WATER DAMAGE

Hokitika Guardian, 16 April 1929, Page 3

WATER DAMAGE

IN BIG DRAPERY STORE

FROM FIRE EXTINGUISHER

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.;

AUCKLAND, April 15

When .a pipe belonging to the fire extinguisher - sprinkler system on the ceiling of the fourth floor of John Court’s Limited, burst about 10.30 this morning, damaging amounting to £509 was done in less than 15 minutes. The fourth floor contains the ladies’ underwear department, and there arc now water-soaked piles of expensive silk garments and penetrated show eases full of underclothing. The water ran lor about ten minutes, and finally it penetrated through the flooring on to the third floor, where considerable damage was also done. Sonic even leaked further, right down to the basement, but so slowly that there was time to clear the goods out of the way, and little damage was done below the third floor.

Finally, the flow was stopped by emptying the cistern on the roof which supplies the sprinkler system. The damage was covered by insurance in Llovds.