FIRE IN MELBOURNE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 211, 5 March 1912, Page 5

FIRE IN MELBOURNE.

EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. FIREMEN'S EFFECTIVE WORK By Cable—Frees Association—Copyright. Received 4, 8 p.m. Melbourne, March 4. A fire broke out in Briscoe & Co.'s ironmongery establishment in Little Cole street, the building being practically destroyed. The flames spread, damaging the stock and safe deposit of the English, Scottish and Australian Bank of New South Wales, and Collins' house. The fire is still burning, but is under control. , The damage is estimated at many thousands. The cause is unknown. Received 4, 11 p.m. was a three-storey building, erected only six months ago. The front part, separated from the rear, where the fire started, by fire-proof doors, escaped the flames, though the immense stock was damaged by water. The firemen worked splendidly to save the building, which was the centre of a packed mass of buildings. The fire was got under in three hours.

Burning debris was carried to adjoining buildings, and started a fire in the Bank of New South Wales, but it was soon subdued.

Other buildings previously mentioned, besides Montgomery's cork warehouse and a number of smaller business premises, suffered from heat and water.

The collapse of Briscoe's wall damaged the Bank of New South Wales.

Briscoe's business is not seriously inconvenienced, as they possess another large store in West Melbourne. One estimate of the damage is £40,000.