DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 321, 21 January 1908, Page 3

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

IN NEWCATTLE. DAMAGE NEARLY tiiKiinKi. Received .lau. 2". :(.:!( p.m. N. ur.iit!.-, -I.iuu.iiv One of the ni"-t disastrous in ill history of tin* hn\ 11 broke .nit l!ii- morn iiig ill Cohen ami Co.\ situated in a block of Mir-Inc.- premises bounded by Scott, M.i lluiil r and Woltte streets. The whole block was more or less damaged, tin' principal di -miction Wing caused by falling walk Cohen's ua-. i-.nii|il«t.-l> -utt-'-l. The other prenib-es -evenly d /u.iged were Whortling's Hotel, the' Scuoofo! Ait-, the Brinsto Piano Warehou-e. tin- Km garoo C'mu|X)H Company. La-ker 11r0..' I tailor.). Neve.' furniture warehouse. Stegga s lilrapci-). ami a liiinilier of utiletw slightly.

Tbr fire had a good hold when it was iliscovi-red. It spread with K reat rapidity.

The whole of tin l brigades in tin 1 district were engaged in fighting the (lames. By their splendid efforts thev .Uivce.lC(l in preventing the spread of the conflagration. sit 1.15 p.m. the fire was well in hand. Tlw delirvi hloeked the tramway, and the main railway lines were disorganised. as win the telephone system. Four men were injured In collapMn'' of walls.

W estimates of the damage range m £200,0(10. It is understo i.l that the los 9 u large!v covered by in•urance.

PERILOUS EXPERIENCES. LXPLOSIOX OF CARTRIDGES. RAILWAY LIXEIS BLOCKED. Received 20tli. 10.20 p.m. Newcastle, .lanuary 20. The origin of the fire at Cohen's fe ft Mystery. The Jewish firm had closed its buaineHs since Friday evening. The warehouse, which is 'a four-storeyed floe, w«» the largest and liest equipped ■nd the most heavily .storked one in the State. The stock is valued at froni £IOO,OOO to £120,000. The stock included a large qauntity of cartridges, which were stored in a magazine. When the flames reached the store a feudejoie wia kept tip for half an hour. Fireman Rasmussen came in contact with a live electric wire and va« almost electrocuted. He was removed to the hospital, where he lies in a serious condition.

Three men, Dougherty, Kirchener, •nd Crandle, were removing property from the School of Arts, when a large, mass of Cohen'* wall collapsed, imprisoning them They were rescued a quarter of an hour afterward*, much cut and bruised. They were taken to the hospital. The debria is Mocking the railway} line, and preventing the train from conrpyinjr miners to Lambton B pit, which is idle in consequence. The lines Werp cleared after some hours.