Fire At Lovell's Works Newport 30 March 1912

Postcard from the private collection of Patrick White.

We have found an account of the fire in the Western Mail, Monday April 1st, 1912. The text was a bit blurred and there may be some errors in out transcription:

Western Mail, Monday April 1st , 1912

FACTORY IN FLAMES.

OVER £12 000 DAMAGE BY FIRE AT NEWPORT.

The fire at Messrs. Lovell's confectionary factory at Crindau, Newport, early on Saturday as briefly reported in that day's Western Mail was one of the biggest and most fierce which had been experienced in the town for years.

Just before two o'clock Police constable Wilcox, who was on duty near the Crindau Gasworks, saw flames shoot up through the roof of one portion of the factory - a three story brick building, 50 yards in length, used for the making and storing of the wooden boxes necessary for packing the sweets. This wing of the factory, facing Alderney Street, was almost immediately in the fiercest grip of the fire, which was fanned by a high westerly wind. The fire brigade was at once apprised, and Lieutenant Robert Lyne, Superintendent Tothill, and a large number of the firemen turned out.

A great crowd collected, but the police succeeded in keeping the people back from the factory proper, where a large stock of sweets, estimated at the value of £20 000 to £30 000 had accumulated (text difficult to read - values may be incorrect). This was due to some extent to the diminished demand in the market. So also with the packing boxes they had largely accumulated, and the inflammable nature of the stock tended to aid the fire materially.

In less than half an hour the floors began to fall in. The fire brigade surrounded the place with a belt of attack. Seven jets of water were poured on, and the men worked most strenuously, but the box factory was, apparently, at the mercy of the flames, and in the course of two hours it was a heap of ruins. The brigade, however, succeeded in preventing the fire from spreading to any great extent to the sweet factory proper and to the offices, and thereby kept the loss down. But even then it is estimated that the damage done was between £12 000 and £15 000.

The factory and accessories, happily, were fully insured. Neither Mr. Lovell, the proprietor, nor the manager, Mr. Vernon Johnson, is able to account for the outbreak. The box factory is protected by what was regarded as a fireproof door, and this was closed on Friday evening by the caretaker, James Crosby, of Albany Street.

Superintendent Tothill and some of the fire brigade remained at the scene up to eight o'clock on Saturday night, subduing smouldering debris and protecting the remaining portions of the works. Over 200 hands were employed in different parts of the place. These (male and female) had been on short time for a week or two. A portion of them will be temporarily thrown out of work, but Mr. Lovell purposes to utilise a temporary building until the permanent structure is restored.