HALF A MILLION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26622, 19 November 1947, Page 4

HALF A MILLION

ESTIMATE OF DAMAGE STOCKS LOST TO PUBLIC P.A CHRISTCHURCH. Nov. 18. A conservative estimate of the actual fire damage to Ballantyne's buildings and stock is £500,000, the stock alone being valued at more than £300,000. Only the workroom part of the building in Colombo street was owned by J. Ballantyne and Co., Ltd., the rest being leased from the Pratt estate Insurances were not obtainable tonight, but were known to have been held in a number of offices. Occupying more than an acre, Dunstable House was one of the' bestknown business premises in the Do minion. The business of J. Ballantyne

and Co. was established in 1864, and extensions were made until about 1918 the firm took over the corner of Colombo street, where about 50 years ago the drapery store of Lonigans was destroyed and had possession of the complete frontages in Colombo- and Cashel streets. The premises were in four sections, separated only by a narrow right-of-way off Colombo street, at the head of the fire escape on which the bodies were seen when the flames died down.

In general, the building followed the Italian style of architecture. Every department in the store, one of the biggest in New Zealand, was fully stocked with goods for the Christmas and summer trade, and for the public, apart from the stark tragedy, the fire could not have occurred at a worse time. Whether the Colombo and Cashel street frontages of the building will have to be pulled down for safety will be determined to-morrow morning. The central part of the three sections in Colombo street had a lean of one foot and a-half towards the street to-night, and the building on Cashel street also had a pronounced lean. Colombo street was roped off and guarded throughout the night