THE NAIPER FIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 January 1916, Page 2

THE NAIPER FIRE.

FURTHER PARTICULARS. A HEAVY LOSS SUSTAINED. The Hawkc's Bay Herald states that tlic fire which occurred at tho factory find timber yards of liul'; Rr.is., Port Ahuriri, 'on Wednesday night, was on.' of the most destructive in the hist:»y of Napier, Tho fire was discovered shortly before ten o'clock by a boy named Gordon Cooper, who resided opposite the yards. He observed a small fiamo llickering in the boiler honso <;f the factory, and on making closer observation found the rear portion of tho factory a seething mass of flame. He at once gave the alarm. an<i tha Poit brigade was soon on the scene. Wium the brigade arrived it had a difficult task to surmount. The flames, with wonderful rapidity, had biKst out of the factory, which by this timo was blazing merrily, and, fanned by a faiiiy stiff north-easterly breeze, had ignited the high stacks of timber adjacent. Tho (lames, accompanied by thick columns of smoke, were leaping high into the sir, illuminating the hills around. Wie area of the yards is about four acres, and it is estimated that there were one and a-half million feet of timber in stock. Before the fire had been going many minutes an area of about three-quarters of an acre was aolaze, and the task of the brigades (the Napier Brigade having arrived in the meantime) was nigh hopeless. Four strong leads of hose were now playing, hut the fire still pursued its course of destruction, stack after stack of timber being destroyed. Fortunately the wind did not increase, otherwise* the result might have, been disastrous.

'A SPLKS'DID SPECTACLE. At 10.45 p.m. the conflagration wae at its height, nearly the whole of the timber on the seaward side of the railWay line being a seething mass of flame. The heat was tremendous. Great columns of (lame and smoke curled into the air, and the sky was a bright, lurid red. Townspeople who saw the glare, observing that a serious conflagration wa9 in progress, rushed the tramcars, ■' motor-cars; or any other available conveyance, and soon there was a large, crowd of spectators viewing the awe-in-spiring spectacle. The flames, reflected' in the rippling water of the sen, added to tile pieturesqueness of the .scene. ; The brigadesmen worked like Trojans. A lead of hose was soon brought to play on the burning timber on 'the other side of the railway line, and it was apparent that the fire in this portion of the yard was under control. But the task on the seaward side was still a formidable one. The greater portion of, the timber was well seasoned, and as great tongues of flame licked the high stacks, the timber went like matchwood. The steam (ire engine was then brought into operation, and by 11 o'clock it was seen that the progress of the fire had been checked.

HEAVY LOSSES. Mesrrs Bull Bros., avo heavy losers abovo the Insurance. It was stated that there was about £40,000 worth of timber in the yards, and of this the greater portion was stacked in the-area destroyed. The firm's factory is also a total loss.- Two "valuable horses, a draught and a half-draught, were owned to death. Only a few' weeks ago the firm disposed of six horses, the two that were destroyed being the only two remaining. Two carts and a waggon were also burned. The insurances are held by the Standard office. It is fairly snl'e to say that the total loss will amount to' about £25,0(10. The firm estimates its loss at about £7OOO or .CSOOO above insurances.

ORIGIN' A MYSTERY. The origin of the five is.a mystery, The employees ceased work at the. usual time. "> o'clock, ami at 5.45 the watchman, Mr. K. Wigg, went his usual round of inspection. At that time he smelt something burning, hut could see no sign of anything'. During the day the band-saw was in operation in the factory, near the stokc-room door, and it is surmised that the fire, by sonic, means or other, reached the shavings, which must have been smouldering for some time.