FIRES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2237, 14 November 1907, Page 2

FIRES.

IvAIAPOI WOOLLEN FACTORY

.DESTROYED

MOST DISASTROUS OCCURRENCE FOR YEARS.

Pres; Association,

CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 13. The Kaiauoi Woollen Company s clothing factory in Bedford Row was completely destroyed by fire this morning. 'The fire was discovered ah cut daylight; but had too good a. hold for" the brigade to save the •buildings. The fire will throw many workers idle.

The fire in the Ivaiapoi factory was the most disastrous experienced in Christchurch for fourteen years. It completely destroyed a, large quantity of’goods and wrecked the building, leaving nothing standing but the bare walls.

. The origin of the fire is mysterious, but it probably began in the inflammable material stored in the building, and so spread through other rooms. The building was a mass of flame before the fire was seen. There we no possibile_ chance of saving either the building or -stop'-

A rough estimate of till© damage is £SO,OOO. The insurances on the building and stock amount to £41,000, leaving a large loss. Girls were working in the building till 9 p.m., and some time after that everything seemed quite safe. At about'4.3o a.m., it is stated, a person riding along the North road near P.a-panui saw a' reflection of lire-, but the first .-alarm was given by a newsru-nner going round Cashel street. ,He ran to Lichfield street fire station, -and the brigade at once turned out, and all the other fire plants in town were soon on tlie spot.

The hands will only be out of work temporarily, as the Company wall take . cither premises in which to carry- on the c-lothing department of its business.

The insumnees on the Kia-iapoi factory are made up thus : - —£sooo on the building, £31,000 on the stock, £ISOO on the machinery, appliances -and fittings, distributed over offices thus: Alliance £5720, Atlas £3335, -Commercial Union £1425. Liverpool and London £2385, London and Lancashire £4770, New Zealand £4770, National £1425, Norwich Union £5240, Phoenix £4770, Royal £5735, South British £1425; total £34,000. The- building was of three stories, being built of brick and Oanraru stone. It covered a quarter of an acre, with frontage to Cashel street, running through to Bedford How".

WELLINGTON, Nov. 13. Two buildings nearing completion at the Lower Hutit were damaged by fire early -this morning. One, that v-us"being erected for Mr Bock, of Wellington, was completely destroyed. It was valued ait £6OO. and was insured for £4OO in the State office. The second was owned by Mr Staples, and damaged to the extent of £IOO.

William Walter Burgess, aged 18, charged with having set fire to a Chinaman’s outhouse in Hauling street, was before Mr Justice Button t-o-day. Prisoner was admitted to probation for two- years, .and ordered to pay costs.

United Press Association—Copyright SYDNEY, Nov. 13. Particulars of the fire on the Indrama yo show that 500 tons of cargo were damaged by water. A general average contribution of 2J- per cent is being collected.