FIRES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 185, 15 January 1915, Page 4

FIRES.

CEMENT WORKS DESTROYED. A.V ISLAND DISASTER. By Telegraph.—Per Press Association. Whangarei, Last Night. A big disaster befell the Limestone Island cement works property of the New Zealand Portland Cement Company shortly after midnight, the most important parts of the works being totally destroyed by fire The demolished portion covers over an acre, and includes all the important machinery. Three reciprocating engines, totalling 500 horsepower, and a turbine engine of 500 horsepower were utterly ruined. The fire broke out between the engine-room and the mill; when an explosion appeared to occur on the engine-room wall. The destroyed buildings were all of wooden framework covered with corrugated iron, and the whole place was immediately ablaze. There was no time to abut oil' the ermines, and the men had to rush to eli'eet tl eir escape. In order to save the oliiivs and stores, nart of the building was blown up, the burning portions by mean;! cf and this proved suee:- fid. '!'! e fire burned until about {hi., v-orning. All the c'.iiI ].• ;>y.-"s helped vigorously in the c.x- ---| h-!i:-i;!!g i.eiv mi' salving as much proj perty as i'-siov . Th.crc was a stock of_:!i)f> t. ■:.. ..: , ■:■] on the Island, and ] ihis bcici'.e. i lit,.,], and will probably , '..urn f<e- ,!•.- xiie number of men employe! i- : .:,:, u f, 130. Many of the men are ■ ■ ■.•;. ,\ t and have families, so that V., -'ard community, which was 'solely de, ende-it on the works, numbers probably ■ -.vr 200. No one was injured. ';;-.. men working at the time numbered about 40. A rough estimate of the damage is £BO,OOO. The works were well V o\ ered by insurance, but information as to the. companies concerned is not forthcoming at the present juncture. A big shipment at the time of the fire was being prepared for Queensland. .