AHOTHER FIRE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2637, 20 October 1909, Page 5

AHOTHER FIRE.

OUTBREAK IN GLADSTONE ROADji

GOOD WORK BY THE FIRE BRIGADE.

- —; fgj Although experiencing many alarms j of fire recently, it was up till last night. Vf some considerable time since anything in the nature of a serious outbreak lias ;: l occurred in. Gisborne. About five min- •] utes past nine' o’clock an. alarm, was ; sounded from the Victoria Belfry, and Y it Avas quickly -ascertained that the fire : was in the premises of the Civil Service 1 and Citizens’ 00-operatiA r e Bakery Co., - Ltd., close to the bell ioAver. When .? first discovered, the flames had a A ? ery strong hold, and the pearling of the hell ; and the dense clouds of black smoke rolling . skyAvards quickly attracted a 1 large croAi'd to the scene. The Brigade turned out smartly, being on the scene : in just one minute after the alarm Avas J sounded. They scon got four leads of ! hose to play on the flames, and, after a strenuous battle, succeeded in extinguishing the fire. The water pressure was poAverful, and at times had to be eased off.

The block of buildings' in Avhieh the fire originated comprises four shops, each Avith upstairs premises. The shop* are occupied by Miss Neill, draper, Mr Christopolu, confectioner, Civil Service Bakery, and Mr. J. M. Lennon, .tobacconist apd hairdresser. The latter shop adjoins the Ardoync buildings a brick structure.

As has been stated, the fire originated in the bakery establishment, but exactly Avhere in the premises could not be ascertained with any degree of ceir tfiuty, as Avhen the alarm Avas given the flames were burning fiercely at the rear of the shop, and also on the second uoor. Mr. Simmons, the manager of the company, who was at the theatre Avhen the fire broke out. lives by himself on the premises. He stated to a “Times” representative that abort 6.30 p.m., -after attending to some bread, he went upstairs to his room and got dressed to go cut. When leaving the room, he extinguished a candle Avhicli he had lighted, and left everything apparently sepure. He is utterly at a loss to account for the outbreak, but gave it as his opinion that the fire may have been caused by rats getting at some matches. The establishment was completely gutted, but the bakehouse at the rear wasnotdam-i aged. The contents of the shon and the_ bakehouse were insured in tile Imperi a 1 office for £2OO. The fire which burned out the interior of the baterv shop also spread in the upper storey to the she" on either side of it. In these premises, although the flames did a considerable amount of barm, the principal damage W2s done by water. Mr. Lennon was a heavy loser, all the bedding and clothing in the upstairs rooms, as Avell as the furniture, being destroyed, while the water, pouring through on to the floor beneath. saturated his stock of tobacconist’s goods, as Avell as the fittings of bis hairdressing saloon and the furniture of the back parlor. A few articles were saved, but little of any consequence. .The stock and fittings wero insured for £l5O and the furniture for £SO.

Mr. C. Cliristopulo, whose confectionery establishment and tea rooms were most handsomely furnished, is a particularly heavy loser, and also chiefly through damage by Avater, although theifire did a certain amount of damage upstairs. A large number of moveable articles were carted out into the street from the shop. He had absolutely no insurance on bis property, the policy which lie bad held having been, as he told a “Times” reporter, cancelled some months ago by the insurance company for some reason, unknown to him.

Miss Neill, whose shop on the corner 1 was heavily stocked with goods of a most inflammable nature, was fortunate in so far as not a drop of water entered her premises, and the only damage was by smoke to some articles, exposed in the shop. The block/ of buildings is owned by Mr. John Score, and is insured, although he was unable last night to give the exact amount. The large crowd which gathered was a most orderly one, and numbers of people evinced a readiness to do anything in their power to help the efforts of the Brigade. The Defence Cadets, under Captain Zachariah, who had just concluded their parade, did excellent service in forming a cordon, with hands joined, and thus keeping back the crowd. There was a full muster of the members of the Brigade, who turned out and got to work in an incredibly short space ox time. Although the fire was, comparatively speaking, not a large one, it was' an extremely dfficult one, to deal . with', and nothing but the splendid efforts of the Brigade prevented the flames from spreading and a consequent big conflagration. Running along narrow parapets and climbing over roofs in an attempt to get the most advantageous positions, the men. displayed great pluck and daring, and at times were in very close proximity to the roaring walls of flame. For fifteen or twenty minutes, badly hampered in their movements by the blinding and, suffocating smoke and the intense heat, they battled hard, and it was apparently a toss up whether fire or water was going to conquer. Graunally, but surely, however, the flames diminished, and eventually, as the order was given to turn off the water, the crowd recognised the heroic efforts of the fire fighters by according them a clieer. There is littie doubt that had it not been for the promptitude of the Brigade in getting to the scene, and its excellent work when there, a most serious and disastrous conflagration must have ensued.