FIRE IN DUNEDIN

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 50, 8 June 1910, Page 5

FIRE IN DUNEDIN

MUCH DAMAGE DUNK. COMMERCIAL TRAVKLLERS HEAVY LOSERS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Duneilin, Last Night. A fire which threatened to assume rather serious dimensions broke mil in a large store and wooden building with frontages to Dowling-street ,n<l ..owor High-street this evening. It .-.artod in the basement, which is occupied byj Messrs. John Chambers mil Sm. machinery agents, and where there was stored a groat quantity of machinery, and machinists' stores, such as oils,! wastes, belting, etc. A large portion of > this was destroyed by lire and a good! deal of damage was sustained by water.' the basement having practically to he; flooded in order to subdue the flames. A ; large elevator-well in the centre of the building, extending from top to bottom, allowed the fire to reach the outer parts of the structure, but was confined almost entirely to the centre of the building after some hours of strenuous work. The building itself did not sustain very extensive damage. The building was owned by Mr. Donald Reed, senior, and was tenanted by a large number of different firms. It is insured in the NewZealand office, but the amount U not yet ascertainable. John Chambers and Son are the principal losers. As engineers and importers they carried machinery, oils, etc.. valued at between £IO,OOO and £12.0110. Considerable damage was done both by fire and water, and the firm's loss will be heavy. The firm has insurances of £4500 in the Commercial Union office, £l5O in the Australian Alliance Office, and £IOO on the office furniture and effects in the Commercial Union. Rough estimates place the damage at 50 per cent, of the total stocik. ; The rooms fronting Dowling-street occupied by the Wellington Woollen Manufacturing Company were considerably damaged. The damage and insurances are not available. The clothing factory occupied by Messrs. Jacob Kittenberg and Co. was much damaged by lire and water. In the sample-rooms were the samples of four commercial travellers, and each is a. heavy loser. Mr. Doughty, representative of Messrs. George and Douglitv, warehousemen, Wellington, has stock and samples valued at some £2700, which have suffered seriously owing to fire, water, and smoke, and are now probably worth very little. Mr. Doughty had some £BOO worth of silks which are probably hopelessly damaged. During the afternoon he sent out to customers some £7OO worth of goods, the last of which left the premises ten minutes before fire broke out. William B. Penhey, agent of a number of commercial firms, had a large quantity of soft goods damaged to a considerable extent. Mr. White arrived by the Wimmera on Sunday with 22 cases of samples from the stock of Mr. H. Todd, of Sydney, and had just finished unpacking stock valued at £l5O, which is somewhat damaged by water. Mr. Duncan Cameron, representative of Messrs. Skelton, Frostick and Co.. of Chrisfehureh, is a heavy loser. He had between £3OO and £4ooj of samples packed ready for shipment to Christchurch to-morrow morning, and all were more or less damaged. The Royal Exchange Assurance Company, Mr. A. Munro, tailor, Messrs. Aslin and Bedford, solicitors, and Mr. Evans, manufacturing chemist, are losers Ito a smaller extent.