QUARRY PLANT BURNT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 856, 27 December 1929, Page 1

QUARRY PLANT BURNT

FIRE NEAR WHANGAREI MEN THROWN OUT OF WORK Special to THE SUN WHANGAREI, Thursday. Fire destroyed the Public Works Department’s crushing buildings, plant and machinery at the quarry at Tauroa, 17 miles from Whangarei, early this morning. The fire was first noticed at 3.20 a.m. by Mr. Tom Qumn, an employee at the quarry, and Mr. Robert Davidson, the engineer in charge, who were awakened by the glare aud the noise of falling timbers. Upon arrival at "the crushing site the buildings \were seen to be blazing so fiercely that nothing could be done to check the outbreak. Mr. Quinn had passed the quarry at midnight, when everything seemed to be safe. Three hours afterward the plant was in flames from end to end, the malthoid roofing being readily consumed by the flames. The origin o? the fire is unknown, as the fires in the boilers were drawn on Christmas Eve, and no work had been done since then.

A bucket brigade was organised, but the workers could not get near the blazing building. Fortunately there was no wind, and it was possible to save the carpenter’s shop and adjoining buildings and also the oflices, which are all a short distance away. Mr. Leigh, the Public Works Department overseer, was away at the time. The quarry has a fine deposit of basalt rock and is easily the largest in North Auckland, if not in the Auckland Province. The crushing plant, which was made useless, was most up-to-date, having been remodelled in recent years, and consists of three crushers, elaborate screeners and hoppers, and even a plant for holding rejects. The motive power was provided by a large steam plant, and the quarry had an output of over 200 cubic yards a day. As a result of the fire, about 50 men engaged at the quarry will be. thrown out of work and in addition men engaged in handling the metal on the railway and road construction works will be out of employment.