THE RECENT FIRE AT MELBOURNE. 999 
where the girders fell and were consumed. In both cases the 
timber used was Oregon; but the same result ensued in Messrs. 
Edgerton and Moore’s premises in the lane, where hardwood had 
been employed. It is usually contended that, when charred to a 
depth of an inch or so, timber girders will then stand fire for a 
considerable time. They have not done so in this fire; and in 
addition the walls (in ene case, viz., Crawford’s) have suffered just 
as badly as in the adjoining building where the girders were of 
ron. 
From the roof of the Mutual Store, whence the best general 
view of the ruins was obtainable, the rows of iron shutters 
guarding the rear of Stevenson and Son’s warehouse were a 
noticeable feature. Several were bulged and twisted, but many 
were intact. This, however, was not the case inside the buildings, 
where they had failed—not so much the doors themselves, as the 
tracks and runners, which could not withstand the fierce heat and 
thus let the doors down. 
It is now time to consider the Mutual Store, the only building 
in the midst of the fire which survived it, to ascertain, if possible, 
how much this was due to special construction, and how much to 
favouring circumstances. The latter were marked. For instance, 
on the west it abuts mainly on an open yard space, low two, 
storey buildings occupying the frontage, and on this side the store 
has but few windows. On the north is a right-of-way, on the 
east Degraves-street, and the front faces Flinders-street. It was 
early occupied by the fireman, who hoped to make use of it asa 
break to stop the fire, and so were able to immediately repel every 
attack. Its chief feature is a flat uninflammable asphalte roof, 
and to this, next to the fireman’s efforts, I attribute its safety 
under the special circumstances of the case, viz., high adjoining 
buildings and a heavy wind. It is on record that burning ashes 
and flaming debris fell on it in showers, but failed to set it on 
fire, and it also afforded the firemen an excellent coign of vantage 
for fighting the flames. Its weak feature is the building on the 
roof of inflammable material. 
The next point to consider is its internal planning and con- 
struction. It is divided into two blocks, front and rear, separated 
by thick walls and with the staircase and lifts between. The 
openings in the walls are protected by iron doors. The staircase 
has a brick wall between the flights instead of an open newel, 
thus preventing up-draught, and the steps are solid blocks of 
hardwood. ‘The lifts are at one end of this section, and form a 
flue from top to bottom. If the outer wall of the lift shaft had 
been omitted the arrangement would, however, have been perfect. 
The floors throughout the front and rear blocks are of iron. girders 
and terra cotta lumber, the best fire-resisting system at present 
known; and this no doubt materially aided the firemen by giving 
