CRAIG'S STABLE FIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 305, 3 June 1915, Page 8

CRAIG'S STABLE FIRE.

«»' FINDING OF THE ENQUIRY. 1 PROBABLE INCENDIARISM. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., gave his v.-r----dict this afternoon upon the result of his investigations into the circumstances Burrounding the disastrous lire which destroyed Craig's stables at Parnell and 200 horses on the night of April 22nd. After discussing the various theories to account for the origin of the fire, the coroner said the only other explanation is that the building was set on fire by incendiary means. It would be a simple matter to pour a quantity of kerosene over some of the bales of compressed straw, which would absorb a considerable quantity of the liquid, and would on ignition give a steady blaze of great heat. It would, too, produce a great quantity of extremely inflammablo vapour, and once the fire broke through the floor this vapour would account for the sudden outbreak and the quick and complete destruction of the main building, without relying on the contents to bring about the result. The bales saturated would act as a huge wick, and would not necessarily be themselves consumed, and the fact that the bales were not consumed, notwithstanding that they must have been in tho' basement, is a very noticeablo feature about the fire. However, the coroner said the evidence did not justify a verdict of incendiarism. It was ovidence of a purely negative character, the elimination of apparently all possible theories of accident leaving strong suspicions that the fire was not accidental. The finding was that the evidence was insufficient to show th« cause and origin of the fire, though it appeared probable it was due to incendiarism on tho part of some person or per- | sons unknown.