Sporting & General Medals, Badges & Awards - Fire Bri

Lot 1572    SESSION 5 (9.30AM TUESDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER)    Sporting & General Medals, Badges & Awards - Fire Briga

Estimate $350
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $240

MASEFIELD'S FIRE (AUCKLAND), stock medal, hand engraved in gold (9ct, 5.0g, 26mm), no maker, scroll and ring top suspension, obverse inscribed 'Fireman/J.Hunt/19.01.', reverse inscribed 'Masefield's Fire/Oct.15'. Very fine.

From "New Zealand Herald", 7 October 1901, Courtesy National Library of New Zealand - Papers Past.

"A fire took place at Mr.T.T.Masefield's foundry, Albert-street, shortly before six o'clock on Saturday morning. The fire was first noticed by Mr. George Jessup, one of Mr. Masefield's tenants, residing at the western side of the foundry. Jessup had just got up, and was going to his work, when he noticed smoke issuing from the vicinity of the fitting and machine shop. He at once gave the alarm, which brought Mr. James Moir, the caretaker, on the scene. Mr. Jessup went to the Albert-street Fire Brigade station. The fire originated in the division of the foundry which extends from Albert-street to Chapel Square, and in about the centre of the building, on the ground floor, in the vicinity of the stokehole of the engine. Fortunately the fire brigade, under Superintendent Gladding, and the Salvage Corps, under Captain Field, were promptly on the ground, and prevented the spread of the fire to the whole establishment. The fires were banked as usual on the previous night, and were left apparently all safe. The stokehole is of stone, but adjoining is a small box, or shed, for storing tools, and it is supposed that a spark may have been blown from the stokehole to this shed and thus ignited it. The shed stood near the wall of the machine and patternshop. The machine-shop is a building about 130 ft in length by 36ft in width, with brick wall and iron roof. Apparently the fire had travelled through a window from the tool-shed and got into the upper storey, where there were a large accumulation of patterns, amongst which the flames did a good deal of damage at the western end of the building. It is supposed that the fire had been creeping along here before being discovered. The fire brigade succeeded in preventing the fire getting into the eastern end of the annexe, where the great bulk of the patterns were stored. It is difficult at present, to compute with any accuracy the damage, but Mr. Masefieid estimates the loss on patterns at from ?400 to ?500 above insurance. The damage to machinery would appear to be fully covered. The New Zealand Insurance Company has a policy of ?4000, but estimate their loss will be about ?500, as a great proportion was reinsured. The fire brigade deserve great credit for the way they handled the fire. Mr. Masefield's three tenants, at the western end of the foundry, were not insured, and have had their effects partly damaged by smoke and water. Owing to the heat some of the windows of the houses are cracked. The inmates in the top storey had some difficulty in getting out, owing to the smoke."