DISASTROUS FIRES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 14 November 1907, Page 2

DISASTROUS FIRES.

RESULT OP A SMOKER'S CARELESSNESS. LARGE HOTEL DESTROYED. :wo hundred^ests : reIoSS WIIH DIFFICULTY. lEN EMPLOYEES KILLED AND ■ INJURED. " Received Nov. 14, 0.12 a.m. New York, November 13. A eareless cigarette-smoker caused tho lestruction of the Hotel Garde at Ncwlaven, Connecticut. Two hundred guests tvere rescued with difficulty. Six of the hotel employees were killed and four judly injured. , ■ OPERA HOUSE DESTROYED. Received Nov. 13, 10.10 p.m. St. Petersburg, November 13. luc Solodovnikoff Opera House at Moscow was burnt down owing to carelessness. j 'JUrf £BO,OOO DAMAGE IN CHRISTCHUBCH KAIAPOI WOOLLEN COMPANY'S ' FACTORY DESTROYED. Per Press Association. * Christchurch, Wednesday. The Kaiapoi Woollen Company's clothing factory in Bedford-row was completely destroyed by lire this morning. The fire was discovered about daylight. It had then too good a hold for the biigado to save the building. Many workers will be thrown idle. 'The fire in the Kaiapoi factory waa i he most disastrous experienced here for fourteen years. It completely destroyed a large quantity of goods, and wrecked the building, leaving nothing standing but bare walls. The origin is mysterious, but probably Began in inflammable material stored in the building, and 80 spread through other rooms. The building was a mass of flame before the fire was seen, and there was no possible chance of saving either building or stock, A rough estimate assesses the damage at £BO,OOO. Tho insurances on the building and stock amount to £41,000, leaving a large loss. Girls were working in the building till 0 p.m., and some time after that everything seemed quite Bate. At about 4.30 a.m., it is stated, a person riding along the North road near Papanui saw a reflection of fits, but the first alarm was given by a newsrunner going round Cashel-street. He ran to the Lichfield-street fire station, which is not far from tie scene, and ihe brigade at once turned out, and all the fire plants in the town were soon cn Hie spot. The hands will only be out of work temperarily, as the company will take other premises in which to carry on the clothing department of its business. The insurances are made up thus £34,000 on tffl stock, and £I6OO on the machinery, appliances, and fittings, distributed ovej" the following offices:— Alliance £5720, Atlas £3335, Commercial Union £1425, Liverpool and London £2385, London and Lancashire £4770, New Zealand £4770, National £1425. Norwich Union £5240, Phoenix £4770, Koyal £5735, South British £1425: total, £41,000. The building, which was of three stories, built of brick and Oamaru stone, covered a quarter of an acre fronting Cashel-street and running through to Bedford Row. m. Later, lhe company does not carry any of it> own insurance, so the loss of the above amount of insurance has to 'go against the Reserve Fund. The difference is roughly estimated at £30,000 but it is understood the fund is in a position to meet the strain.