FIRE IN DUNEDIN.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9688, 12 January 1910, Page 5

FIRE IN DUNEDIN.

By Telegraph—Press Association. DUNEDIN, January 11. A three-storey brick building, occupied by the New Zealand Express Company, facing Wain's Hotel, Manse street, was burnt to the ground early this morning. The Princess Theatre had a narrow escape, the wind having fortunately died away. The fire was discovered at half-past, three, and was apparentJy then confined to the second storey at the'end of the building, adjoining Mr R. Dickison's restaurant, though it had a good hold when the brigade arrived. The whole of the left purtion of the building was enveloped in flames, and, as a fairiy strong nor'-wester was blowing, fears were felt for the safety of the whole block extending to the corner of Stafford street. The roof of Dickison's restaurant caught fire on several occasions, and three bedrooms were reduced to ruins. Luckily the wind died down, and the fite in its later stages was confined .within the fourlwalls of the Express Company's building itself. Sparks ignited a number of crates containing empty bottles, stored by Messrs Powley and Keast, in a section in Stafford street, adjoining their bottling stores, and damage was done to the extent of five hundred pounds. Mr Thomas Brown, the owner of the premises tenanted by the Express Company, had a policy for £2,500 with the New Zealand Insurance Company, and £IOO on fittings in the same office. Howison, who | leased part of the ground floor, was insured for £l,lOO in the Royal Office, while Fai'rbairn, a manufacturer's agent, had a policy of £l3O on his goods in the Royal. Dickison, owner of the dining rooms damaged, estimates his loss at £2,000. Foster, representing Roberts, Ltd... had insurances amounting to £7OO in the Alliance, and £BOO m the Commercial Union. Four travellers who used the premises for stocking, and lost their samples, estimate their joint loss at £3,000. They are Steele, representing Dawson and Maudsley of Wellington; Gatson, who has a number of Home agencies, and Fothergill and S. Martin. The total damage caused by the fire exceeds £IO,OOO. Ross and Glendinning's hat feactory, in Stafford street, was damaged to the extent of £SOO, but was covered by insurance. The total insurances are approximately £7,000; In the latter stages of the fire four • firemen went through the first floor | of the Express Company's rooms as j it collapsed the basement, but j fortunately they escaped unharmed. They lud a lucky escape as they fell among a lot of burning debris. The Express Company's building, which was at one time used by Messrs Brown, Ewing and Co. for the wholesale department of their business, was owned by Mr Thos. Brown. The Express Company used two upper floors as commercial travellers' sample rooms, ana sub-let the ground floor and cellar to other tenants, C. M. Howison and Son and Robt. Foster. The former firm in turn sub let a portion of the ground floor to T. B. Fairbairn and Company and J. B. MacEwan. All the firms mentioned are importers and manufacturers' agents, and all have lost considerably. ThejExpress Company had pushed on the erection of their new building in Bond street, and at present fourteen commercial travellers are using the sample rooms in that building, and sixteen more are to arrive this week. Consequently, the numbers of travellers using the sample rooms in the Manse street premises have been reduced far below the average. Only four commercial travellers had samples stored in the Manse street rooms. Apart from the value of the goods there is the consideration of the loss of trade to the firms concerned owing to the destruction of representatives' samples. The samples comprised both soft goods and hardware, drapery,' hats and a quantity of plate. The evidence as to the point where the fire started is somewhat contradictory, but it seems probable that the outbreak originated on the second j storey towards the southern side of I the building where straw hats were f tored. So far as can be ascertained the total damage exceeds £IO,OOO. in addition to'the actual cash loss there will be an unprofitable derangement of business, which cannot be expressed in round numbers, but will .be costly.