FIRE ON LAMBTON QUAY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 149, 19 March 1920, Page 7

FIRE ON LAMBTON QUAY

SERIOUS DAMAGE DONE

GOOD SAVE BY BR GADE

WOODEN BUILDING ALMOST GUTTED

" £ er i! ous ma " & w « 3 done bv a fire .which broke out in a two-storied wooden buildimr. No.-. 60 Lambton Quay, shortly before 11 o'clock last night. Tho building is a very old structure standing close to what is known as Quinton's Coiner, and it runs back to Bowon Street at the tear. Owned by Mr. C. Duigan, of Wanganui. the lease of the. premises is held bv Mr. C. W. Price, auctioneer, Vho occupied'the ground floor of. the front portion of the building. The rear part is sub-let to several tenant,' including Messrs. Linley nnd Portman, manufacturers' agents. Miss Hekr. Gardner, teacher of elocution, and Miss Richmond; artist. One part" of the building is used as an art club, and a chemist occupies another room'.

' From a fire-fighting point of view the building presented numerous difficulties, ns it is subdivided in a most promiscuous fashion, and consists of nothing else but nooks and corners. '

Apparently tho firo, started at' tho Bowen Street end, bnfc the cause has not Yet been traced. The rooms at tho back were gutted, including a room in -which Jlr. Price kept a good deal of his -stock. The shop in tho front facing Lambton Ouav was not' touched by the flames, but much damage to the. stock was done bv water. Miss Gard'ner's room, also, was. pt damaged by fire, but the contents, including piano, suffered severely from the thorough soaking which they received.

It was fortunate that a strong wind was not blowing, otherwise the whole block of wooden buildings adjoining would probably have been destroyed. 'As it was, the fire had a strong hold when' the Fire Brigade, under Superintendent' Tnit, arrived on the scene. The back portion of tho building was blazing fiercely,' and the roof .towards, the front was well alight. One lead of hose was directed on to the flames from Bowen Street, tho remainder of the v blaze being attacked by- another lead from Lambton. Quay. There was a good pressure of water, and it did not take very long to subdue. the' outbreak, but owing. to the peculiar -.manner in which the place was divided up' some time necessarily elnpsed 'before nil the "burning parte could be*-tackled successfully. Once the rear of the building was burned out, t he fire attacked the rafters in that part running through to Lambton Quay, but it ; was prevented from penbtrating down'to tho first floor; The heat was so severe, however, that it cracked the plate-glass windows of Mr. Price's shop. . The ftlajma was given hbout ten minutes to 11 by Mr. Thomas Iteidy, of the office of tho Commissioner of Taxes, ■who was passing, along Lambton Quay at tho time. Mr. Price, who resides at the New Occidental Hotel, was standing outside his shop at half-past 10, and at that time .he saw no signs of fire. He :6, by far. the heaviest loser through the fire. The contents of his shop were'in-' eured'for .£3OO in the South' British Insurance Office, but he was unable lost' night to assess tho value of the stock In the shop. The whole of the building is insured for .61250, btlt'the name of the offico wis not available last night. The "save" effected by tho. Fire Brigade was a remarkably good one as the surrounding buildings are all built of wood. No damage was done to any of these buildings, except the back;part of tho nextdoo? shop, occupied by Wong, Wall, and Co., fruiterers, which suffered very slightly indeed. OUTBREAIfIIMUCKL AND >■] EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. By Telegranh—Presß Association Auckland, March 18. - At a late hour to-night a fire broke out tin : the premises of Mennie ahd Dey, biscuit and confectionery manufacturers, in Albert Street. The- fire is still burning., but. wilj apparently bo confined to. the top story. The damage, principally'from fire, will be extensive. Torrential rain is - : adding to the firemen's difficulties. .1