The firemen worked gallantly under tremendous difficulties, for some of the hydrants were frozen, and the bitter cold made their task all the more arduous. They faced all difficulties manfully, and had the satisfaction of saving the surrounding property.

The fire was watched by a large crowd of spectators, who braved the severe weather, and many were attracted from a distance by the glare of the flames.

Captain Fred Adams was in command of the Raunds Brigade, and the Rushden firemen were under the command of Second-Officer George R. Turner and Third-Officer R. F. Knight. A good supply of water from the mains was fortunately procurable, and the Brigade at once set to work to subdue the flames; but as this was found impossible, they turned their attention to the houses adjoining, and succeeded in saving these. The tenants, however, had considered it wise to remove their furniture, etc., and experienced much suffering owing to the bitterly cold night.

The Rushden Fire Brigade arrived about 2 a.m., and assisted their Raunds contreros in their endeavour to cope with the fire.

The factory, a large one, was formerly occupied by Mr. John King Smith, and some 200 to 300 employees were engaged. These will of course, be thrown out of employment. Messrs. Stanley were engaged on Government work, and there was a good stock of boots in the factory, besides valuable leather and machinery.

Four houses immediately adjoining the factory to the firm and these are intact but only bare walls now remain of the factory itself. The old portion of the factory consisted of a three-storey building, the modern part being a one-storey erection.

When the factory was locked up on Tuesday night at the usual time, everything appeared to be safe. When the fire was first noticed at 11.30 p.m. the flames had got a tremendous hold, and before the Raunds firemen could reach the scene of the conflagration, the whole factory was involved, and the flames could be seen from Rushden and Higham Ferrers, and, in fact, from all parts of the district. The firemen at once saw there was no hope whatsoever of saving the building, or even any portion of it, whereupon they worked most heroically, under circumstances of the utmost difficulty, to prevent the flames from spreading to the adjoining property, in which, happily, they were successful.

Naturally the tenants of the four houses adjoining the factory were in a state of great alarm, for at one time it looked as if nothing could save the houses from destruction by fire. The tenants hastily removed their valuables into houses near by and into the street, and they were assisted by many kindly neighbours, who sought to make this painful midnight experience somewhat the less terrible for the unfortunate victims.

As soon as it was realised that the conflagration was of so serious a nature, the Raunds firemen decided to seek the assistance of the Rushden Fire Brigade. A telephone message was thereupon sent to Rushden, and the response was a very prompt and smart one. Trojan-like efforts were made by both brigades to master the flames, and eventually this was accomplished, but not without labours of an almost superhuman character. In intensely cold weather, the coldest night for 22 years, the thermometer registering about 25 degrees of frost, the firemen directed torrents of water upon the flames but, notwithstanding the great heat caused by the all-devouring fire, the spray rapidly froze, and a strange sight was witnessed in the form of immense icicles hanging in weird shapes from the factory walls. Nothing could be saved from the burning buildings. All the extensive equipment of modern boot-making machinery was lost, the stocks of valuable leather were destroyed, and the flames consumed large quantities of boots and partly made boots and shoes.

A big crowd of people had naturally been attracted by a fire of such vast proportions but there was no unruliness, and the people kept good order, giving, under the direction of P.S. Ellingham and P.C. Newberry, very useful assistance to the people who for the time being were driven from their homes. It is a curious fact that quite a large number of Raunds people were ignorant of the fire until Wednesday morning, and, as a matter of fact, some of the employees at the demolished factory went out to work as usual at 7.30 a.m., to find the buildings completely gutted.

Mr. Stanley, the head of the firm, spent Tuesday in London, and it was not until Wednesday morning that an intimation of the fire could reach him. Mr. Grocott, the secretary of the company, who lives in one of the houses adjoining the factory, was one of the first officials to be on the scene. He bravely attempted to force his way into the office to save the books, but was driven back by smoke and fire, and had to abandon the attempt. The whole of the loss, it is stated is covered by insurance.

On Wednesday the debris was still smouldering, and the members of the Raunds Fire Brigade found it necessary to play on the burning mass for some hours.

Arrangements are being made by which the operatives will be found employment as soon as possible, and the officials of the Rushden and Higham branch of the Boot Operatives Union journeyed to Raunds on Wednesday to confer with the employees.