FIRES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 9, 11 May 1915, Page 7

FIRES.

THE FIRE AT CRAIG’S. Pee Press Association. Auckland, May 10. A colonial inquiry into the circumstances of the fire which destroyed Craig’s stables and 225 horses in St. George’s Bay Road on the evening of April 22 was opened this morning, before Mr E. C. Cutten, S.M. ChiefDetective McMahon represented the Police Department. Ernest Arthur Craig, secretary and director of the firm of J. J. Craig, Ltd., general merchants, said that the erection of the stables was completed the day before tho fire. He believed the building to have been the most up-to-date stables in the Dominion. There were ten entrance openings, through a majority of which horses could pass. Six or eight of those outlets would be available for the horses on the night of the fire. A large quantity of fodder was stored in the western end. principally chaff and oats, and that would be stacked twelve or fourteen feet high. The fodder would he too compressed to catch fire quickly. There were also 3120 bales of compressed straw, stacked to about the same height. The straw would certainly not flare up quickly. The value of the buildings as agreed upon with the insurance companies was £7027 5s lOd. The live stock burnt consisted of 217 horses. Two animals were saved. The firm had only been able to find 208 carcases. The value of these was estimated at £8320, an average of £4O each. Harness and feed were valued at £4725; waggons were damaged to the extent of about £4OO. For the purpose of insurance,—the loss was estimated at £20,792 18s 9d. The firm lost about £BOOO on the figures agreed upon. Everything possible had been done to eliminate the risk of fire, and the buildings had passed the underwriters’ test. ’The stable foreman gave evidence as to the discovery of the fire. Ho knew of nothing which would have caused it. The superintendent of the Auckland Fire Brigade said it was possible tho fire was caused through the fusing of electric wires, but the electrical engineers who were called considered it practically impossible for tho electric lighting plant to have caused the fire. The inquiry was adjourned.