A MID-CITY BLAZE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 122, 17 February 1920, Page 8

A MID-CITY BLAZE

THREE HORSES BURNT IN CITY MILK SUPPLY CO.'S STABLE At about ten minutes to i yesterday afternoon a man named A. J. King, residing at No. 1 Howe's Lane, oft' Lower Dixon Street, was informed by his wile that the stables next door wore on fire. Ele at once rushed into the stable vard, to find that the stable was well alight, h the volumes of smoke belching forth were any criterion. He gave the alarm, -then entered the stable to find that there were four horses (belonging to the City Milk Supply) in the burning building. When he got inside the place was already full of thick, yellowish smoke, which iiart' maddened the horses as tluvi stood in their stalls. They were plunging about, rearing up, ami snorting: wildly, quite crazy with fear. Kin? managed to get a black horse out, but the others he could not manage tc librr.ilo, cw-injr to the state die animals were' in. If he had been fortunate enough to have a knife on him to cut the halter ropes they might have been able to get out hv themselves. As it wns he could do nothing, and the flames were gaining volume nil the time. About five minutes to >t the Fire Brigade's small motor, with half dozen men, arrived, and soon had. a lead through from Ouinn Street playing on the blaziiie building. Fortunately the stable had solid brick walls on all sides except that opening on to a good big open yard. This restricted the fire until reinforcements arrived from the Central Station. They were on the spot none too soon, for an old storeroom (two story) on the eastern side of the yard began to crackle merrily, and some email wooden cottases (next to (he stable) were in considerable danger. Two more leads and a fine pressure of water soon put an end to the blaze, which attracted thousands from all parts of the city. The building, which was gutted pretty thoroughly, is a one-scoried brick 6table ['with a feed loft), belonging to thn City Milk Supply Company, which supplies practically the whole of Wellington Central with milk. The company iises horses for its de-livery service, and as there is a good deal of ground to cover a good class of horse is kept. Mr. Colo estimates the average value of the animals 10.-t at £25. They were insured for a small amount only. The stable building was formerly known as the Central Horso Bazaar, aiid. according to a marble slab set in the wall, it was.built in 1908. Besides the horses, the City If ilk Supply lost some twelve sets of harnc-s and 30" tons of chaff. The building was insured in the Liverpool, London, and Globe- office.