A serious fire occurred on Wednesday morning at the New Jewish Club, on Great Western Road, and but for the manner in which it was tackled it would probably have gutted the building At 4.58 o'clock a tele phone message was received at the Brigade headquarters, from the Bubbling Well Police Station, reporting the fire. The Sinza Division promptly responded, and found the upper floor and roof of the cast wing in flames. In places the roof was already in, Lines of hose were laid from a hydrant in Tifeng Road and taken upstairs on either side of the outbreak to try and prevent the flames speaking. However, the fire had obtained such a hold that it had already swept along the roof space to the west, past the large cor-rider at the head of the main staircase, and had involved practically three-quarters the length of the whole building. The roof, which was practically constructed of prepared felt en wood sheathing, added to the difficulties of ihe firemen and the fire was spreading rapidly in all directions. There was a stiff southeasterly breeze blowing at the time, and this combined with the fact that practically the whole of the portion on fire was a mass of lath and plaster work, made matters critical for some time. The smoke from the burning asphaltum made the work of the men exceedingly trying, and this together with the heat made it almost impossible for the men to stay in the rooms to check the flames from running overhead. A section of the Central Division was on the scene early to reinforce the Sinza men, and laid on from Great Western Road tackling the front portion; another hydrant was used on Tifeng Road, as also was one on Bubbling Well Road. The escape was raised against the north side above the main portion of the fire and used as a water tower.
At the outset it was realized that unless the fire was soon held in the direction of the main hall the flames would rapidly obtain a grip on the ceiling and roof of this hall, the former being beautiful piece of work, and the brigade worked frantically to save it. In this task they had practically no assistance from the construction of the club, and the cast edge of it was on fire when the Brigade arrived. However this was checked, and the hall is only very slightly affected, a matter for satisfaction of all concerned.
The conflagration was practically confined to the east section, and the roof of a portion of the west secti: the first floor only towards the #xst being burnt through in places. The main hall and a large number of rooms on the north and east are practically undamaged, the damage being confined to the centre, north side, and cast wing, and then mostly in the roof and first floor. This fire is greatly to be regretted, as the premises were practically completed, and the opening of the Club was being looked forward to with much expectation. The cause of the outbreak is unknown. Owing to the state of the fire when the Brigade
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.