Stubborn Blaze in Butterfield Swire's Godown The second spectacular fire, to occur on Shanghai's waterfront inside, two weeks took place on January 11, one of Messrs. Butterfield Swire's godowns blazing furiously and being fairly thoroughly gutted. Fast work by the firemen prevented the flames from spreading to the adjoining godowns and they were in control of the situation after an four, although they did not completely extinguish it until about midnight, working in. freezing! weather, The alarm was given at 6.30 pa Jand the members of the French Volunteer Fire Brigade "Lo Torrent" from East Station, just round the corner from the godown, were on the scone in a few seconds. They tackled the danger zone, the western southern walls of the godown, as this is where the fire was buring the fiercest and threatening godowns across the alleyways owing to a north wind.
Putting up a barrage of water: they prevented the flames from speeding, while firemen from other stations laid their lines of hose on the northern side of the godown, playing their streams of water from Indders in the alleyways or from opposite walls, down on to the flames above. There was no chance of getting into the godown itself, except at the Bund end, and here firemen laid on a line.
Seven pumps of the French Brigade worked hard for an hour, as did the Fire Float of the International Settlement Brigade, which assisted by utilizing another source of water than the hydrant supply, the Whangpoo. The float came to the fire at the personal request of M, Marcel Chapeaux, Commandant of the French Brigade, and pumped well, About 7.30 p.m. several of the machines were able to return to their stations, as the fire had bee" localized, while the others coninued with their efforts, The roads and alleyways were a sheet of ice, and fingers grew numb after holding a hose for two or three nutes, while a chilly wind blew: down the alleyways upon the firemen, but the fire proved stubborn in several spots, and it took 'a long time to extinguish the flames.
Damping down will continue for} some time, while the salvage men commence their work~ this morning. From indications last night it seems that there may be: quite a lot of salvage from the Jewer floor. The goods in the godown, Butterficld's No. 11, consisted chiefly of Chinese medicines: and herbs; in one place alleyway there was a pile of dried Vichees that had come out of the godown, that seemed quite edible It is the godown situated next: but one to Butterfield's office building, and flames from it were visible along the Bund soon Inst night, despite bu estimated that flames were shooting to a height of 50 feet in places.
Tt was learned that the estimated damage to the building and Tis, 600,000. The building itself was insured for Tls. 35,000. The cargo came in, on the str. Ngankin the same afternoon.
One of the oddities of the fire was that when the members of the Brigade attempted to clear up their! apparatus and return to their! stations, they-found many of. the extension ladders were frozen fast by the quantity of water which was, thrown against the building.
It was not until choppers and other small implements had been used to hammer the ladders free that they could be lowered into their regular positions and loaded on the Brigade trucks. demand of boatmen of Pootung lighters, engaged in coal transport, that they rees ive a similar increase ($0.06 per ton) in tranportation charges to that recently granted to Ningpo lighters on the Shanghai side, has been acceded to by the merchants concerned. The Pootung rates are now $0.41 and $046 (short and long' distances) Per ton as against the Shanghai $0.30 and $0.86. Transportation by! the Pootung boats is much quicker than those across the river, hence the higher rates, hibited without permission.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.