SHOPS DESTROYED

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21187, 9 August 1940, Page 7

SHOPS DESTROYED

LOSS OF OVER £4OOO BLAZE IN CENTRE OF TOWN BUCKET BRIGADE’S EFFORTS (By Telegraph.—Special to Times) TUAKAU, Thursday Losses estimated at over £4OOO were caused by a fire which destroyed Deeble’s Building in George Street, Tuakau, this evening. The three shops which comprised the block, together with their fittings and contents were lost, and damage estimated at about £25 was caused to a near by bank agency building, which was partially demolished in the provision of a fire break.

With a frontage of 50ft., the building was in the heart of the township’s business area. The shops were a butchery establishment conducted by the owner of the building, Mr W. J. Deeble, a second-hand clothing shop occupied by Mr L. G. Budden, of Pukekohe, and the men’s clothing business of Mr C. G. Johnson, of Pukekohe.

A taxi-driver, Mr T. G. Morgan, jun., sam smoke emerging from above the front door of Mr Budden’s shop at 6.45 o’clock. With other residents, he found the back portion of the building in flames, and it was impossible to salvage any stock from the back exits. The front doors were then forced, and a small amount of footwear was saved from Mr Johnson’s shop. Preventing Spread Within a few minutes of the discovery of the outbreak, the whole building was a mass of flame. Travelling seven miles from Pukekohe, a fire brigade was assisted by local residents, efforts being concentrated on preventing the fire from spreading to adjoining buildings occupied by the Farmers’ Trading Company, Limited, and the Cammell Hardware Company, both of which were protected by brick outer walls. With no high pressure water supply available, a large bucket brigade was formed. The hand pump on the fire engine was also brought into use, the water for the purpose being carried in milk cans on a motorlorry. An effort to pump a supply from the stream near the dairy factory through a long lead of hose to the scene of the fire was unsuccessful. Losses of Stock Three hours after its discovery, the fire was controlled. Stock valued at about £I6OO was lost by Mr Johnson, while fittings and machinery destroyed in Mr Deeble’s shop were valued at about £640. The value of the contents of Mr Budden’s premises was £SO. The building, which was valued at £2000,. was insured for £I2OO in the Insurance Office of Australia, and Mr Johnson’s stock was covered to the extent of about £7OO in the same office. Mr Budden’s stock was not insured. SULPHUR ON FIRE OUTBREAK AT ARAMOHO (By Telegraph.—special to Times) WANGANUI, Thursday For four hours the Wanganui fire brigade fought a fire which broke out in 5000 tons of sulphur at Kemp-thorne-Prosser’s works in Aramoho. Nine men, under Superintendent J. Ross, were occupied. All wore gas masks, and to get at the fire three holes had to be chopped in the wall of the sulphur room.

The fire started in a truck which was being filled by a chute. It is thought that a spark was struck by the dropping of the iron side of the truck. The sulphur dust was ignited and flames leapt into the truck and then up the loading chute into the sulphur room, a distance of about 20ft.

The sulphur affected was insured. There was small damage to the buildings.