In the early hours of Saturday morning Mr. Flavell and other employees of Mr. B. Ladds were returning from the annual supper and social gathering when they noticed some leather bits on fire in the dust-shoot at the factory of Messrs. Jaques and Clark, boot manufacturers, Rushden.

Mr. Flavell promptly called up Mr. Charles Clark, who lives at the corner of Wellingborough-road and Station-road, and who occupies and important post at the factory. Mr. C. Clark, who is a brother of Mr. John Clark (one of the partners of the firm), was very speedily at the Factory, and the police were also called, P.S. Ellingham, P.C. Webster, and P.C. Kembry were speedily in attendance, and the fire was subdued by means of buckets of water poured from the top storey of the factory down the shoot.

The burning material comprised the leather dust which comes from the finishing machines and passes through the ventilators down the pipe. This dust had accumulated and had caught fire.

It is exceedingly fortunate that the fire was discovered at so early a stage, or a disastrous conflagration might have resulted.