BLAZE AT DUNE DIN.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 713, 12 January 1910, Page 6

BLAZE AT DUNE DIN.

« ; " DAMAGE OVER £10,000. i 1 STERN FIGHT BY BRIG IDE. ®y '-Telegraph.— Press 'Association:) / Dunedin, January 11. four-story, building' in Alausa. Street, v as - Biwn'and/Ewiiig's -'warohoiife and latterly, used ias .'sample rooms: by,the;Kew Zealand Express Com"'completely,,fdestroyed+by ? fire" ;.'after dawn ' tlua morriingj whilo next ;dooiv ;:.:%;..iTi'ere:badly:damaKed. •• . : sounded about 3.35• and,, t'lirstj it\v«is jobnousi ■."a.-hold'of .the lieartof : the'building that, the brigade would havo ■^SShard^work/inyiMpm^ ' Theplace seemed-to burn like-tinder.and,. notwithstanding 'v.V/fjeveral; streams' of water- directed • upon'. ; :r'-.'.it. crackled like a'" : furnace. . Half an ; ' clear that'i thebuilding'was doomed,'and: %in;less - than an/hour it",was like;a huge.

;. cauldron.'. The. brigade, who camt? on feSj"4f!t^e,j''ssCTe kv-; '".strenuously. . ;At' first ' the pressure of OJ- *'&<»?: *vras very-.poor, but, later on, ' it' L was as effective as could bo desired. A t.A\V.';hght. : brees»- was, blowing wbon the firo |,; ; away ; B0 ? n ' afterwards,: otherwise.. the results '\bcentmuclv;more i serious.;;:; ■

I j _ Ammonia Explodes. > --tH©y&bin^JlKiUdri^;"c£ash'ed' ;.:'.. . in.at,an early stage and, ' a little later, !... :' one, of, the side, walls came down, with ; ;. . - a .orash'. ; '.Suiideniy fho. spectators' received V; • ' a'shock "as a. loud explosion'took; placo pv • which sent, showers of sparks and embers \| -'settled;down agui n;when >' another,.and; ; , , louder explosion occurred with' v cimfl.tr l%. ! S^: r^^,^i'^"®. u !?^° eD —tho explosions were , caused by the iiro reaching.-: a. quantity, -of ■' ammonia in ; tho' j^jgbaseinmfc;' 5 : Hard : , work wasboiiig done F »VyS;y ln .of- . IUiJCIi actiYO men hustled their belong-i'-:vv^Jn^.•''.-''P 1 a .time it eeenicd as if>.thiS !;::. building was -bound .to.- break out-in t .'.. ; . although' the/portion : of' the-v ; -buflding) f.•:-. : ' nearest.,, the. Express: . llooms •• >: -••. wo? badly /damaged.". About : - : five o'clock. ['•-; 1 :. r.tno.fire:had;pi^BcaUy/-bcer..orcrwhelmed-danger:: to v theadjoiiiing r build- ; ; ; ~£u : : f j Firemen Injured.

firemen. fj.capo from _scrious iinjury.*, :.Two of wereknobked K*.-'domi r-whsn i tho :side .wall of the' Ezpress .• V-4 Company's building-collapsed.' Their hdf aiidvtho: meh -ren-'. *'i insensible, .:but,. .fortunateiy.V- they and isbpn,;^ *.^ygn^diflw:\'as.i.it'r.'i^.lLipsed*'. ;.j v ; 3 n t° tlie • basement; :.but • they- werii un'm^o/.the;.fif« s , : niqiEi : ''seri-i P^- : f^^ tUient-wiills inside.'. . The/■ interns.-,; was,' vV-.'a,■ pine .forest,■ all;.the"'fittihgs^ibeing' ( food for iiro. -i 't 'jwas.. owned by< Mr. , , ißrown, who had leased it to tho' New ? ?® a & n .U''E s press\Cpni'pany, the lease hav--.a"'half-'.years .to J*:.-*,. ...riin. The Exprcss.O)tnpanv used tlio. two t l . '- nppcr . floors. aa trayoller^*' X' ■ K"nplo rooms, 'and sublet' the ground fc. A:;.™ 01 : and .cellar:..to!other"'knan'te-C: 51.' 'Poster'.' fV ' -Tho .-former 1 ' firm in-turn'sublet pdrtion.' E. *; 2 * ground;* floor, to ;T!: B. "Pairbairh* r and Co.;and J B MacEwan, All tho k--; r facturt^'/agents,' and ;.all :hav6'. lost; con- - B'siderablyi I'ortunately, ;the Express Comf."'*: :S:'iP?^vr^V.P a fcho orection of' their : .:-.'-*"-::.' r.ew: p|tnlding: in^Bond' Strebt; ' and' at pre-* i;,,,,:.'... upper.; floors..as'-. commercial. travcllors' ' fourteen*' conuucrcial are | sixteen more are ho arnvo this lvcck. ' ' Theatre in Danger. h' '** -' Consequently tho? i number- rof travcllexst g"''®:the'sample T ix»ms-,fin'''Hhe':'M4ai£o i;" ' . ptrect : premises .had .been' reduced to .farp.V:.- • •* b ?! ow , iororase.* : . There wero, in fact, j.ir-.-.vOnlyifoar eominercial .travellers who had t•, v 'samples, • ..in .the '.Manse Street ' , lheso were Messrs. Eobert l »tWO (representing Dawson and Mauds3,er>^9f,*: Wellingtcm),.^ .; :;.v .;D6 la-Euo, :of .'Paris, and : a c t number of Homo firms), J. A. Fother(f 'It • ? is unuorstood that., thar.. losses, amoant' to ';:.* **, IBamotlung liko. a3OM. ..Apart from 'the. Sfe* fj I s r 3 therixseives there' ; rs, - :>serio*is ■:> considerafiori >fof: '/tcauip f]toA-tliß..'fomsi concerned, : j;;of / : th;e -j : samples. fy&H: jAiieso ( ;: ! ;: iand- hart S? J liats, V and ia; qdantitV of r isenoosly tthrealencd. It *canght// 'firo'; '-to' [ Uappn>ss.':.the oatbreaksvbelore • any mai ' cd^^® ; / s|»rks : ; l)y. - the - ~windji.- landed on' tho | :;; '.:.*. a.numborlof crates of : : , bottles, packed in straw envelopes, : «:-,V : ..wh,cfc,were stored bv. Messrs. Powley and * a*?*?®? 4 ln ,? .scctidn-in,'Stafford '.-Streefe iad-i . J? !nin S their bottling stores somo hunf;. : .;:.-dralsr:of,:yards away. . Mr. ..Keast *esti-■;*.;-.v mates tho firm's loss. at -JE500.: '-'A *num- : | v , * 'ber-. of; other places, had a very narrow ;iv. °scape,'.. fires. breaking , out,.i but . being K i |.::^ppressed-:i n :tlie'4ncipi£mt' stage:,: ~Oue \bf Stafford Street .-was -for ' a ' timo almost covered' With livo embers. i' : •..£JI vl c e 1 C 0 1:0 t 1 ! 0 point , where. the 5 . *'• ••.*.-'TT o .** "i™ . started • is' *: somewhat.. contra-, • i;-.., but. it ; seoDis probable that .the ■ jr. .. ;*outbr<»lc originated. on tho : second story. ' ', . . r /to'sards'- the 'sontliern sido of '-tho 'build- : lng.'jwliere 'straw- hats were stored. ;' . ,

