FIRE IN LAMBTON QUAY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 80, 30 December 1919, Page 4

FIRE IN LAMBTON QUAY

DAMAGE TO TAILOR'S PREMISES

OUTBREAK PROMPTLY QUELLED

. A considerable amount of damage by fire waa caused in tho premises of Mr. Jnmes A. l)ohei%, tailor, Lambton Quay, last night. Tho outbreak was first discovered by Constable Chestnut, whose attention was attracted by a glare in tho windows of tho upper floor of tho buildinc. which is an old wooden, twostoried structure, adjoining tho offices of tho Commercial Union Insurance Company. 'Iho firo occurred in tho ladies' tailoring portion of the establishment, and originated in tho pressing room upstairs, the cause being traced to an overheated electric iron which apparently had not been switched off. Constable Chestnut summoned the fire brieado from, a near-by alarm-box, and within a few minutes tho brigade, under Superintendent 'fait, was on tho seeno. In the meantime sevoral civilians hurried to tho spot, and, in tho excitement of tho moment, -while the constable and a soldier were trying to burst open the door, a bystander kicked in tho largo plate-glass window .in tho front of the shop. . Though this action was really dangerous, as it tonded to create a draught in tho building, and thus cause the , fire to spread, there was nothing to do but to remove what remained of the window, and obtain access to the premises that way. Within a few seconds tho door was also opened, and no timo was lost in carrying out the rollo of cloth which were on the'ground floor. Some fifty rollsor so wero thus saved from being spoiled by water. The Fire Brigade attacked tho seat of the firo with ono lead of hose, and within five minutes the march of tho flames was stopped. Fortunately there was almost a complete absence of ivind. otherwise, owing to the dryness of tho timber in tho biulding, the brigado would have had an arduous task in preventing thi outbreak from enveloping tho wholo block. The prinoipal damngo was caused to the oeilinjj; and roof of the upper part of the premises. The brigado was successful in ohecking the blaze from spreading further. The ground floor was almost flooded with water, and some stock which there was not time to remove was thus damaged. Several tables and 6ome material whioh was in the pressing room •were destroyed by the flames. The external portion or the top floor facing Lambton Quay was.soverely scorched. It was not possible last night to estimate tho extent of the damage and the amount of the insuranceswere not available. That the electric iron must havo been turned on for some time was 6hown by the fact that a large hole was burned in the table on which it was standing, and through this the iron fell on to the floor, where it burned another hole, and fell on to the ground, floor. Tho wires to which the iron was attached were badly fused.