Attempt to torch St George's Cathedral foiled by citizens


Stabroek News
April 13, 2001

Georgetown was a hair's breadth from losing one of its best known landmarks early yesterday morning after a suspected arson attempt.

St George's Cathedral was fortunately saved from being burnt to the ground by the swift actions of residents who were alerted soon after the flames had taken root.

The cathedral, reportedly the tallest wooden structure in the world and one of Georgetown's most well-known landmarks, had the steps and entrance to its north wing doused by an identified group of individuals with an inflammable liquid at around 2 am. The liquid was then lit on the steps of the Cathedral and the culprits made off into the night.

On duty at the time, security guard, Beverley James, described the incident to Stabroek News.

"I was around the other side of the building," she explained, "when I saw smoke rising from the north side and came round to investigate.

"By the time we got to the scene the steps were on fire and there were two bottles of gasoline by the flames."

Residents and members of the congregation were notified and the fire was quickly extinguished.

An investigation of the scene yesterday showed burn marks to the stone steps leading to the north wing. A trail of gasoline led up the steps into the cathedral and had stained the carpet inside.

Dean of the cathedral, Rev Oswald Trellis, expressed his dismay at the scene of the attempt. "I feel just like everybody feels," he said, "I feel terrible."

He stated that he hoped that the incident would not be exaggerated explaining that "there is nothing to say because fortunately it didn't happen.

"I can't see what people will gain from trying to flatten the cathedral," he continued. "This building has a tremendous history being over 120 years old. It is allegedly the largest wooden structure in the world, people come from all over the world to worship here.

"This building needs to be maintained yet it seems that someone has a grudge against the church. The most wonderful building in the Caribbean and they try to set it alight!" (Back to top)

City inferno

Attempt had been made to set fire to other Kissoon's property

Businessmen willing to restart operations

Some of the businessmen who suffered losses in Monday afternoon's fire on Robb and Regent streets have expressed the determination to pick up the pieces and move on.

Managing Director of the Kissoon's Group of Companies, Hemraj Kissoon, speaking to reporters on Wednesday stated that the furniture store will continue to function from a building across from where it had been.

Customers who requested items that were not in stock at that location would be directed to the storage facility at Industrial Estate, Ruimveldt. A special discount will be offered to all customers who come in to make full payments on outstanding hire-purchase arrangements.

Kissoon's Furniture City, which he said, was insured, was also fully stocked as it was the premier outlet. The store was said to have employed some 60 persons.

According to Kissoon, he was at home at about 4:45 pm when he received a telephone call alerting him to the fire. As he attempted to dismiss the caller by stating that the fire had already been put out since there was an earlier attempt at one of the Kissoon's properties on the opposite side, which had been extinguished, he was informed that it was the main store.



Kissoon's Furniture Store was transformed to Kissoon's Furniture City at a cost of $200 million last year. It was re-opened at an official function on July 19, 2000.

The ground floor of the building had boasted beds, chairs, tables, lamps, tiles, foam, covering material and television sets among other things. The top floor housed offices - plus a showroom for furniture.

Kanayalal Kirpalani, whose Regent Street store employed some 45 persons, said he was committed to restarting his enterprise once he could continue to operate on the same street.

The store, which he stated was fully stocked, had been renovated at a tidy sum a short time previously and was his only source of income. Kirpalani was however unable to place a sum on the refitting or on the extent of his losses. He further stated that all his important documents, including invoices and receipts, perished in the flames.



Rajesh John, who operated RJ's Pharmacy in the Kissoon building where the fire started, on Wednesday said that he would be looking at re-opening his business somewhere else. The young man said he lost $4 million when the fire engulfed his business as he was unable to save anything. He opened the business last year.

John said that although his business was insured it was under-insured.

He lamented that as a young man he had worked hard to open his business and just had to look at it go up in flames. "It sickens me in my stomach," the young man said. He said that he was at home when he learnt about a fire and did not visit the scene as a friend called him and told him his business was already engulfed.

Keithroy Bachelor, who operated Bossie's International which was housed in the building said that he stood across the road and watched helplessly as his business went up in flames. The man, an Antiguan national, said he has lost some $20 million and four persons are out of jobs. He said that he had closed up his business earlier in the day because of the disturbances in the city. The man said that earlier in the day a small fire was lit opposite the Kissoon building but that was quickly put out.

According to the man he stuck around and was alerted that a fire had started. He said that upon investigating he saw a chair in the building burning.

He said that while he was standing opposite his business place, persons were telling him to open his business and see what he could have saved. However, he did not heed the prompting as he remembered that Kissoon's stored fuel next to his store to operate a generator. The man said he was afraid that he would have been caught in the flames, if he had attempted to save anything.

Bachelor said he would re-open his business at another spot when his insurance claim was settled.

Manager of the National Bank of Industry and Commerce {NBIC), Ray Ramlall, helped to save the bank's branch on Camp and Regent streets which is situated right next to Kissoon's on the southern end.

Ramlall said that he was on his way home when he heard about the fire and immediately returned to the bank as he knew the building could have been in danger. He said he saw the fire approaching the northern perimeter

of the building and he assisted the firemen in controlling the

blaze.

Ramlall played down the part he played in saving the building, but he was seen on the roof of the bank with two firemen helping them to direct the hose in soaking the building so the fire would not catch.

The man said that as a manager, a position he has occupied for

three years, he had a responsibility in ensuring that the building was not destroyed. "We were just basically providing some assistance to the firemen in directing hoses," he said.

At present the bank is closed, but Ramlall said that it would reopen soon.

He thought it fortunate that there was no internal damage and the damage outside was mainly from water and minimal. The air condition unit was damaged, but this would be fixed soon, he said.

Tiger Bay residents save 129-yr-old church from blaze

Rev Best says thanks

St Thomas's Presbyterian Church, situated on the corner of Hope and Queen streets, Georgetown, was built in 1872 by the Presbyterian Church of Guyana and has served the surrounding community as well as other parts of the city ever since.

The historical wooden building used to play host to the worship of many of the prominent members of Guyanese society in its early years. Indeed, many students from the old Sharples School would kneel in its pews.

As the area changed, the congregation, which had relocated away from the area, began to commute to remain faithful to their place of worship. In recent times, the church has also accommodated another denomination on certain days of the week, which has served the local community in various projects.

Mediator of the Presbyterian Church of Guyana, Rev Oswald Best, spoke to Stabroek News and offered his thanks to those who battled to save the church from the inferno that devoured the old GRL building in Tiger Bay yesterday morning.

"On behalf of the Presbyterian Church of Guyana and St Thomas' Church, I would like to say thanks to those who gave assistance in confining the fire to that particular building and saving St Thomas'."

Rev Best explained that he had visited the scene around noon yesterday and he described the minor damage, which was inflicted to the north face of the church during the blaze.

"Part of the north side was scorched and some fire did start there. I saw some of the men who told me how hard they had fought to save the building. If the fire had caught," he concluded, "the whole building would have been lost in a matter of minutes."