- Insurances and Losses. , ;/./ , Tho E.iQress Company's rooms wero m- •'•' . ; .. sur ed by itlie .'.owner, . Mr./ Brown, for •'/ . v vthe/ New,"-Zealandlnsurrince■ Company^:,and•;there, "was; also:a.policy!. of . w£lsfl on.,tho fixings; and furnishings -with , ™ Liverpool,, London and Globe Office. 2ealaicid ■ •'are / not -heaqr. losers , over "the. fire,-their in- ; ~?est being'confined'to the fittings which,' ;Approadiment; ofthe',expiryof f;.... /'.their, lease had- been gradually.. written kg/r/down .to;a-comparatively low figure.'-Ihey-.wero insured-with the '.New Zealand In.'raMco &mpaiiy for.'ilea.. .Meiers/ C. ?'•• • ;'%. -? 0 y ,SOI V and Co -'. ' B hoso stoclc con/■''WSSr' largely "ofehgmedrs'; requisites," i i -R 0 ,°' r et^>"n " cro insured with 'tho -5 ; /for; but .... .Mr. ilowison •• states = that. this sum will' gSv?3:-Bot> nearly/cover -the valuo of tho stoek,- "• V'.'-Ef?? 0 .of' which * was • sav«d. • Messrs, Pairimporters and mairafac- ; had a policy of £130 with ;. ;;. the ,iioyal Insurance Company, and Mr . Pairbairu estimates that- this will about Ss;f;i c ?^ : ;^ s . ;i sisted chiefly.'' of Japanese and Eastern' /goods. Messrs. J; B. MacEwan and Co., whoso • stock consisted;-of • dairying .ma-'' fif-'.-ji':- 1 in ;the; Ba£ement,' v .'wer6:''iii-' Bured for m «£soo ;in the London, and 'Lan- ; cashire Office. It a total loss, and J. ..' the the-poliey .will not'.cover. 1 'T ,he- * Mr. .Robert: 'rosteiv: manufacf . ' . turers _ agent, / of- ! soft' T /• goods, for Messrs. llolrerts, Ltd., aud tho "w¥ d; ', I ?sured.^for' v^£3oo: . ivitli : , tho Commercial Cnion, and X7OO witii /,'• • Z? e 4 llli * nc ? 'J&wrahce, Mr.. Dickison-had. ■iv-:■••K'.:" 10 •' Central',Dmrng -11001115 - bnildinir .inms. sured for .£SOO witlr the Phoenix Ofiice ' for .£SOO. with ,'the Norwich Union Office. He also had a policy, of .£3OO on ;; ~ -his fnrnituro and fixings with. the Com- • mercial Uiuoii Office. . Messrs. Ross and • ,y Jen dinuig;s hat, factory' smi'ered severe ; gVtrt to, the roof, _ ar.d slight damage jS;vr:;:-(to_.tne^stockja m pnnting :in:'all' to/ about; , which is; covered by:.insarahce. ' lielascertairied' the' total i'.' . . -damago • exceeds: .610,000. . . Taking the • -• animmt-'of. insurance, alone as a basis /losses • ar©; €stimatcd as exceedijig; insurj":': cnce, the total damage ivories out roughlv at /1£10,500. ",Ih , addition*' to .rtliy ' : actual. * : ; - cash loss, there will bo an .unprofitable ji • derangement of business which'cannot be Kfe; :e^Pr®^/i>Vround: numbers,7but i flostly.'; ;.i,'

• . P? case °f sudden, emergency,, tho ;Minimax -.Hand/.Firo ' Extinguisher .-has ••' : proved 'its SelfectiyenessjoyCr iiand . over again.; It is simple in ''operation;- aiidf .-. convenient in sbn. Mr. A. T.- Bato, vNathan'sr;Buildings, '\ Wellington,is the j' .-. agent.]fee; •-