|
The Cheapside Street whisky bond fire in Glasgow on 28 March 1960 was Britain's worst peacetime fire services disaster. The fire at a whisky bond killed 19 servicemen. This fire was overshadowed only by a similar fire in James Watt Street (also in Glasgow) on 19 November 1968, when 22 people lost their lives. ==Fire== On the evening of 28 March 1960 a fire broke out in a bonded warehouse owned by Arbuckle, Smith and Company in Cheapside Street, Anderston, Glasgow. The Glasgow Fire Service was initially alerted by a 999 call at 7.15pm from the foreman of the Eldorado Ice Cream Company which was near the whisky bond. He reported smoke coming from a second floor window of the warehouse. In response two pumps from West Station with Sub Officer James Calder in charge was sent, along with a Turntable Ladder from Central Station. Also responding initially was the Fire Boat 'St Mungo' and a Salvage Tender and crew of the Glasgow Salvage Corps. The first fire crews arrived at 7.21pm and after a quick reconnaissance three more pumps were requested to attend. Crews were informed by civilians that smoke and flame had been seen on the Warroch Street side of the building and additional crews and equipment were sent to investigate. Assistant Firemaster Swanson had now arrived on the scene and having been fully appraised of the situation increased the number of pumps (fire engines) to eight. This message was sent at 7.49pm and seconds after it was transmitted a major explosion blew out the walls of the premises virtually destroying it. The warehouse contained over a million gallons of whisky and rum under one roof. This burned out of control for several hours, as off-duty firefighters from Glasgow and fire brigades from the surrounding areas were called in to assist. In total of thirty pumping appliances, five Turntable Ladders and four support vehicles were sent to the scene from around the area. Witnesses reported seeing bright blue flames leaping forty feet into the sky, with the glow visible across the entire city. Neighbouring buildings, including a tobacco warehouse, an ice cream factory and the Harland and Wolff engine works, were engulfed. At the height of the blaze, 450 firefighters from the Greater Clyde valley were involved in fighting the fire, which took a week to extinguish. The incident remains Britain's worst peacetime fire services disaster. although there were more fatalities in the 'Summerland' disaster in Douglas, Isle Of Man in 1973 when fire destroyed an indoor leisure centre resulting in 50 deaths. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Cheapside Street whisky bond fire」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|