Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931), Monday 16 March 1914, page 9


EXPLOSION AND FIRE

PEOPLE IN PERIL.

A TREMENDOUS BLAZE. PICTURE PALACE CATCHES ALIGHT.

AUDIENCE LEAVE QUIETLY.

Sydney. March 15.

An explosion occurred in a second-storey room at Young's Buildings, Pitt and Park streets. yesterday afternoon, and was followed by a burst of flame from the windows. Before the brigade could be notified the whole of the upper floors were ablaze. Nine people were working on the top floor; at the time of the outbreak, and though they made a dash for safety as soon as the sound of the explosion reached their ears, they barely escaped with their lives. The top floor of the building was occupied by Messrs. Richard Proudford. James Page, Frank O'Keefe, and William Brown, working bootmakers, They used practically the whole of the floor as a common workroom, and they were all working in it when the explosion

occurred. On the same floor were Miss ' Smith and Miss Willcox, who were en- ' gaged in cleaning the offices, and Mr. C. Goddard, a gilder. When the explosion, which seemed to shake the building and to come from almost under their feet, occurred, they all made a dash for the windows. Tongues of flame were already reeling from the Film Company's offices, on the floor below. Two other persons, a man and a woman, who were in the shoemakers' room, made a rush for the stair-case. They disappeared into the smoke, but the others were unable to follow. The flames were already sweeping up stairs. Six months ago the building had no fire escape, but the fire brigade compelled the owners to erect one, and the imprisoned

men and women realised now that it was

their only hope. To reach it they had to break through the office occupied by- Mr. Consterdine, an advertising agent. The women were becoming hysterical and had to be half carried through the window to the fire escape and down to the bottom of the ladder. Here the escape ended, and a -40ft. 'drop on to the roof of Mr. Len.derson's ironmongery shop had to be made

before the six people found themselves safe. Mr. Goddard meantime had just been able to climb out of his window and drop to the roof below before the flames enveloped his office. He joined the others on the roof, and the party started to make their way along to the nearest building, which was high enough for them to climb into. This was the Barley MowHotel, at the corner of Bank and Castlereagh streets. To reach it the fugitives had to clamber over 100 yards along the tops of the intervening shops. They had, as one of the women said, just escaped with their lives.

By the time the three motor engines from the Central Fire Station arrived the

rooms surrounding the Film Company's offices were a huge mass of flame. The inflammable material made a tremendous blaze, and the surrounding offices caught almost before the horses could be got to work. On the Pitt-street side of the building is the Victoria Picture Palace. At the time of the fire it was three-parts full of people. The manager (Mr. Charles F. Jones! was notified of the fire next door. He realised the danger, and walking on to the stage asked the people to leave quickly

and quietly. In a few minutes the theatre was empty. "By that time the roof was afire in several places. The two top floors of Young's Buildings were gutted. The occupiers of the second floor offices, where the fire originated, were the , Universal Film Company, Express Film." Service Company, Lincoln Cass Film Company, Mr. J. R. Read (estate agent), Mr. L. Shermain (tailor), Messrs. Morrison- v Forbes, and Mr. -J. ConstaTdine"*- (advertising agent) The occupiers of the top floor were Messrs. Page. O'Keefe, Brown and Proudford (bootmakers), C Goddard gilder and the caretaker. The damage by fire and water was considerable. The shops of Messrs. Marshall Bros, (chemists), Mark 'Berg (tobacconist), and A. DeLuca (fruiterer) all suffered.