THE FIRE AT GRAIG'S.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 285, 11 May 1915, Page 4

THE FIRE AT GRAIG'S.

INQUIRY OPENED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. A coronial inquiry into the circumstances of the (ire which destroyed Craig's stables and "225 horses in St. George's !Bay Road on tile evening of ■April il was opened this morning, before 'Mr. E. Cutten, S.M. Chief-De-tective .UcMahon represented the Police Department. Ernest -Arthur Craig, secretary and director of the linn of ,T. J. Craig, Ltd., general merchants, said that the erection of the stables was completed thu day before the lire, lie believed the building to hare been the most llp-to-dale stables in the Dominion. There were ten entrance openings, thro ugly a majority of which horses could pass. Six or eight of those outlets would be available for the horses on the night of the lire. A large quantity of fodder was stored in the Western end, principally chair and oats, and that would be stacked twelve or fourteen feet high. The fodder would be too compressed to catch lire quickly. There were also 3120 bales of compressed straw, stacked to about the same height. The straw would certainly not, flare lrp quickly. The value of the buildings as agreed upon with the insurance companies was I '7l!ri7 os 1 Oil. The live stork burnt cc-r-i-.tc'l of -17 horses. Two animals were saved. The linn had only been aide to liml 'JO;! carcases. The value of wis c-tiim'lcl at ,cft!2o. an average of I'll) esPli. Harness ami feed were valued at .C 1725: wagons Were damaged to the c\fiiit ~(• about <;'■!». Tor tile purposes of in .urauce. the !.>sh was estimated ISs 'l,l. The linn 10-l aboui t.a the heiircs a-reed upon. Everything possible had been 1 ' J ' ii> ihe di-.-ui:.o r.,v. i:,. | ".I e,- i'v ■Man.l :■■■ e:0,.-e,l iii:-,„|..|, (l„. | of • ■.c 1 ' . :■ •! ihe ,>, ' -i..;:!