FIRE AT MERCER.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19174, 3 December 1927, Page 16

FIRE AT MERCER.

POST OFFICE DESTROYED. ALSO A HALL AND TWO HOUSES [THE PRESS Special Service.] AUCKLAND, December 2. The most destructive fire in the history of Mercer broke out shortly after o o'clock this afternoon, when the Mercer post office, the railway social hall, two private residences, and a shed were burned to the ground. Following are details of buildings destroyed: — Post office: A one-storeyed wooden building in Great South road, opposite the Mercer Hotel. Railway social hall: One-storeyed wooden building. House of five rooms, built of wood, owned by J. Murray, of Pukekawa, and occupied by J. Barron (next to social hall). '* House of live rooms, built of wood, owned by Post and Telegraph Department, and occupied by William Plough, railway porter (on the other side of the post office).. A wooden shed next to Plough's house. Although no lives were lost, and the furniture from both houses was saved, the total absence of fire-fighting equipment and water made the fire singularly tragic. The outbreak started in tho post office. Mr C. F. Stevens, the postmaster, said ho left the office at 5.15, when everything appeared to be in order. Fifteen minutes later the 'whole building was blazing fiercely. Although the causo of the outbreak is not known, Mr Stevens holds the belief that electric wiring recently installed fused. This theory is confirmed by early spectators, who state that flames first appeared shooting from under the ceiling. Fortunately, most of the day's mail had been cleared, but a small amount of letters and parcels from country districts was destroyed. Office furniture, apparatus, and valuable records were also lost. All important documents, books, and cash were stored in two fireproof safes, which could be seen among the smouldering ruins, but were too hot to open. This will be done as early as possible in the morning.

A strong southerly wind drove the flames hi the direction of Plough's house, which was razed to the ground in less than half an hour. By this time a crowd of several hundred had gathered, and a band of helpers saved all the furniture before the walls collapsed. After the small wooden shed next to Plough's house was destroyed, the wind changed suddenly from south to due north, and great tongues of flame from the burning post office darted across the intervening ground to the railway social hall, on the other side. Every attempt was made to'avert the spread of the fire in this direction, but with relentless speed the blaze consumed the hall, and ignited the bungalow occupied by Mr Barron. Realising that if the velocity of the wind was unchanged the whole block would be burned, several onlookers organised a bucket brigado, supplies of water being drawn from a pump in the Eoose Shipping Company's timber mill. Their efforts, however, were without avail. Before it was too late, most of the fumituro was removed. At C3O the wind dropped and the flames died down, leaving a sceue of indescribable desolation.