£5000  DAMAGE.

160 PEOPLE THROWN OUT OF WORK.

  A disastrous fire broke out at Rushden on Friday evening last, resulting in the total destruction of the spacious factory of Messrs. Nurrish, Nurrish, and Pallett, boot and shoe manufacturers. The factory, which stood on the Shirley Park Estate, between the railway station and the gasworks, was a three-storey building. It was erected about seven years ago, when Messrs. Nurrish, Nurrish, and Pallett found that their former factory in West-street was far to small for their rapidly-growing business, and consequently decided to build a much more commodious premises. The new factory was a convenient, well-fitted up, and thoroughly up-to-date structure, about a hundred feet long and about thirty feet wide. On the south side, adjacent to the railway, was a lean-to, comprising an engine-house and store room. On the north side, detached from the main structure, was a spacious erection of corrugated iron, used for storing leather, cases, &c.

  The fire was first noticed a few minutes after eight o’clock. Immediately after the train leaving Rushden at 8p.m. for Wellingborough had started out of the station. Mr. Pitt, the station-master, happened to look in the direction of the factory, and was startled to notice a red glare through one of the windows of the second storey. Without losing a moment, Mr. Pitt at once telephoned to the Rushden Fire Station, where fortunately, some of the members of the brigade were busy attending to the “kit.” They at once rang the alarm bells, and the rest of the firemen were quickly called together, and, under the command of Captain Fred Knight, J.P., the brigade were very promptly at the scene of the outbreak.

  The railway porters and other employees at the M.R. station, on the alarm being raised, had meanwhile hurried across the line to the factory, but were not able to gain an entrance into the building, and the flames spread with astonishing rapidity. In fact, in the course of a very few minutes all hope of saving the building was out of the question. The fire raged with intense fury, and completely mastered every attempt to extinguish the flames. Immense tongues of fire leaped from every window, and on the arrival of the brigade it was found to be useless to attempt to save the structure. Shortly after the arrival of the firemen the roof of the factory fell in.

  Prior to this, some useful salvage work had been performed by a number of the employees at the gasworks and others, who had broken open the doors of the corrugated iron store-room and had removed to a place of safety a large quantity of leather.

  The police-station is within a stone’s throw of the factory, and Inspector Onan, Sergeant Slaughter, and a number of local constables, were promptly at the scene of the fire and rendered very valuable service in various ways, particularly in controlling the crowd, which in a short time numbered 2000 or 3000.

  The sight was really an awe-inspiring one. The night was dark, the sky being overcast with heavy clouds, and a steady rain was falling. The neighbourhood of the factory was brilliantly illuminated by the lurid light from the devastating flames. The station-yard and the vacant piece of land near the factory were thronged with spectators of the awesome sight, and a coign of vantage particularly in request was the footbridge over the railway, from which an unobstructed view of the fire was obtained. For many miles around it could be seen that a disastrous fire was raging, and people flocked into Rushden from Higham Ferrers, Irchester, Wymington, Irthlingborough, Wellingborough, and other places in the district.

  It was at once seen that the chief work of the firemen would be to save the store-house and the contents of the yard, the hopelessness of attempting to quell the fury of the flames which were so greedily devouring the main building being speedily recognised. To the work before them, the brigade promptly turned their attention with commendable energy and skill, and under Captain Knight’s command they did splendid service. A good supply of water was available from the mains near the gasworks. The manual was stationed opposite the entrance to the gasworks, and a steady stream of water was thrown on to the burning mass inside the factory and on to the adjacent buildings. The Urban Council has lately adopted, as a precautionary measure, the plan of turning the water on again at the reservoir after the supply for the town has been shut off for the night and closing the valve at the bottom of Wyimington-road, so that in case of fire, the water can be turned on again at the Wymington-road valve without the necessity for a journey to the Wymington reservoir.

  Two loud explosions were heard while the fire was in progress, and at the first the sounds caused a great deal of alarm as it was thought the gas at the gasworks had become ignited. Fortunately the fears were found to be groundless, the explosions being nothing more than the use of a couple of rockets which have lately been used as the signal for calling together the Higham Ferrers Fire Brigade. As, however, it was found that there was no need for their services, the brigade from the adjoining borough did not appear on the scene of the fire.

  A high wind prevailed during the whole of the time the fire was raging, and dense masses of sparks were carried in a north-easterly direction – in a direct line for the gasworks. The constant and at times somewhat heavy rain, however, effectually quenched the sparks, and no further damage was done. Not far from the factory Mr. J. Jones, coal merchant, had a stack of hay or straw in his yard, and had the wind been blowing a little more to the east it would have been almost an impossibility to save the stack. Fortunately, however, the sparks just missed the stack-yard. If the stack-yard had caught, the row of houses a few yards away would have been imperilled. 

  Among the striking incidents of the fire was the falling in of the roof of the factory, the sight being one which it will be difficult to forget. It seemed at one time as if all the walls of the building would fall, especially when the upper portion of the factory came down with a terrific crash.

  By 9.30 p.m. the fire had practically burnt itself out, nothing remaining of the factory but the four walls, with the window frames and girders grotesquely twisted by the intensity of the heat. The firemen now turned their attention to the work of putting out the smouldering embers, and soon after midnight they were able to leave, five of the men remaining in charge until about 6a.m.

  It is satisfactory to know that Messrs. Nurrish, Nurrish, and Pallett’s large safe was reclaimed from the debris and that the books of the firm are intact.

  About £5000 worth of damage was done by the fire, including the stock, machinery, building, &c. The firm were insured, but at the time of the fire the stock was an unusually heavy one as several very large orders were being executed.

  The origin of the fire is a mystery. The work-people were busily engaged until the usual time for leaving on Friday night. Shortly after 7 p.m. the senior partner of the firm left the factory, everything at that time being apparently safe. The only persons left on the premises were a machinist who was repairing a stitching machine and a young man who remained to lock up when the repairs were finished. They left just before 8 p.m., when everything appeared to be safe. One theory of the origin of the fire is that a spark might have flown from the engine of the 8 p.m. train and, entering an open window of the factory, have settled on some inflammable material. This theory, however, is hardly tenable as the rain which was falling must have almost certainly extinguished any spark before it could have reached the factory.

  The firm employed about 160 hands – 130 indoor and the remainder outdoor – who are thrown out of work. The firm had not suffered from the prevailing depression, having had plenty of work in hand, and they will lose considerably from the interruption to their trade.

  With characteristic promptitude the firm have set about making temporary arrangements for carrying on their business. It is said that for one of their departments they have secured their old factory in West-street, which has just been vacated by Messrs. Phipps and Co., the latter firm having purchased the factory formally occupied by Mr. John Wilmott in East-grove. Messrs. Nurrish, Nurrish, and Pallet having failed to secure for the time being the corrugated iron building on the Rock, occupied by Messrs. John Cave and Sons after the great fire, but it is hoped that work will soon be found for the employees.

  For Fire Insurance rates apply to the Scottish Union Fire Office, Agent, F. Sherwood, 19 South-terrace, Rushden.

  You can insure your furniture for £100 at less than ½d. a week in the Yorkshire Insurance office.  Send for prospectus to C. Cross, Echo Office, 123 High-street, Rushden.  All kinds of assurances effected.  Is it worth while to remain uninsured when the premiums are so low?