DAMAGE £100,000.

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20261, 2 August 1937, Page 7

DAMAGE £IOO,OOO.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRES. SOAP WORKS BURNED. TWENTY FIREMEN INJURED. United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright. SYDNEY, August 1. In one of the largest fires seen In Sydney for years the works of Australian Soaps, Limited, in the suburb of Alexandria, were destroyed last night. The damage is estimated at £IOO,OOO. Fifteen fire engines were engaged In quelling the outbreak. Twenty firemen were injured, one seriously. The firemen were confronted with a difficult task. They had to face blazing oil, noxious fumes and explosions. The works were recently modernised and contained some of the finest machinery in Australia.

The company has been operating in Australia for a number of years. It has an authorised capital of £300,000, of which £129,755 is issued in £1 cumulative preference shares and 179,509 ordinary shares of 10s each. The authorised capital was reduced from £500,000 in 1934. WOOL STORE GUTTED. STUD RAMS BURNED. OWNERS’ HEAVY LOSS. United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright. MELBOURNE, August 1. A fire occurred last night in the wool store of Goldsbrough, Mort and Company, Limited, and partly gutted the building. Forty-three prize stud rams penned ready for show and sale were destroyed. The police, for the owners’ protection, prevented the latter from trying to rescue the animals, but employees of the firm were able to save 84 of the rams by bundling them into lifts and taking them to the ground floor. The animals were worth on an average 200 guineas each, making the total value of the rams destroyed about £9OOO. The fire broke out with remarkable suddenness and was fought by 80 firemen. The flames, however, roared through the wooden store in a few minutes and rose to a height of 200 ft.