THE LATEST.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1289, 18 November 1911, Page 7

THE LATEST.

WHAT AN EARLY ARRIVAL SAW. AN OPEN DOOR AND A "MYSTERIOUS INDIVIDUAL." 1 (By TelenraDh.—Press Association.) Auckland, November 17. The scene of the fire lias been the centre of much interest to-day, and the brigade has been pouring large quantities of water on the smouldering ruins. Several shops in the block in which damage was sustained by water have been temporarily clc-sed, and the employees are busy taking stock. Tho following are particulars of the damage sustained by firms whoso premises adjoin those destroyed. The damago was caused almost entirely by water.— '-■ ' '""' '' •'-"■■'' Messrs. S. Stono and Co., boot emporium: Damage (estimated), ,£2000; insurance, .£4OOO in the Standard, Royal, London and Lancashire, South British, and New Zealand Insurance Companies. Mr. J. Todd, tailor: Damage, .£2OO, covered by insurance for that amount in tho State Department. Messrs. Schueidemann Bros., tailors: Damage, .£IOO, covered by insurance. Mr. AV. Woodward, tobacconist: Damage, £300; insured in the Commercial Union Office for *e)SO. Mr. H. R-ainger, indent agent: Damage, .£3OO, covered by insurance in the Ocean Office and "in Melbourne offices. Mr. W. Holdsworth, boot importer: Damage, .C1GO0; insurance, 422200 in the New Zealand and State offices. Messrs. Hill and Plummer, oil and colour merchant. , ;: Estimated damage is thought not to be more than covered by .£ISOO insurance in the Ocean Office. There is also a policy for £12,000 on tho main stock in tho Queen Street building. Messrs. Perry and Graham, tailors: Small damage, covered by insurance. Messrs. O. and W. Fowler, ironmongers: Small damage, covered by insurance. Statement by Superintendent Woolley. Seen by a reporter this morning, Superintendent Woolley, of the City Pire Brigade, said he was satisfied with the work which tho brigade had accomplished ' in confining tho fire to tho premises in which it originated. The alarm received a prompt answer, for the brigade was on tho scene within at most three minutes. Tho men stuck to the work till 5.20, when tho relief gang arrived and took their places. Questioned regarding injuries, Superintendent: Woolley remarked that with tho exception of two men now in the hospital as tho result of a beam falling upon them, no one was hurt, thongh some found it "a bit hot." He naid a tribute to tho police for tho excellent order they had maintained, and said that at no time did he have any difficulty in communicating with his men no matter where they were. Ho considered that it was most fortunate that tho strong ivind of tho afternoon and early evening had completely died down when the fire broke out, otherwise the brigade would never have performed tho feat of keeping the flames within tho walls of Messrs. Macky, Logan, and Co.'s building.

A Door Open. An early witness of tho fire was Mr. Robert Green, agent for an Italian firm. Kβ saw flames in the building from Victoria Street, and ran round into Elliot Street. According to a statement made by Mr. Green to a reporter this afternoon, he was amazed to find a door in Ell'nt Street open. Standing at the door, he declares, was a man who seemed to be looking into Uie building. Mr. Green thought thn.t other people must have, entered the place, and ho hurried in. ' To his amazement no one answered his shout. Afterwards Mr. Green did not see- anything of tho mysterious individual. He found that the fire had originated in, and' wa9 confined to, a stack of print near th<s Hoot, and in his opinion the outbreak could then have been extinguished with a single hose. No one entered tho building within the next few minutes, and ho commenced to remove snmo nf the pond* f—»-n the vicinity of the burning material. The firs spread rapidly, and he was forced to retreat before the heat and smoke. In Iho meantime n constablo and some other people had entered by the door but covld do nothing to check the fire, and when tho brigade arrived it had gained an unconquerable hold.

inriniries aro being made regarding tho origin of the fire by city detectives, nnd they are investigating Mr. Green's statement. Chief Detective Marsack stated this evening that ho did not attach any sinister importance to the circumstance of the open door. The most reasonable explanation was that one of the employees wlio had noticed the fire had entered by one of th" other doors arid had opened tho Elliot Street door from inside"to give him ready means of exit. One of the staff made a round of inspection at 8.40 p.m. before leaving the premises, and found everything apparently secure.

The programme for to-night's Orchestral Concert contains a selection of popular numbers. The overture "Poet and Peasant" (Suppe), Air de Ballet, from "Rosaiminde" (Schubert), and March, "Henry Vtll" (Sullivan), are delightful numbers. Mr. C. H. Stephens, the possessor of a fine tenor voice, is to sing "0 Summer Time" (Battison Haynes), and two love (a) "Of a' tlio Airts," and (b) "Mallr" (H. Walford Davies). Air. Maughan Barnett will play two organ eili.