Big Petrol Blaze.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 September 1922, Page 4

Big Petrol Blaze.

[by TELEGRAPH—PER PRESS ASSOCIATION] CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 13

To-day there was a petrol blaze in a polish factory here, and an explosion caused injuries to a worker. The dull explosion of many tins of “Solvent” and petrol, and the burning of petrol floating on water, were spectacular elements in the fire, which occurred shortly after 10.45 o’clock this morning, in premises in Victoria Street, occupied by J. Harrison and Co., and owned by J. Lee and Sons, the painters. For almost an hour, the Christ-. church Eire Brigade fought the flames hut a great amount of inflamiuabTliquid floating on the water from the hoses, made its task almost impossib! ■ The fire really had to lie allowed to burn itself out, once the actual danger to adjoining buildings was eliminated. The premises were at 74, Victoria St., and were all of wood, and corrugated iron, consisting of two stories, bounded on one side by a brick building, owned by Cocks and Sous, furniture manufacturers and warehousemen, and on the other side by a wooden building owned by Air J. Lee, who is no connection of the owners of the damaged building. The building owned by Air J. Lee was protected by a brick wall, two stories high, which adjoined tbi burning premises and the wall snv.d it from injury. The fire was caused through ail explosion that injured Air N. R. Harrison, whose business Is that of a manufacturer of disinfectants, boot polish, metal polish, floor polish, and simiiai commodities. This morning Mr N. R. Harrison, who was on the ground floor with a young apprentice, was mixing the ingredients for the polish, wh:n the explosion took place, burning his left hand severely, and setting fire to his clothes.