H—47

DESCRIPTION OF BUILDINGS This description is intended to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings showing plans of the buildings, the object being to give as clearly as possible a picture of what actually existed without obscuring the essential information with unnecessarily minute details of every space and block. In preparing this description and the accompanying plans it has been necessary to obtain information from various sources, including the following : (1) Photographs taken after the fire. (2) Plans supplied by the firm's architect. (3) Measurements taken and sketches prepared by members of this Department's staff. (4) Personal inspections of what remained after the fire. (5) Information obtained from members of Ballantyne's staff. The resulting drawings and description are believed to be correct. Special mention is made of openings cut in brick party walls through which it would be possible for fire to spread. Where both dimensions of openings are given, the first dimension is the height. Where the term " protected " is used with reference to openings it means that such openings were protected by doors or shutters intended to be fire-resisting. The premises consisted of a group of buildings situated at the corner formed by the western side of Colombo Street and the southern side of Cashel Street, with frontages of 165 ft. to Colombo Street and 265 ft. to Cashel Street. At a distance of 133 ft. from Colombo Street the premises extended from Cashel Street to Lichfield Street, with a frontage to Lichfield Street of 69 ft., which included a right-of-way. The group of buildings comprised the following blocks, which appear to have been erected as separate buildings, though in almost every case the dividing walls were party walls common to structures on either side. Block 1 A three-story block with a basement, situated at the south end of the group in Colombo Street, known as Congreves Buildings. Construction Walls.— Brick with stone facade to Colombo Street interior strapped and lined with matchlining, covered on the first floor with Pinex. Columns. —Cast iron. Floors. —Wood on timber joists carried on rolled-steel beams. Roof. —Timber-framed, covered with corrugated iron, with skylights. Portion of roof over appro room asphalt. Ceilings.— Basement : No ceiling. Ground Floor : Matchlining. Appro room, Pinex. First Floor : Matchlining and Pinex. Second Floor : No ceiling. Partitions: — Basement: Wire mesh on wooden framing. Ground Floor : Brick and timber covered with Pinex with glass above. First Floor : Pinex and matchlining. Second Floor : Matchlining.

83