SPECTACULAR FIRE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 38, 24 November 1937, Page 6

SPECTACULAR FIRE

MOTOR WORKS AT AUCKLAND. LOSS ESTIMATED AT £15,000. DRUMS OF OIL EXPLODE. CPer Press Association.) AUCKLAND, This Day. One of the most spectacular fires in the history of Auckland early this morning destroyed the motor bodybuilding works of Cavanagh and Co., Symonds Street. The damage is estimated at £15,000. Cavanagh’s works were divided into two departments, the show-room and repair shop fronting Symonds Street near Grafton Bridge, and the larger building a shop at the rear. The firo broke out in the shop at the rear. Drums of tempering oil exploded violently and columns of flame .rose high over Grafton Gully. Among the contents of the works were eight motor trucks and a large petrol tanker which was in course of construction. Several other cars, including a big ’bus belonging to Mr Jones, of Te Kuiti, which was undergoing repairs, was also destroyed. Firemen with four engines fought a losing fight against the flames as the fire was burning fiercely when they arrived.

Only the shell of the structure remains this morning. A number of employees lost kits of tools values from £25 to £l5O.- The front showroom and repair shop were not damaged.