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| Firemaster Waddell |
Glasgow's Great Fire of 1909 broke out on Aug. 17, apparently triggered by a gas explosion.
The conflagration destroyed buildings on Ingram Street, between Shuttle and High streets.
The website Glasgow Story said:
"Most of the buildings were warehouses thought to have contained wine, spirits, clothing and foodstuffs.
"At about 1 am the frontages of the buildings collapsed into the street.
"The falling masonry narrowly missing several firemen, who had come to the scene from Central Fire Engine Station, just round the corner on College Street.
"It took all night to put the flames out and the cost of repairing the damage amounted to over £250,000."
Glasgow Firemaster William Waddell provided the following account of the blaze to Fire Engineering, an American magazine:
"The fire had a firm hold when the brigade arrived. Five steam engines, two motors, one fire escape and two hose and ladder carriages responded. Sixteen hydrants were available. They were spaced about 180-ft. apart; seven had (2 1/2-in) outlets and nine with 2-in. outlets. The pressure varied from 80 to 90 lbs.
"Both gravity and direct pressure is stated to have been used. The mains, of which there were three, were 4, 7 and 9 inch, respectively. Ten engine streams were also thrown, making a total of 26 streams played.
"The nozzles ranged length of 17,000 ft. was employed, and of this 12 tenths burst It is described as `canvas.' Nozzles described as `G. F. B.' pattern were used; they had both screw and bayonet fastenings. The water supply was stated as plentiful."
The London journal Fire and Water published a blistering commentary:
"Glasgow has provided one more example of the foolishness of crowding together buildings of large area, erected without regard to fire risk, and of permitting the storage within such buildings of highly inflammable goods, without any provision for preventing the spread of any fire breaking out upon the premises.
"As is generally the case in such disasters, everything favored the rapid advance of the fire which broke out in one of the Ingram street warehouses shortly after midnight of August 16.
"The buildings, without any claim to fire-prevention in construction, were —owing it is said to a strike of plasterers at the time of their erection—doubly lined with wood, the stock was large, and consisted mainly of provisions and soft goods of an inflammable character, which a spell of hot, dry weather had prepared for ready ignition.
"Had the fire been discovered in its early stage it would in all probability have been dealt with as effectively as had previous fires in the same block of buildings, but starting late at night at the rear of the building, it had obtained so firm a hold before it made its existence known that it would have required a far more powerful firefighting force than was available to have prevented the destruction of the block.
"The dangerous character of the buildings was recognised by the late Firemaster Paterson, who expressed the view that no brigade in the world could ever save them should they once get well alight.
"It was recognised, too, by the insurance companies in their rating of the risks.
"The fact that the block destroyed was situate within a few yards of Glasgow’s new central fire station has, perhaps naturally, caused some adverse comment, thought it is obviously unreasonable to suggest that in the absence of means of giving the brigade earlier notification of the fire the firemen could have accomplished more than they did.”
