FIRE AT HELENSVILLE.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 219, 17 September 1888, Page 8

FIRE AT HELENSVILLE.

■About 1 a.m. yesterday a fire broke out'in West Brothers 1 chair factory, which is situated at Helerisville. The two brbther s statei that about 6 p.m.-on Saturday, the '-, 15th instaritj all the fire .was scraped put from .under the boiler {tnd. water thrown on it. This was done in order to 'get; tho boiler cool for Monday morning, as Mr Johnson, the inspector of niachinery,. was coining; "up to examine it. Everything was apparently safe when they ; le(jb the- factory. . Mr ,A. Wdst asjain went through the factory at about;B p.m., when it appeared all right. He also .went round about.) midnight,; but dirv; not yiaifc tho part of the building where the fire was situafced. There was no fire visible then' wlien bin,a Jew yards' ot u ihp factory;' ■■':^AfeptlVi•■'<P•'^^'ani''■app^Bt{cejof theirs named John l?n.rrand called up Messrs West Bros., as the factory was in flamea. Tllfi..s?ritre 'of the fire seemed'to be:where the boiler v^as'situafcedrthe firm'are'therefore of opinibn j that some sparks could' not t'B'avl^'beeri': ' quenched by tho * water 'earlier''-'^iri'"^h'e day. The factory w.ap totally destroyed, nothing being ■' saved. ;It was.' insured "■■■', tor £400 " in the Colonial Office. West Bros, estimate their los 3at £1,000 above, the;insurance.! John Farraridstntes that he slept in a room' attached to the factory. He' was awakened 'by a crackling noise and a smell.of smoke. He at .once got up and; found that the place was .on fire.; ■^' Iffp'? promptly gave . the,, alarm to * his employers/ fortunately there was no wind,- otherwise the fire might' have blown>.on tq. tho HelensVillQ; Timber Company's: mill and also to a barque and a schooner which wore moored alongside. As it vvaa low tide nt the time tho vosholb could not have been "moved. Great-" sympathy is' felt for Messrs Wcat Bros., who are hard working mon. The manager of the Helensvilie Timbor Company states that he valued the factory and its contents at about £1,500.'. • . .