CUBA STREET FIRE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1515, 10 August 1912, Page 5

CUBA STREET FIRE.

DRAPERY HOUSES. A PAQE IN BRIGADE LIFE. THEIR "SOCIAL." • BKOKEN UP HY THE BELL, The dying strains of "I Hear You Culling Me," had ceased to vibrate, and the members' of tho Municipal T'ira Brigade and tho 'Wellington Firo PolicwWad fettled down in amity to fight out a oiichrc tournament/ in (he Central Virn Station, when the. ring of a loud-tungued Mophone smote the nil - . There was a moment or two of puspenso, during which one of the brigadesmen was heard to fay, "I'll try hearts!" nnd then the. station alarm bit the oar. This time there could be no mistake. Tho brigado=nio.n at once shot for the descent poles, and whirled themselves down to the ongine-room below. In two seconds the motors began to chatter, nnd during the. next second tho big doors slid back quietly, and tho fire-fighting: vehicle; ran out, rounded into Cuba Street, and dashed southward at full speed.

Upstairs tho whistle of the Firo Police pounded shrilly, and, tho order, "Firo Police wanted!" was given, and, with' a speed littlo behind that of the trained brigadesmen, tho members (some of them with a quarter of a century's service behind them) were rushing up Cuba Street, whore a pillar of spark-shot smoko was billowing out of a block of shop premises. _ Tho outbreak was in the old wood and iron one-storiod shop at tho corner of Garrett and Cuba Strcot, only vacated on Saturday last by Mr. H. J. Archer, who has a drapery establishment higher up (ho street. This shop has a largo lanternlight in tho centre, and by tho timo that the brigade reached the spot, a few seconds nfter tho alarm, the heat beJow had cracked and broken the windows above, nnd the /lames were licking (ho framework. Tho firo had not only spread upwards, but ho.d broken the glass panels of a bolted door leading into the clothing and mercery shop of Mr. C. G. Khimes, nnd was playing havoc with tho stock. " As tho building is an old ono tho fire got a good hold of tho roof timbers of both shops (which were protected without by a sheathing of corrugated iron), nnd burnt away merrily for ten minutes or a quarter of an hour, before being squelched by a sturdy cascade from four leads ot hoso. ' _ Mr. Rhinies's shop is a two-storey building, and ono of tho upstairs rooms was let to Mr. W. P. Coffey, assistant motor inspector to the City Council. Mr. Coffer had retired shortly before !) p.m., and was aroused from sleep by a choking sensation, and almost; at tho same .moment .Superintendent Tait, of tho brigade, broko into tho room and directed him to tho window and so out on to the verandah. . A quarter of an hour later Mr, Coft'ey informed some members of the fire police that ho thought that there was a woman in one of the back rooms, a dressmaker, whom lie said seldom went out at night. A search of tho back rooms -had, however, been made before the statement was volunteered, and no trace could bo found, and it was concluded that she was out whon the outbreak occurred. Mr. Coffoy could throw no light on tho cause of the outbreak.

The whole of both shops wore badly damaged by fire. There wcro still a few. mes of drapery left in Mr. Archer's shop, left over from the- auction sale held a few days , ago, but otherwise tho premises were vacant. Mr. Rhimes'e shop was fully stocked .with mens clothing and mercery, and almost tho whole of it must bo severely damaged by firo and water. In tho window of tho shop were tho Championship Rugby Football Shield (won last season by Athletic Club), tho Rugby Benefit Cup (presented by Mr. H. Mortenson), aii-i several photographs of past Athletic Club teams. Tho Shield and Cup wero secured undamaged by Mr. J. C. Cusack, of the fire police, and aro now at tho Central lire Station, where they niav bo secured by the authorities of tho Club mentioned. , \ The promises are tho property of Mr. r._ G. Macarthy. of Boulcott Street.- . ■The owner of tho occupied shop (Mr. Khimes) is said to bo at present on a business visit to Taranaki. ', Tho alarm was received by the brigade at 9.4 p.m., and by 10 p.m. most of tho members, as well as the Fire Police, had arrived back at the station. Some Wero disposed to continue tho harmonv, but, on tho request of tho superintendent, it was decided to postpone- the social gathering to a more convenient season. The work of the Fire Police (as well as that of the brigade) was excellent. Within a few minutes after the alarm had been given they had barricated oft" the full width of Cuba Street with ropes, leaving only tho eastern side-walk for the public, which massed there closely. For something like an hour the Cuba Street tram service had to be diverted to Courtenay Place. The only particulars respecting insurance obtainable last ovening wa« that Mr. Archer has .£SOO on his stock in the Northern office.

NORTHLAND FIRE,

During the early hours of yesterday morning a fire broke out in a four-roomed cottago oii the Orangi-Kaupapa Road, Northland. The house hart recently been taken over by Mr. 6. Green and family, and was owned by. Mr. Robert Spillers. .Tho inmates had a very narrow escape, the cottage being ablaze as they got out. Tho outbreak is believed to have originated through some linen which had been left to air at the kitchen firo becoming ignited. Tho building was totally destroyed, and very little, of tho contents saved. The contents wero covered by a policy in tho Victoria office for JJ7S, and it is understood that tho cottago was also insured. The lack of water supply hampered the brigade in rendering effective service.