DESTRUCTION BY FIRE

Taranaki Daily News, 17 November 1926, Page 11

DESTRUCTION BY FIRE

SEVERAL OUTBREAKS OCCUR AUCKLAND STORE BURNED. HEAVY DAMAGES CAUSED. Auckland, Last Night. A fire to-night in a brick, one-storied building in Newton Road, occupied by the Home and Colonial Stores, 'and used as the head office and storeroom, caused extensive damage. The fire burned fiercely and the brigade had a hard task to subdue it. The value of the stock is given as £13,000, and consisted of provisions, fancy goods, sacks of produce and other goods. Mr. J. Robertson, owner of the building and proprietor and manager of the Home and Colonial Stores, was sitting in his office at the front of the building when a passerby threw up the window and told him the rear of the building was in flames. Mr. Robertson made hurried efforts to save important papers. The lights then failed and he had to dash for safety, his hands and face being' scorched by the flames. BLAZE AT PAHIATUA. By Telegraph.—Preu Association. Pahjat’ua, Nov. 16. , A fire early this morning destroyed* the new boiling down shed, hide, skin and salt house, owned by the Wairarapa Farmers’ Co-operative Association on the main road between Pahiatua and Mangatainoka, The latter building contained stock valued at £2OO. The insurances on the building and plant are not available. DWELLING DESTROYED. Wellington, Nov. 16. A five-roomed house and its contents, owned and occupied by H. Pope, Lower Hutt, was burned last night. The insurance was £BOO on the house; there was no insurance oil the contents. OUTBREAK AT NGARUAWAHIA. TWO FIREMEN INJURED. Hamilton, Last Night. The biggest fire in Ngaruawahia for some years occurred early this morning and was attended by serious consequences. The blaze apparently .originated in Peter Stannic s billiard saloon, which, with the adjoining shops of Ivan Smith, hairdresser and tobacconist, and Miss E. Pickering, was completely gutted, while Russell McFarlane’s drapery shop, which was in imminent danger of destruction, was saved by the brigade. The flames had a good hold when the alarm was given, and the inmates of one of the premises were awakaned by the noise and escaped in their night attire, losing everything. All those concerned are heavy losers. In endeavouring to get the fire under control, one fireman was severely- wounded by falling glass, and another, who was overcome by the dense smoke, received medical attention.