CO129-614-1 Commission of Inquiry into fire at West Point- report 26-5-1949 - 22-12-1949 — Page 40

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firemen directing deliveries were thus up to their waists in water.

42.

The fire was considered to be under control on 23rd September at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, though it had been more or less extinguished in the tenements and godown No. 5 sometime before this. The structure of these buildings was not seriously damaged, but the roof and upper floors of godown No. 2 had collapsed and cracks had appeared in the eastern wall by the afternoon of the 22nd. The building has subsequently been condemned as unsafe, and must be demolished.

43.

A Police witness before the Commission referring to the Fire Bri- gade stated :

"I never saw men work as hard as they worked, The conditions under which they worked were very unusual."

From the evidence we have heard, we are able and wish to endorse that

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