FIRE HAVOC

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20499, 16 May 1938, Page 8

FIRE HAVOC

BIG BUILDING SWEPT FIERCE AUCKLAND OUTBREAK DAMAGE ESTIMATED OVER £50,000 SPECTACULAR SCENES WITNESSED (By Telegraph.—Special to Tlme3.) AUCKLAND, Monday. Damage estimated to be between £BO,OOO and £75,000 was caused by a destructive fire which swept through a large fourstoreyed brick building In Kitchener Street, City, shortly after 10 o’clock last evening. Members of six brigades vainly attempted to check the spread of the flames. The building, which was owned by the Paterson Estate, was occupied by D.C.B. and Cousins, Ltd., motor-body builders, Walter Long engineer, the New Zealand Case and Box Company, Ltd., the Dominion Woodwool Company and Mervyn Abel, steel pulley manufacturer. Motor vehicles and bodies under construction were destroyed in the fire, which originated in the top storey, occupied by D.C.S. and Cousins, Ltd. The flames shot through the roof to soar 50ft into the air. When the first brigade arrived the whole top storey appeared to be ablaze. Gradually each floor collapsed until little more than a gaunt shell remained. Brick Wall Crashes There was a spectacular scene when a thick brick wall, after slowly crumbling, crashed on the roof of a lower part of the building- The huge crowd which had collected scattered in all directions. Firemen took many risks in attempting to prevent the fire from reachirT the premises of Bycroft Limited, next door. The glare of the outbreak could be seen many miles away, one report coming from Pukekohe. The scene of the fire itself was a roaring Inferno. Over 6000 spectators had gathered by 11 p.m. and all adjacent streets were crammed with cars- Albert Park, opposite, was the chief vantage point. There was a good deal of traffic congestion at a late hour this morning, when the firemen were still at work. DAMAGE OVER £BO,OOO DETAILS OF INSURANCES (By Telegraph.—Press Association) AUCKLAND, Monday The total damage in the Kitchener Street fire is now estimated at between £60,000 and £70,000. The building and contents were covered by the New Zealand Insurance Company for £16,789 of which the building represents £4478. The building is also covered by the F.A.M.E. Company for £3022. D.S.C. and Cousins hold a policy for £ISOO on the stock and Mr Long a private cover with the Royal Exchange Assurance Company for £ISOO. Messrs A. 11. Nathan’s Ltd., refrigeration store and a quantity of carpets owned by them but being made up by Mr J. A. Merryweather, furnishing manufacturer, in the same building were entirely lost. The damage to Nathan’s stock, £4OOO, is covered by the New Zealand Insurance Company by a policy for £3OOO. CHRISTCHURCH BLAZE DAMAGE EXCEEDS £9OOO. FIREMEN'S LONG STRUGGLE iFy Telegraph.—Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, Sunday. Firemen fought for 2£ hours before they could control a fire in the Crown Tailoring Company’s four-storeyed building at the corner of Manchester Street and Bedford Row, which broke out shortly after 9 o'clock last night and caused damage estimated at £9OOO. Two firemen, overcome by smoke, had to be revived by artificial respiration. The fire apparently began in a heap of rubbish on the ground floor under the stairs, the lift well acting as a chimney and carrying the flames to the top floor. There the smoke was trapped, making it almost impossible for firemen to enter.

Several doors had to be hroke.n open before the firemen could reach the top of the building. - The damage was mainly to the stock of "Weston Brothers, leather goods manufacturers, on the two top floors. Stock in the Crown Tailoring Company, which occupies part of the ground floor and the first floor, and in two other shops on the ground floor suffered damage by smoke and waterDAIRY FACTORY BURNED PLANT AND CONTENTS LOST (By Telegraph.—Tress Association) WANGANUI, Monday The Waverley Co-operative Dairy Company’s factory at Waverley was completely destroyed by fire at midnight last night. All the machinery and contents were destroyed. Insurances on the building and contents total £6300.