STARTED BY SPARK. The nightwatchman for McCully, Halkett, reported that the fire started when a spark from the boiler, blown out by the wind, fell on some skirting, and, fanned by a sudden gust of wind, immediately caused a Are. Halkett obtained a bucket of water, but within a few seconds, he said, the flames were everywhere. When the brigade arrived, the fire had to be attacked from many points at once to prevent it spreading. Six engines were brought out and leads of hose were taken to all points where it was possible to protect adjoining property. The heat was so great that it was difficult to approach anywhere near the main fire, but firemen penetrated deep into the premises wherever they could. The wooden out walls of McCully’s office fell into the street at about 2 a.m. Twenty minutes later the brick wall in Tuam Street fell out, pinning Fireman Phelan under its debris and slightly injuring another fireman on a knee. GARAGE IN DANGER. Another alarm was raised at about 2 o'clock when smoke and flames were seen coming from the back of the establishment of W. A. McLaren and Company, Ltd., motor engineers, of 108 St. Asaph Street. Their premises, packed with motor-cars and trucks and with petrol pumps and oil drums close at hand, were immediately opposite the burning buildings. Firemen at once broke the lock on a door and in a short time the blaze was put out, leaving only a few smouldering sacks. When daylight came, the whole of McCully’s area of nearly two acres, was a smouldering ruin, with only gaunt frames of giant band-saws standing. For hours after the main fire had been extinguished firemen poured jets of water on the ruins, from which clouds of smoke and steam enveloped the district.