DISASTROUS FIRE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2396, 23 February 1922, Page 3

DISASTROUS FIRE.

LOSS ESTIMATED AT £25,000.

LEVIN AND CO’S. STORES DESTROYED.

EASTERLY WIND SAVES OTHER 4 , BUILDINGS.

' At one o’clock this morning the syren sounded an' alarm, and a glare indicated that Messrs Levin and Co’s, huge hemp and wool store on the water front was well alight. At the time of the alarm the fire had a good , hold of the interior of the building and contents, and the flames spread from end to end. The iron roof and walls were soon redhojt with the tremendous heat, and crumpled and fell into the burning mass. It was impossible to attempt any salvage. . A slight easterly breeze carried the flames over the river and away l?om the Railway and Harbour, Board buildings. ! Had the prevailing westerly been blowing, there is not the slightest doubt that the whole of the adjoining buildings would have been demolished. As it was, the railway engine shed was only saved by the strenuous exertions of the locomotive staff, assisted by a few helpers, while members of the brigade rendered'assistanee, in other directions. Several punts and two river steamers made fast to the wharf attached to the stores were cut adrift by Mr John Ross, and floated out of danger. One of the river steamers caught fire, and the hull was badly burnt. A large motor launch on the stocks, to the north of-the burning building, was saved by a bucket brigade, subsequently assisted by the brigade’s chemical engine.

There was approximately 1,600 bales of tow, hemp and wool in the sheds. .■

The following brands of ungraded hemp and tow were also in stor-age:—-Hum, 5 bales tow, 7 bales hemp, one bale xx hemp; Awa, 22 bales hemp, 4 bales tow, and 2 bales -red tow; Paiaka, 50 bales hemp, 10 bales tow; Foxton, 5 bales hemp, 7 bales tow; Flaxbusli, 10 bales; Ida, 5 bales tow. Total. 137 bales. • -

Details of graded hemp destroyed are not at present available. The fire was noticed by Mr L,. Pilcher, railway engine cleaner, who was on duty in the engine shed about fifty T yards to the east of the building, at about -1 a.m. The interior of the building was then well,alight. He immediately’ gave the alarm. Owing to his all-night duty, this is the third occasion within about a week that this official has been called upon to raise an alarm for outbreaks in the locality. ■Mr J. Wyeth, nightwatehman at the N.Z. Shipping Co., saw the outbreak about ten minutes before the syren was sounded, but was unable to leave his own duty, except to arouse the manager. He informed our representative that he heard men talking on the wharf at about 12.30. Thqre was no sign of fire at that time.

Mr Mantell, who was one of the first on the scene, noticed the en-gine-room door open. This fact has. also been verified by three others. The door was locked at the time the employees left at 5 o’clock. It has not yet been ascertained whether the lock was forced. J

The destroyed building consisted of two offices, engine room, battery room, and engineer’s storage room for tools, etc., the rest being storage accommodation.

The dimensions cof the building were approximately 200 feet length by 110 feet. The whole of the west side and part of the south was bounded by the wharf. The storage capacity of the building was sufficient to accommodate 10,000 bales of hemp. ' .

Several tons of coal on the south end of the wharf, together; with - valuable salvage gear, were destroyed. s

Among the contents of the building . destroyed .was a quantity of pollard, bran'and grit. The building was erected in 1907 by Messrs Petley and Ford. Mr Rough was the architect.

In one of the sheds adjoining the building were several railway trucks of benzine. Fears were entertained at one time that escaping fumes might result in an explosion, but the breeze carried the heat in an opposite direction.

In conversation with the local manager, Mr Moir, we were informed that the value of the. shed, wharf and Contents was -approximately £25,000. There was no one on night duty at the store. . During the day the engine had been working. At 5 p.ini,' : fwhen" the staff knocked off, 'everything was ’OJ?., and the building locked up. None, of the staff visited the store during the evening. There was no benzine or other explosive material stored in the building. The insurances are held at head office, Wellington, s and particulars of same are not yet _to hand. Temporary arrangements were beifcig made to deal with hemp on behalf di the firm’s clients.

The firm’s wharf is destroyed* and all that now remains of the structure are the charred tops of the c deeply-driven piles.

It is not known at present what steps Messrs Levin and Co. will take to rebuild.

A word of praise is due to all who willingly assisted in any way to save the railway buildings and river boats and punts.

The brigade, with its chemical engine, was powerless to cope with a fire of such magnitude, but it did what it could with the means at its disnosal.

The cause of the outbreak is a mystery, but the general opinion, in view of the other recent fire in the same locality, leans to incendiarism. The police have the matter in hand.