Fire at the Saw Mills.

“A fiery spectacle erupted at Mr. Adcock’s saw mills, causing great excitement and fear. The Police Fire Brigade’s prompt intervention localized the blaze to the boiler house, showcasing their valor and skill in preventing what could have been a devastating event in our industrious town.”

October 1900.
A fire broke out in Mr. Adcock’s saw mills on Tuesday evening and caused a great deal of excitement in the neighbourhood. The fire however was of small magnitude and confined through the efforts of the Police Fire Brigade to the boiler house. The alarm was received at the Police Station at 9 p.m.

The hose reel from the Town Hall was at once taken and fixed to a standpipe in Ladywell and soon afterwards it was playing on the blazing roof and chimney of the boiler house. A second hose from Queen Street was brought up very quickly and fixed in the Town Hall yard and passed over the wall to play on the fire. The fire was extinguished at 9-45 p.m. It broke out in the stoke hole and boiler house and was confined to it. The principal damage was the destruction of the boiler house roof. Inspector Knott and eight firemen were in attendance while there were plenty of willing outsiders to lend a hand.