Station Officer Watt

Station Officer Robert Watt was killed as the result of a fall on 25^th April, 1929.

FIRE TRAGEDY
EDINBURGH FIREMAN MISSING
BUSINESS PREMISES GUTTED

An extensive fire broke out in business premises at the corner of South Bridge and Chambers Street, Edinburgh, about midnight. Beginning in a gramophone shop, it spread to a ladies‘ mantle shop and to the Apex boot store. Edinburgh Fire Brigade were out with five engines. For a time the fire blazed furiously and great volumes of smoke were belching out. The fire, which seemed to have originated in one of the lower flats, in a very short time reached the roof of the building, which is four storeys high. At one time the flames were so strong that the firemen who were on the ladder had to come down until the ladder was removed a short distance away.
About two o'clock this morning, when the outbreak had been got under control, it was reported that one of the firemen, Station Officer Watt was missing.
The premises are very much deeper at the back, the basement being about four storeys below the front street level, and it is supposed that where the roof fell in at the back of the premises the fireman had fallen down the well of the staircase.
The new monitor for throwing water was in use and proved very successful. The value of it was seen when one could compare its work with that of another hose from which also a great volume of water was poured and which had to be held by six firemen.
Although the night was bitterly cold, thousands of people watched the fire and the efforts of the brigade to have it subdued.
The premises involved were practically gutted, and the damage must run into tens of thousands of pounds.
(Glasgow Herald, Thursday, April 25, 1929. Page 10.)

FIREMAN KILLED
FELL INTO VENTILATING SHAFT
EDINBURGH BLAZE CAUSES £100,000 DAMAGE

Station Officer Watt, of Edinburgh Fire Brigade, was killed at a destructive fire (reported in our later editions yesterday) which broke out in the early hours of yesterday morning in a large block of business premises at the corner of South Bridge and Chalmers Street. The sudden “charging” of a high pressure hose which he was holding on the roof of the building knocked him off his balance, and he fell 45ft. into a blazing ventilation shaft. It took two hours to locate his body.
The damage caused by the fire is estimated at fully £100,000.

DIFFICULT TASK

The fire broke out in the double basement of the block which the Central Arcade Co. occupy as a store, with the street floor as their showroom, and which were all stocked with large quantities of household goods, toys, gramophones, etc.
The construction of the building allowed the fire to get a firm hold before it was discovered. The flames were not seen until they reached the street floor, and then they spread with rapidity which was little short of amazing when witnessed from the street, but was easily understandable on investigation after the fire had been extinguished. The back windows of the street floor and the basements look into a square stone built ventilating shaft, which rises 45 feet between the block and other premises at the back, which are a storey or two less in height. When the flames had burned through the windows of the lower floors, they were immediately sucked up the shaft by the draught, and ignited the windows of the other floors, with the result that the whole building was soon involved.
Five engines and two escapes were used by the firemen, but although these were posted all round the building the construction, which had assisted the flames, hampered them and it was only with difficulty that they could get near enough to be effective.

KNOCKED OVER BY HOSE

Station Officer Watt, with the assistance of other firemen, raised a hose to the roof of the building, looking down immediately on the ventilating shaft, which resembled a furnace. When the hose became charged with water the sudden rush knocked Watt and two other firemen off their balance. The firemen were able to grasp a gutter and save themselves but their officer stumbled over the parapet and disappeared into the smoke and flames below. It was a long time before the horrified firemen could go to his assistance.

IN 12 FEET OF WATER

The body was eventually found lying at the bottom of the shaft in 12 feet of water. The unfortunate officer’s skull was fractured and one of his arms was broken. He must have died instantly. A fireman had to be lowered into the shaft to fix a rope round the body before it could be raised to the street floor.
The firemen, and Firemaster Methven, worked strenuously until dawn before they were able to slacken off, and even then the day was well advanced before the “retire” order was given. At noon a detachment was still pouring water on the ruins.
In addition to the premises of the Arcade Co. those of Messrs Style and Mantle, Ltd., were destroyed, while the showrooms of the Apex Shoe Co. suffered from smoke and water.
It is a tragic circumstance that Station Officer Watt had been promoted to the brigade headquarters from the Stockbridge division only a fortnight ago, He was 50 years of age, and leaves a wife and a family of two.
(Glasgow Herald, Friday, April 26, 1929. Page 9.)

LOTHIAN and BORDERS MEMORIAL PAGE