FIRES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 9123, 24 April 1915, Page 6

FIRES.

THE AUCKLAND FIRE

INSURANCES £12,800

HORSES DESTROYED NUMBERED 225.

(Jr'er .Press Ausociatioui

AUCKLAND, April 23. Further' inquiries show that correct insurances on Craig's stables and horses wero as foixows: — Builtim& &600U, fodder £1500, harness and equipment all in the l\ew Zealand Oilieo; general policy on horses of £31 U\) in the. iioyai insurance Office ; total £12,800. The firm's loss will probably bo about £11,000 over the insurances.

The clearing away of the carcases of the unfortunate animals commenced this morning, and will be finished, tomorrow morning. The carcases are being taken by scow to the Hauraki Gulf and dumped into the sea. During the" firm's 40 years' operations this is the first fire it has experi-

enced: , As far as can be ascertained, 225 horsos were lost. The firm estimates its losses as follows: —Building, £7000; horses, £9000; . fodder and harness, £6500; mechanical plant. £1500;— total, £24,000. This amount does not include a number of 'vaiis and . lorries \ which .were .seriously damaged. • Craig's stables ' ihad *inly recently been erected. The workmen who had been employed in painting finished their work on 'Wednesday, and the carpenters,, who,, had completed then;, final work upon' the building, had'not removed their tools. The stables were erected upon a property at the corner of Cleveland Road and St. George's Bay Road, the site being secured by extensive excavations. A large quantity of material was used in the erection of the stables, which originally formed the greater part of the machinery court at the Auckland Exhibition. .

The fire overwhelmed the building within a few seconds. Many residences overlook the firm's property, and a few minutes before the alarm readied the fire brigade, st two minutes to 9, the residents in the vicinity saw no sign of fire. Afterwards the wholo neighbourhood was aroused by a tremendous outburst of flames and the awful screaming of the doomed horses. - As. far s,s could be learned only twe !r\en"'worp in tho building. One was Gurney, the head stableman, who was working in the office of the upper floor: Gurney was unable to offer any explanation of the outbreak. Both men escaped with difficulty. By this time a few residents had arrived, and ajpu attempt was made to rescue some of! the horses. All were standing in their stalls -and.-■secured. bj head chains. Three or four plunging horses were released/ but only two of them were brought outside. The others broke away and dashed back to destruction. For a few minutes the screaming of the horses was heard, and then, it was overwhelmed by the roaring of the flames and the crashing of timber and iron as the structure began to collapse.

r The water upon ; the flames had no apparent effect upon them. Cohiinns of flame rose high above the neighbouring dwellings, and blazing fragments were carried away upon the wind.

Towards 10 o'clock the greater part of the timber in the building had been consumed. Within the next hour the danger of an extension of the damage disappeared. The efforts of the bri-: gade were successful, in protecting all the neighbouring houses, and also the coachbuilding shops belonging to the firm at the south-western corner of the stables. A few small outbuildings and some fencing on private property above the stables were destroyed, but the damage was -.practically confined to the main building-