DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 290, 11 May 1914, Page 4

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

IN "RED POST" WAREHOUSE. HEAVY DAMAGE TO STOCK. At about 11 p.m. on Saturday Mr. C. Bond noticed signs of a Are in the Red Post Furnish Ing Company's big warehouse in Devon street just next door to iiis own premises. He gave the alarm, and the brigade was quickly on the spot. The flames were in the back portion of the upper storey of the building, which is a large concrete two-storeyed warehouse, thoroughly lire-proof, externally, but carrying a heavy stock of inflammable goods. Had the building been of wood, as most of our buildings are, the consequences must have been disastrous to the town, for a blustering gale was blowing at the time.

The cause of the outbreak was found to be some ten bales of kap6c, which it is presumed had become heated, and burst into spontaneous combustion. Flames and smoke were pouring out of the back windows, making the work of the firemen very difficut. The flames were confined to a limited spaco, but the heat was .intense, and such inflammable articles as chairs, wiekcrwork and blinds, which were hung from the ceiling or stored on shelves ail round the room, easily caught fire. ' The fire was fully under control in less than an hour. 'The kapoc was thrown into the yard below, and the fire in it practically extinguished, but to give an idea of its iiulaminnbiiity it maybe said that one bale of it was yesterday morning found to be still smouldering despite its previous saturation with water. All the eight-windows along the back of the building were broken with tne heat, but as the building was of concrete little damage by actual flame took place, though that by smoke, water, and heat was large. Seen yesterday evening, the interior of the warehouse was in a dilapidated state. The ground floor had been invaded by floods of water from above, and holes had to be bored in the flooring to get rid of the water. Carpets, velvets, furniture, and silverware were more or less affected by the inundation. Upstairs, the scene was worse. The scene of the fire's origin was sodden nnd charred. Almost the whole of the interior upper storey was blackened by smoke, which had dcleteriously affected a lot of delicate furniture. Chairs, with which the ceiling had been hung, were charred and burnt. Carpets, linoleums, and similar goods were sodden and blackened. It was impossible, from a cursory examination, to estimate the extent of the damage to stock by water and smoke.

The company was particularly unfortunate in experiencing a fire just at tins time. All the new season's goods were in, and' the total stock' carried was well over £7OOO in value. Two sets of furniture which had been packed up ready for delivery were more or lens damaged. The insurance on the building is £2OOO in the State Office and on the stock £1.500 in the Commercial Union office, and a like amount with the Phoenix Company.