FIRE AT PETONE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1331, 8 January 1912, Page 4

FIRE AT PETONE.

EXPLOSION IN CYCLE SHOP. t — Yesterday morning, at 6.20 a firei broke out in somn shops and dwellings on the corner of Sydney ami Jackson Streets, Pctone. As the scene of the outbreak was next door to the tire station, no time, was lost in putting out tho flames. | The building is owned by Messrs. Baunatyne and Co., and.is valued at XIOOO, but i.hn insurance is not known.

It appears that Mr. Pojnton, the occupant of one of the shops—a cycle anil motor business—went to his premises a little after six yesterday morning. He states that he was engaged in repairing the exhaust of a motor bicycle, which necessitated his using a. spirit lamp and a soldering iron, and, while ho was thus occupied, the motor uiigine exploded and the place was immediately in Humes. Ho quickly gsve. tlm alarm, and the brigade were ont smartly. Sir. l'ointon, beyond having his arms scorched, was not seriously injured, but his shop and stock suffered severely. The stock was insured in the Queensland Office for .tlOtt, and Mr. l'ointon estimates his loss to be .£l5O at least. !

Adjoining the cycle shop was a stationery business, carried on In- .Mrs. Hyde, and, although the flames did not roach that far, considerable damage (about USD worth) was caused through smoke, and water. Mrs. Hyde's stock is insured in the Atlas Company for ,Cl!>|). ' Jlr. Lepper, who occupies the dwelling part of the building, and Jlr. Tfucinan, tobacconist, and Jlr. Anderson, saddler, who occupy the. adjoining shops, suffered no damage, beyond being inconvenienced by the. smoke: