A HEAVY LOSS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 304, 1 October 1940, Page 8

A HEAVY LOSS

FIRE IN DYE WORKS. IRREPLACEABLE STOCKS DESTROYED. (Per Press Association). DUNEDIN, September 30. Fire wLich broke out in premises between King and Princes Streets, belonging to the City' Dye Works, last night, will have extremely severe repnv missions from the trading aspect. Large stocks of dyes that cannoD be replaced were completely destroyed. One section of the work of the firm, the dyeing of piecegoods for city shops, will have to be abandoned for the duration of the war. For the dyeing work of private customers arrangements have already been made with a Christchurch firm to obtain sufficient dyes to carry on.

Between 7000 and 8000 yards of cloth belonging to various city firms were destroyed. Garments belonging to private customers numbering several hundred, w r ere also completely burnt. The position in regard to these is that they are accepted by the firm at the owner’s risk. It has, how r ever, been the practice of the City Dye Works to maintain, an insurance policy on these goods.' The amount of the cover is not sufficient to repay the value of the goods to the owners, but a proportion will be returned to each person. This morning charred timbers everywhere throughout the building Imre witness to the fact that a splendid save had been made in record time by the Fire Brigade. The fire was blazing to the roof when, at 2.55 a.m. to-day, a milkman gave the alarm. Four machines were sent out, three from the central station and one from south Dunedin, and eight officers and 18-men had the fire under control lvitliin 15 minutes. A stock of latex and crepe rubber, owned by McKinlay’s Footwear Company, Ltd., to which part of the premises was let, at one time was blazing fiercely on top of the water. Not a stick of timber was left in the building to-day that did not show- deep charring. Water pressure was reported to be extremely good at the time of the save.

, McKinlay’s were the losers of stock of silk thread and pompons for slipper-making valued 1 at several hundred pounds-. These items too, will be difficult to replace. The main building of this company, situated across a right-of-way/was damaged slightly by heat. The fire w-as caused by the steam heating plant in the dye works premises. It was not reported until it was well alight. Another loser to a slight extent was Mr $. J. Scoones, a garage proprietor, in King Street. .